Tony Tarracino
Encyclopedia
Tony Tarracino commonly called Captain Tony, was an American
saloonkeeper
, boat captain
, politician
, gambler, and storyteller
in Key West
, Florida
. He was a well-known personality in the city and has been called "arguably the city's most beloved resident" and "the conscience of Key West."
, New Jersey
to a bootlegger
father. He dropped out
of the ninth grade
to make and sell whiskey, illegal at the time due to Prohibition
. After becoming a gambler, getting involved with the New Jersey Mafia, and being beaten and left for dead at the Newark
city dump
, he moved to Key West, Florida, in 1948.
There he became a shrimper, a charter boat captain, and a gunrunner. From 1961, Tarracino was the proprietor of Captain Tony's Saloon
at 428 Greene Street in Key West, the original location of Sloppy Joe's
bar frequented by Ernest Hemingway
in the 1930s (the current Sloppy Joe's is located a few doors away at 201 Duval Street). He sold the bar in 1989 but remained a fixture there until shortly before his death. The bar still retains his name.
Tarracino was politically active in Key West politics running for mayor four times before winning office in 1989 by only 32 votes out of more than 6,000 cast. He sought to "limit Key West's growth and to keep its reputation as a refuge for eccentrics and renegades who had found their way to the southernmost point of the continental United States." As mayor, he preserved Key West's daily sunset celebration but he lost a bid for re-election in 1991 to Dennis Wardlow
, "prime minister" of the tongue-in-cheek
protest secession
ist Conch Republic
. Tarracino spoke of his two-year term in the office as "the greatest two years of my life."
Tarracino was the author of Life Lessons of a Legend with Brad Manard. At the time of his death, Wendy Tucker, a former Miami Herald reporter was ghostwriting
his autobiography, The Breaks.
contestant, Keith Famie
. His youngest child, Tony Tarracino Jr., was born when Captain Tony was age 70. He outlived his first three wives, Mimi, Mae, and Shirley, and one of his sons.
in Cuba Crossing
, a 1980 movie about adventurers who get caught up in a plot to kill Fidel Castro
. Gulf and western singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett
, who managed one of his unsuccessful mayoral bids, wrote and sang "Last Mango in Paris" about the tales of Tarracino. The song begins with the lines "I went down to Captain Tony's / To get out of the heat / I heard a voice call out to me / 'Son come have a seat'."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
saloonkeeper
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, boat captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, gambler, and storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
in Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He was a well-known personality in the city and has been called "arguably the city's most beloved resident" and "the conscience of Key West."
Biography
Anthony Tarracino was born in ElizabethElizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to a bootlegger
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
father. He dropped out
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
of the ninth grade
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
to make and sell whiskey, illegal at the time due to Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. After becoming a gambler, getting involved with the New Jersey Mafia, and being beaten and left for dead at the Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
city dump
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, he moved to Key West, Florida, in 1948.
There he became a shrimper, a charter boat captain, and a gunrunner. From 1961, Tarracino was the proprietor of Captain Tony's Saloon
Captain Tony's Saloon
Captain Tony's Saloon is a bar located at 428 Greene Street , in Key West, Florida, United States.The bar has been patronized through the years by many well-known artists, writers and celebrities. In fact, an interesting feature of the bar is that when any celebrity visits, a barstool is added...
at 428 Greene Street in Key West, the original location of Sloppy Joe's
Sloppy Joe's
Sloppy Joe's Bar is a historic U.S. bar in Key West, Florida. It is now located on the north side of Duval Street at the corner of Greene Street, ....
bar frequented by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
in the 1930s (the current Sloppy Joe's is located a few doors away at 201 Duval Street). He sold the bar in 1989 but remained a fixture there until shortly before his death. The bar still retains his name.
Tarracino was politically active in Key West politics running for mayor four times before winning office in 1989 by only 32 votes out of more than 6,000 cast. He sought to "limit Key West's growth and to keep its reputation as a refuge for eccentrics and renegades who had found their way to the southernmost point of the continental United States." As mayor, he preserved Key West's daily sunset celebration but he lost a bid for re-election in 1991 to Dennis Wardlow
Dennis Wardlow
Dennis Wardlow is a former Mayor of Key West, Florida, having served on three separate occasions.He is best known, however, as the Prime Minister of the Conch Republic, the micronation that seceded from the United States on April 23, 1982, in protest over a United States Border Patrol blockade...
, "prime minister" of the tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
protest secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
ist Conch Republic
Conch Republic
The Conch Republic is a micronation declared as a tongue-in-cheek secession of the city of Key West from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city since...
. Tarracino spoke of his two-year term in the office as "the greatest two years of my life."
Tarracino was the author of Life Lessons of a Legend with Brad Manard. At the time of his death, Wendy Tucker, a former Miami Herald reporter was ghostwriting
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
his autobiography, The Breaks.
Personal life
Tarracino had several wives and was married to his fourth, Marty, for 38 years at the time of his death. He fathered 13 children, including former Survivor: The Australian OutbackSurvivor: The Australian Outback
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the United States reality show Survivor. Filming took place at Goshen Station in northern Queensland during 2000 and aired from January 28, 2001 to May 3, 2001 on CBS...
contestant, Keith Famie
Keith Famie
Keith Famie is a director/producer of human-interest films. He is probably best known for being a contestant on the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback. He was the 14th person to be voted off...
. His youngest child, Tony Tarracino Jr., was born when Captain Tony was age 70. He outlived his first three wives, Mimi, Mae, and Shirley, and one of his sons.
Cultural impact
Tarracino was portrayed by Stuart WhitmanStuart Whitman
Stuart Maxwell Whitman is an American actor.Stuart Whitman is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967...
in Cuba Crossing
Cuba Crossing
Cuba Crossing is a 1980 action film directed by Chuck Workman and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The plot features Robert Vaughn, Stuart Whitman, and Michael V. Gazzo as adventurers who get caught up in a plot to kill Fidel Castro....
, a 1980 movie about adventurers who get caught up in a plot to kill Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. Gulf and western singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, who managed one of his unsuccessful mayoral bids, wrote and sang "Last Mango in Paris" about the tales of Tarracino. The song begins with the lines "I went down to Captain Tony's / To get out of the heat / I heard a voice call out to me / 'Son come have a seat'."
External links
- The Famous and the Infamous at Captain Tony's Saloon website including biographical information on Tony Tarracino
- Photo of Tony Tarracino wearing a Conch RepublicConch RepublicThe Conch Republic is a micronation declared as a tongue-in-cheek secession of the city of Key West from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city since...
t-shirt - Excerpt of Life Lessons of a Legend by Tony Tarracino and Brad Manard
