Fort Lauderdale, Fazio's Fireside Steak Ranch and his House of Prime Ribs

By Jane Feehan

Fort Lauderdale was booming in the 1950s and 60s. The boom included new restaurants opened to meet the demand of a fast-growing population. Many residents from “up North” filled the eateries, seeking the taste—and sophistication—of their home states.   

One of the new places, the Fireside Steak Ranch, was lauded for its beef and Maine lobsters. Former Milwaukee nightclub owner Jimmy Fazio advertised in 1959 that his restaurant operated at two locations – Fort Lauderdale at 901 Las Olas Blvd. and Deerfield Beach on US 1. Lunch went for 85 cents and complete dinners for $1.75-2.95.  For a time, children who were dining were gifted cowboy hats “compliments of host Jimmy Fazio.” He also promoted entertainment to attract the late-night crowd; his restaurant was open until 2 a.m. Customers frequented Fireside Steak Ranch for both its food and vibrant nightlife highlighted by quality jazz, other music and even comedy acts.

Fireside Steak Ranch

The curtain came down on Fireside Steak Ranch in 1963 when a large fire, reportedly caused by an electrical problem in the kitchen, shuttered the restaurant. The Deerfield location came under new ownership in February 1964 with a new name, Johnny’s Fireside Steak Ranch.

Undaunted—and with a legacy of good food and entertainment—Fazio opened House of Prime Ribs at 3485 N. Federal Highway in 1964. According to Fort Lauderdale News nightclub editor, Pat Brown, the new place was known as the “hottest new spot” by May 1964.

Interestingly, Pat Brown tapped Fazio to write a guest column while she was away in 1968. In it, Fazio wrote about his nightclub in Milwaukee and his hope to revive his supper club idea in Fort Lauderdale at the Fireside. But he determined the concept was no longer popular. In opening the House of Prime Ribs, he had to decide on a food or entertainment focus. Food was the choice and it proved to be a good one.

His new place was great and a spot to be seen or to see who was out for the night. My sisters and I accompanied entertainer Red Buttons and his agent there for a meal; they were impressed with the food and ambiance—and our choice.

Fazio’s House of Prime Ribs was shuttered during 1974 or 1975. Mr. Pip’s, a nightclub, opened in its place about 1976. A string of restaurants has opened in the same location since.

The beat, albeit a different one, goes on …

 Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, Oct. 9, 1959

Fort Lauderdale News, Dec. 17, 1959

Fort Lauderdale News, May 11, 1961

Fort Lauderdale News, June 2, 1962

Fort Lauderdale News, July 8, 1963

Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 5, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, May 29, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, May 29, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, Oct. 30, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, Sept. 13, 1968

Fort Lauderdale News, March 3, 1976

Tags: Fort Lauderdale history, Fort Lauderdale history, House of Prime Ribs, Fazio's Fireside Steak Ranch, Jimmy Fazio, Mr. Pip's, Fort Lauderdale restaurant history, Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s, Fort Lauderdale in the 1960s, Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s, Fort Lauderdale restaurant history, Restaurants

Yesterday’s Restaurant looms large in memories of Fort Lauderdale dining and nightlife

Florida State Archives

 

Yesterday’s Restaurant and One Up Lounge
Oakland Park and the Intracoastal
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

By Jane Feehan

On Oct. 25, 1975, the sign for Yesterday’s Restaurant was installed to replace the one for the Moonraker, its predecessor. It was the last of preparations before opening Oct. 29.  The stately exterior of the large building, where some had hoped gambling to flourish once it was legalized by the state, remained the same. The interior, however, was redone featuring a first-level restaurant and bar and an upper- level nightclub, the One Up Lounge, overlooking the Intracoastal and east Fort Lauderdale. 

Plush, ornate and classy, it seemed no expense was spared in the makeover. Enclosed terrace dining, added soon after, would be the coveted place for holiday dining in the years to follow. For intimate gourmet dining, the Plum Room opened, welcoming a stream of the Hollywood famous and Washington politicos.

The entertainment media, invited for opening night, were greeted with an impressive-and thematic- collection of Model-T Fords and other vintage cars lining its sloping driveway to the entrance. 

The band Everyone (see below).
Photo courtesy of
Spencer Mallinson

Fort Lauderdale News Entertainment Editor Jack Zink was there that night and reported that the four-piece band, Everyone, and singer Trish Long, kept the room at the One Up and its dance floor "full to capacity."  They continued to fill it for a year. For me, the opening set the stage for a terrific night of food, entertainment and repeat visits over the years for fine dining, holiday celebrations and dancing.

