THE MAYOR OF VENICE BEACH
#DailyNugget
Yes, he is a clown, but that’s another story.
This particular effigy dangles from the corner of the CVS Pharmacy building at Main Street and Rose Avenue in Venice.
It’s our history, don’t knock it.
~ The Nug
The Mayor of Venice Beach
Venice HISTORY – c’mon! Way back, honest to God before you were born, I used to hang out some in Venice. This is when beatniks embarrassed San Francisco and a few moved to Venice. A lascivious character called “Big Daddy” (he came in at about 250 lbs) took up residence as the Baron of what was once a drugstore on the beach at Strand and Windward. A charitable wish-he-was-a-beatnik lawyer paid the rent on the disused building. The “All night Poetry and Coffee” shop/restaurant, “Venice West Café,” at 10 Dudley St. operating at that time was rented and operated by none other than my freshman room mate at Harvard. Venice West Café was shut down from time to time because the poetry reading out loud was taken as providing entertainment without a license. John went on to be a functionary of the Peace and Freedom Party headquartered in Venice. He was a vociferous spokesman against the gentrification of Venice. He died from general malnutrition Google on “John R. Haag.” Real Italian cooking was provided at Venice West by John’s wife whom he had married in Rome. When she immigrated they lived with bachelor me and for some six months my household language was Italian. Va bene. Google on “Anna Ricci Haag.” They split up and to about 15 years ago Anna was a well known and well liked character in the Venice scene. She became ill from general malnutrition and went to Colorado where her daughter DuAnna lived and there died. Anna’s son (full parentage TBD) owns a bicycle shop on Main St. Venice had a few producing artists that were nearby. I have a painting by one who called himself Mike Modigliani; he wasn’t too stable and committed suicide. My son has my copy of a large print of Venice West Café done by someone whose name I forget. I’ve been away from the Venice scene for a very long time, but my son has a well gentrified home on a walk-in street a half block from the beach. Its real estate value has risen about $1,000,000 since he bought it 10 or so years ago. I should be so smart!!
Wow Eaeme! Nice history lesson! But you still didn’t tell us why there is a male ballerina dangling from the CVS in Venice. I’m told he’s been there all the while as the building has hosted several different business establishments.