RIP, Capt. Tony

[OTD]

The man in my avatar has passed away . . . .

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Anthony “Tony” Tarracino, a former mayor of Key West and legendary bar owner of “Captain Tony's Saloon” whose life was memorialized in a Jimmy Buffett song, died Saturday. He was 92.
Tarracino died after being hospitalized for about a week with a heart and lung condition, said his wife of 38 years, Marty Tarracino.
Anthony Tarracino came to Key West from New Jersey in 1948 with $18 in his pocket. Ten years later, he purchased a bar on Greene Street and changed its name to Captain Tony's Saloon.
Tarracino was a charter boat captain fond of telling colorful stories about the era of the mercenaries of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. He served as Key West's mayor from 1989 to 1991.
Captain Tony's colorful life included marrying four times and fathering 13 children.
Buffett, a longtime friend, sang about Tarracino's exploits in the song “Last Mango in Paris,” from the 1985 album of the same name.

The Conch Republic flag will be flown at half staff.

 

[Magic In The Night]

The man in my avatar has passed away . . . .

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Anthony “Tony” Tarracino, a former mayor of Key West and legendary bar owner of “Captain Tony's Saloon” whose life was memorialized in a Jimmy Buffett song, died Saturday. He was 92.
Tarracino died after being hospitalized for about a week with a heart and lung condition, said his wife of 38 years, Marty Tarracino.
Anthony Tarracino came to Key West from New Jersey in 1948 with $18 in his pocket. Ten years later, he purchased a bar on Greene Street and changed its name to Captain Tony's Saloon.
Tarracino was a charter boat captain fond of telling colorful stories about the era of the mercenaries of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. He served as Key West's mayor from 1989 to 1991.
Captain Tony's colorful life included marrying four times and fathering 13 children.
Buffett, a longtime friend, sang about Tarracino's exploits in the song “Last Mango in Paris,” from the 1985 album of the same name.

The Conch Republic flag will be flown at half staff.

Wow. RIP. I always liked that place better than Sloppy Joe's. Had a great night in there drinking with some Aussies one night.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Captain Tony's Saloon is the original Sloppy Joe's, FWIW.

And the bathroom is allegedly haunted.

RIP, Tony.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

I went down to Captain Tony's to get out of the heat
When I heard a voice call out to me, "Son, come have a seat"
I had to search my memory as I looked into those eyes
Our lives change like the weather but a legend never dies

He said, "I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And "Jimmy, there's still so much to be done."

I had a third world girl in Buzios
With a pistol on each hand
She always kept me covered
As we moved from land to land
I had a damn good run on wall street
With my high fashion model wife
Til I woke up dry beneath the African sky
Just me and my Swiss Army knife

I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there's still so much to be done

We shot the breeze for hours
As the sun fell from the skies
And like the sun hw disappeared before my very eyes
It was somewhere past dark-thirty
When I went back to the head
I read upon the dingy wall
The words the old man said

I ate the last mango in Paris...
....so much to be done.
Why don't we wander and follow la vie dansante.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

May we all live such interesting lives.

I'll hoist a beer in his honor.