Who could forget the oversized white, nearly sparkling wigs bartenders wore along with those disco-era body suits (pale blue as I recall) at the One Up? If out-of-town (or country) visitors forgot the name of the place, all they had to do was mention those wigs ... and Yesterday’s was their answer. 

Early evening live music during “Jam Session Mondays,” included Fort Lauderdale legend Andy Bartha and the Dixieland Jazz Band. But later, pulsating disco music prevailed along with era-requisite strobe lighting. The entire restaurant was a hit, the food ... first class. Yesterday’s was so busy at night it often took more than 30 minutes for a valet to retrieve a car. The popular spot attracted people of all ages for special occasions, including wedding receptions and Sunday brunches. Many reserved months ahead for a waterside view of the December Winterfest Boat Parade. A long list of civic groups chose Yesterday's for meetings and events that were covered by local newspapers. It was the place to be seen.

Things slowed down in the 1990s. Culture and lifestyles changed. No more disco music. Residents and travelers sought simpler, and perhaps less expensive dining and entertainment. To add to slow down woes, the landmark restaurant attracted a large, less lucrative early bird dinner crowd. 

In August 1999, the owners, who included celebrated Judge Arnie Grevior* (with wife Barbara) and at one time, Peter Goldhahn (Aruba Beach Cafe), announced Yesterday’s would close Aug. 31 that year. The once- popular nightspot would revert to a more casual atmosphere in October under the revived name, Moonraker, but closed not long after. It was sad to see lights out and a fence go up around this once-popular queen of Fort Lauderdale nightlife. The building was demolished in the early 2000s to make way for an expensive retirement home…with a great view.    

The building may have been demolished but not all the memories of an era and all its fun.  

NOTES

PHOTO: The band, Everyone - featured left to right as Spencer Mallinson recalled: "Richie the drummer (last name forgotten); Bill Davis, keyboard; Bob Bobbin, bass and Spencer, guitarist." Not featured here was Trish Long, vocalist. This group also played at Big Daddy's on Conmmercial, Art Stock's Playpen, the Flying Machine and the 4 O'Clock Club. "Those were great years for music," reminisced Mallinson. Indeed they were.

 Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

*Arnold Grevior died at age 92 March 3, 2020. He was a “lawyer, judge, a philanthropist, patron of the arts and a respected member of the community for over 50 years.” See more at: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sunsentinel/obituary.aspx?n=arnold-grevior&pid=195608585&fhid=8774

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, Oct. 25, 1975
Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 10, 1999
Fort Lauderdale News, March 4, 2020

Tags: Fort Lauderdale restaurants, Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s, Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s, Fort Lauderdale in the 1990s, One Up Lounge, Fort Lauderdale history, History Fort Lauderdale 

Fort Lauderdale 1970s: Celebrities flock to Le Club International

Lloyd Bridges at Le Club 1973
 State of Florida Archives

Le Club International Yacht and Tennis Club

Once located at 2900 NE 9 St., Fort Lauderdale

By Jane Feehan

Le Club, as we called it then, opened early in 1969 and took off like its sponsored Formula 1 car that was to race in a Monaco Grand Prix.  

Once site of the Everglades Yacht and Tennis Club, just south of the Sunrise bridge, the property underwent a $175,000 renovation in 1968 as a venture of Atlanta hotelier and Miami resident, Carling Dinkler. The renovation was considered the first phase of a project that was to eventually include a 17-story condominium.

The condo, planned intermittently over the next decade as a 14- or 32-story project, didn’t materialize, but the club thrived. It was known as a celebrity and swinging nouveau riche magnet, thanks to the efforts of country club impresario and consultant Paul Holm. 

Holm and brother Lambert had been involved in country club launches in Georgia and elsewhere before the Fort Lauderdale endeavor.

Paul Holm, then 36-year-old general manager and secretary-treasurer of Le Club, planned to hold a charity event about once a month. He and Lambert (referred to in some accounts as publicist), knew how to line up celebrities. Dinah Shore appeared at their Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic in 1970. That was the year Elke Sommer, Barbara Marx (widow of Harpo), and a host of other Hollywood notables joined in the fun and also discovered Fort Lauderdale. 

The list of celebrities visiting Le Club over the years was a very long one and included Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, Bobby Riggs, Burt Bacharach, George Peppard, Liza Minelli, Red Buttons, James Franciscus, Charlton Heston, Lloyd Bridges, Bill Cosby, Pat Boone, Kentucky governor and one-time Kentucky Fried Chicken magnate John Y. Brown, jockey Eddie Arcaro and Revlon heir Peter Revson.

Other than high-profile yearly tennis tourneys, high-stakes card games and sponsorship of Formula 1 racing, Le Club was involved in off-shore boat racing and hot air balloon events. Always thinking big, Paul Holm produced the movie, the Great Balloon Race in 1977. He bought the entire first-class section of a 747 jet for club members to attend the movie’s premier at the Canne Film Festival that year.

No doubt Le Club was the place to be for “nouveaus” during the 1970s. The food was excellent, service top-notch and the setting glamorous—if not a bit naughty. A few classified ads pointed to the mindset of the place—and times. Some ads indicated Le Club was looking for an “alert young lady 27-35” to assist an interior design firm at the club. Others stated management was looking for a single, 30-34 social director; others ads were for an “attractive young lady” for another job, etc. One can laugh looking at the ads through today’s lens but knowing the club at that time, many would say the ads seemed perfectly normal.

Tides turned by the end of the 1970s. The club was first sold to John Y. Brown and then in 1981 to Texas oil man James Keenan, also a member, who had plans for renovating the club and building a 14-story condo. Times weren’t right for the project or the club. Tax laws changed during the Reagan administration restricting business write-offs, and it curtailed club business. 

In 1985 the Romani Corporation was listed as owner. They also had big plans for Le Club, but it finally closed February 1986. The building was torn down in 1990. Today, a 16-story condominium, Le Club International, sits there. (No connection to the yacht and tennis club.) 

L to R: Lambert Holm, Carling Dinkler, Paul Holm
State of Floridaa Archives/Florida Memory

Paul Holm moved to Las Vegas, married and had children. He died there in 2007 at age 74 (obituary below) after years contributing his expertise to local charity events. Carling Dinkler, who built Miami’s Palm Bay Club and Tower, died in 2005 in Morgantown, West Virginia, home town of his second wife; he was 85.

The long gone Le Club International will not be forgotten by those who participated in its legacy of well-known, untold, outrageous or sometimes notorious stories.  

More on Paul Holm:

 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/lvrj/name/paul-holm-obituary?pid=142140829

Sources:

Atlanta Constitution Journal, July 26, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 8, 1968

Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 23,1968

Fort Lauderdale News, Sept 22, 1968

Fort Lauderdale News, Nov. 16, 1968

Fort Lauderdale News, May 19, 1969

Fort Lauderdale News, June 10, 1969

Fort Lauderdale News, Aug.31, 1969

Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 11, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, July 12, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, Nov. 13, 1982

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 4, 1985

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 3, 1990

Las Vegas Review, May 30, 2007

Atlanta Constitution Journal, May 25, 2005

Tags: Fort Lauderdale clubs of the 1970s, Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s, Paul Holm, Carling Dinkler, Le Club International tennis tournaments in Fort Lauderdale, Great Balloon Race, Fort Lauderdale history

Heilman's in Fort Lauderdale ... and the stuntman

By Jane Feehan

Those who were lucky to live in Fort Lauderdale when restaurants were top notch, exceptional establishments—the 1960s and 70s—with celebrities among their patrons will remember Heilman’s.

Opened by Hubert (Hubie) Heilman in 1958 after relocating to Florida from Lorain, OH, Heilman’s at 1701 U.S. 1, was lauded for its food, drinks and occasional entertainment. Signage for the restaurant, reflecting the owner’s celebrated sense of humor, claimed the eatery “is recommended by Hubert Heilman.” The beverage menu boasted the “world’s second best martini.” Customers—and Heilman—raved about its Back to the Farm fried chicken. Wife Dorothy helped manage the 285-seat restaurant where entertainer Milton Berle once stirred up some laughs waiting on tables and greeting a shocked customer by name.

In 1975, at age 60, Heilman sold the restaurant (but remained president of the Broward County Restaurant Association) to George and Nick Telemachos, owners of a steak restaurant in Melbourne, FL. Heilman’s was renamed at Hubert’s request and became Helman’s. A poetry enthusiast, Heilman went on to attend writer’s workshops in the U.S. and England; he earned a second bachelor’s degree (the first from Cornell University)  at Florida Atlantic University. Dorothy, who he met at Cornell, died in 1990. Hubert Heilman died in Fort Pierce in 2005 when he was 90.

The Heilman’s Fort Lauderdale story includes the colorful—and short life—of Hubie’s son, Ross. After graduating from Fort Lauderdale High School, Ross joined the marines. Following his service, Ross visited South America where it was reported he became a “big game hunter.” He then opened a crocodile farm—home to more than 1,200 of the reptiles—in Jamaica on the north coast between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, where it became a noted tourist attraction. 

The farm was also the site for scenes from the movies Papillon and the James Bond flick, Live and Let Die, both released in 1973. Ross was tapped as a double for Roger Moore in Live and Let Die and scenes included running atop the backs of hundreds of crocs in water. He sustained an injury requiring nearly 200 stitches according to one news account. Heilman or Kananga, his desired professional name, was paid $60,000 for that gig.

Wanderlust seemingly behind him, Ross returned to Florida where he wrestled alligators at Flamingo Gardens. He bought some land in the Everglades for another enterprise and drained it by himself. In January 1978, while spearfishing in the Everglades in a canoe, Ross and a friend fell into the water. His friend swam to shore but Ross was not found until the following day. It was reported he died from cardiac arrest due to the very cold water; Ross William Heilman was 32.  In addition to his parents he was survived by siblings Robert, Lynne and Becky.

The Heilman restaurant tradition, which began in 1907 in Ohio, continues. Robert, Hubie’s brother, opened Heilman’s Beachcomber in 1948 in Clearwater. Today, son, Robert Heilman, Jr., operates Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber Restaurant (heilmansbeachcomber.com) in there.

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 17, 1963

Fort Lauderdale News, May 28, 1969

Fort Lauderdale News, May 14, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, Dec. 14, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, June 14, 1972

Fort Lauderdale News, Dec. 7, 1975

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 29, 1978

Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 1, 1978

Sun-Sentinel, March 7, 1990

Sun-Sentinel, Sept. 1, 2005

Tags: Fort Lauderdale in the 1960s, Fort Lauderdale restaurants in the 1960s, Fort Lauderdale restaurants in the 1970s, Fort Lauderdale history, Jane Feehan, film researcher

The Candy Store, sleazy ghost of Fort Lauderdale's Spring Break past

By Jane Feehan

A few years ago, someone suggested I write histories of restaurants and clubs in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. I pointed out that unless establishments made the news, there wouldn’t be much to write about; owners are/were too busy trying to keep the doors open to think about legacy. Most go out of business.

But a few spots did make the news. One was the infamous Candy Store at 1 North Atlantic Boulevard on Fort Lauderdale beach, adjacent to then-named Caribbean West Trade Winds Hotel.* Popular for its wet T-shirt, Teenie Weenie Bikini, belly flop, beer guzzling contests and a lineup of other slothful student activities of past spring break years, the Candy Store reportedly drew 2,000 patrons during the day and 3,000 at night at the height of its popularity, which one manager deemed was 1986. That year, more than 325,000 young people swarmed the beach for the six-week bacchanal. (Some news stories indicate 380,000 Spring Breakers visited the city in 1985.)

Owner Bobby “Van” Vannuchi (d. July '20) opened the Candy Store in 1977 (its beloved beach predecessor, the Button Lounge opened in 1970).  A friend of football great and party hearty guy Joe Namath, Van had, according to news accounts, an interest along with Namath in Bachelor’s III (AL, FL, MA, NY); news accounts indicated he also owned Mr. Laffs and Mr. Pips in Fort Lauderdale.

Van reportedly claimed he employed as many as 350 at the Candy Store during Fort Lauderdale spring break. That’s what he told Daytona Beach officials in 1989 where he was opening another Candy Store on Grandview Avenue (he reportedly also owned one in New York City).  He was looking beyond Fort Lauderdale to expand business.

There was cause to be nervous about things in Fort Lauderdale; the welcome mat was about to be pulled for students. The spring break business climate was changing in Fort Lauderdale. Commissioners had had enough of the city’s demeaning party image. It wasn’t attracting the development needed to expand its tax base. And, in 1987 as many as 12 students were killed in Florida during Spring Break in alcohol- and drug-related incidents. 

The Candy Store was emblematic of all the city was trying to get rid of. It became a major target of dismantling the spring festivities that began in 1935 and increased in popularity with the 1960 release of the film Where the Boys Are.

According to news sources, the city of Fort Lauderdale cited the Candy Store for 52 code violations in April 1989 targeting plumbing, electrical and fire and safety infractions. Also reported, the club could lose its liquor license because it was predicated upon the club operating adjacent to a hotel with at least 50 rooms. That hotel, the Caribbean Trade Winds, entered bankruptcy in 1988 or 1989 and was to close.

Van also had problems in Daytona. Published accounts reveal he paid $375,000 for his new 15,000 square foot club and about $500,000 for renovations. City officials raised zoning concerns and tried to block the opening for six months. 

A pending moratorium on issuing building permits was overturned by the 5th Court of Appeals in March 1989. Van moved forward to open before the end of that year’s spring break; the Candy Store in Daytona remained open until March, 1991. News accounts indicate he retained part ownership rights on the building and leased it to another nightclub impresario. (The fate of the NYC club is unknown to this writer.)

Meanwhile, Fort Lauderdale could claim success in its re-imaging efforts: only 20,000 students flocked to its beaches in 1989. By 1990, business at the Candy Store was reportedly off 50 percent (at least). The club limped along until 1993 when it shut its doors. Bobby Van remained in the restaurant biz as late as 2005; records indicate he owned Jilly’s Café at 2761 E. Oakland Park Boulevard but it has since closed.

The Candy Store still evokes fond memories. On one message board, a man asked recently if anyone knew the tall blonde bartender he went out with in 1986. He wanted to reconnect but lost her name and phone number (hilarious - she could be a grandmother now). 

Others remember Paul W. Lorenzo, managing partner in 1983 who dressed in shorts, tuxedo jacket, tie and one of his 700 zany hats. Anyone who gave him a hat earned a free lifetime membership to the Candy Store.

 

Today, that membership is to a hall of memories of spring break madness. The only place still operating along the strip is the Elbo Room first opened in 1936 or 1938. No doubt people gather there on occasion to share stories about Bobby Van's place. 

Copyright © 2015, 2022 All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

----------
Note: The Ritz Carlton Hotel currently sits at the old site of the Candy Store.

*The original Trade Winds Oceanfront Hotel was built in 1940, one of the city's largest at the time.

Tags: Fort Lauderdale clubs, Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s, Fort Lauderdale Spring Break, Fort Lauderdale history


Sources:
Lakeland Star Ledger, April 3, 1983
Star News, Feb. 19, 1987
News-Journal, Feb. 4, 1989
News-Journal, Feb. 17, 1989
Ocala Star Banner, Nov. 25, 1990
News-Journal, Feb. 19, 1992
Sun-Sentinel, Nov. 15, 1996
NBC News, March 17, 2008

Flash and grab at the Yellow Rolls Royce - A 1970s Fort Lauderdale story

By Jane Feehan

Long-time Fort Lauderdale residents may remember the robbery at the Yellow Rolls Royce Restaurant in 1976. It was bold, but not quite as big as it could have been. High-profile Miami News reporter Milt Sosin briefly covered the story as did The Associated Press, which sent it across the country. There was something about the place, its flashy patrons—and stylish thieves—that captured headlines. It was the stuff of TV and silver screen scripts.

Long gone, the upscale eatery was located on Northeast 20 Avenue, close to Sunrise Boulevard and the Middle River fork of New River. Between 30 and 40 patrons were enjoying a night out in late March, high season in South Florida, when  a man with a handgun came through the rear entrance to hold staff at bay. A few moments later, a well-dressed couple entered the front door, with the male partner brandishing a gun. After commanding attention and calm, he instructed his young female accomplice to begin passing a bag around. In went wallets and jewelry but not before many took off rings and other glitter to drop into coffee, food and mouths. Personal searches were not conducted, diminishing the thieves’ take.

The dynamic duo warned diners not to follow them; they took off with about $15,000 in cash and jewels, a substantial haul from such a small gathering. As soon as they left, rings and other baubles were spat out or removed from food.  (One may speculate about how much cash  robbers would have gotten away with six or seven years later, when cocaine cowboys were walking around with paper bags of cash before laundering it at jewelry stores and through real estate transactions.)

According to owner Terrence Scott Moser, robbers missed more than they took. He described his customers as the “quiet elite of Fort Lauderdale,” among them women wearing “diamonds by the yard.” Many of them managed to hide the glitter simply by buttoning up their blouses.

Days after the heist, police were still seeking clues to the bold robbery … and the nation was reading about it. The story soon dropped off the radar, as did the Yellow Rolls Royce and Terrence Scott Moser. Any of you remember additional stories about it?

Sources:

Miami News, March 29, 1976

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 31, 1976

 Tags: Film researcher, Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s, Fort Lauderdale history

Broward County's Black-White teacher exchange and desegregation

By Jane Feehan

Though public schools in the U.S. were ordered to desegregate in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education), they remained segregated for decades in schools across the nation and in Broward County, Florida.

When Broward County announced its Black-White teacher exchange program was a success in March 1966, it made news.

The pilot exchange program was conducted for a week, with no major problems, reported William Drainer, Broward County elementary education supervisor. 

White teachers were sent to teach Black students, Black teachers taught in White schools. Sixteen elementary schools participated in the program.  Teachers, parents, and students favorably evaluated the exchange afterward, leading to plans for a second exchange weeks later at 16 different schools.

“A good teacher is a good teacher no matter where he teaches,” said Drainer. A teacher is a teacher.

Apparently the program did little to abate resistance to desegregation by parents and some county politicians. In August of 1966, Broward County did not (at first) sign federal guidelines for desegregation, jeopardizing $4.5 million in federal funds. A confrontation among different stakeholders brought the county back to the drawing board.

By 1970 there were four public school systems in the South that refused to bus students to desegregate: Dade and Broward counties in Florida and two counties in North Carolina. 

Miami-based attorney Ellis Rubin, on behalf of United Stand for America, Inc., filed a petition against busing in the court. The group, which was also headed by Rubin, contended that a recently adopted state law prohibited expenditures of state or county funds for desegregation purposes. 

Based on that reasoning, a judge granted a temporary injunction to prevent busing. Eventually, Broward County received a $1.7 million federal grant to help pay for the school buses but lost that temporarily for noncompliance to federal requirements.

William Drainer, acting superintendent of Broward Schools in 1970, fully endorsed the transfer of 500 teachers and 3,000 students. Though his pilot program four years prior underscored a teacher was a teacher, it did not take into account politicians. 

The busing controversy was not resolved until the early 1970s. Today, many desegregated schools in Broward and Miami-Dade are once again minority schools.

Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, March 17, 1966

Palm Beach Post, Jul 16, 1966

Palm Beach Post, Jul 23, 1966

St. Petersburg Times, Jul 24, 1966

Daytona Beach Morning Journal, Dec. 22, 1969

Palm Beach Post, Aug. 26, 1970

 Tags: African American history, Broward County history,  Broward County in the 1960s, Broward County in the 1970s,

Fort Lauderdale and Johnny Weissmuller

Weissmuller 1939 filming in Silver Springs, FL
Florida State Archives

By Jane Feehan

He swung from vines as Tarzan to meet up with Jane, his leading lady Maureen O'Sullivan, bellowing a victory call a time or two— perhaps 20. That’s how many Tarzan films Johnny Weissmuller (1904-1984) made after achieving acclaim in the swimming world, winning five Olympic Gold medals and setting 67 world records during the 1920s.

Courtesy of Susan Mitchell
Sygitowicz

Chicago-born (some say he was born in present-day Romania) Weissmuller stopped making Tarzan films in 1949, getting involved in other ventures around the country. He came to Fort Lauderdale with his fourth wife, Maria, in 1965 and lived at the sixth hole of the Coral Ridge Country Club Golf Course, where his apartment was broken into in 1970; two of his Olympic medals were stolen during the incident.

The famed swimmer teamed up with the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF), built in 1966 where he served as honorary board chairman. The pictures here were probably taken during the early days of the ISHOF (Buck Dawson with eye patch, first executive director of the ISHOF). A swimming museum is part of the complex and contains a wax likeness of the Olympic champion. Weissmuller often played host at the museum, giving visitors a tour (museum mostly closed now pending completion of renovation).

Courtesy of Susan Mitchell
Sygitowicz

Weissmuller turned in his vine and drove a Cadillac in Fort Lauderdale where he was often seen around town. One of those places was the popular Mai-Kai Restaurant where he was known to let out the well-known jungle bellow. Another of his favorite spots was Uta’s, a small neighborhood bar (long gone) behind what is now Shooter’s Café. Weissmuller operated a pool business for awhile in Fort Lauderdale and then decided to promote Tropical Wonderland, the old Florida Wonderland in Titusville, but backed out.

Though Johnny Weissmuller lived in Fort Lauderdale fewer than 10 years, many residents still like to claim him as the city’s own. He is, indeed, a part of Fort Lauderdale* history.

Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.
_________

* Weissmuller died in Acapulco, Mexico at age 79.

Sources:
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 29, 1970
Daytona Morning Journal, July 1, 1979
www.tcm.com/this-month/article/489136%7C489280/Johnny-Weissmuller-Profile.html

Tags: Fort Lauderdale history, Johnny Weissmuller, International Swimming Hall of Fame, film researcher, history of Fort Lauderdale