Gwen's Kulture Kafe

America was the New World and Europe was the Old.

America was the land of hope, or so the legend told.

Failoni's Cafe

6715 Manchester Ave. 63129

Phone: 314-781-5221

The United States is a nation of immigrants. So, it’s not unusual that I would celebrate an Irish holiday in St. Louis, Missouri USA in an Italian restaurant with my German boyfriend. Of course, EVERYONE is IRISH on St. Patrick’s Day, including the Failoni family, and if you happen to be there on St. Paddy’s Day, you’ll find one of the biggest parties in town. Not that it takes a holiday for Failoni’s Cafe to have a crowd spilling out of the back and front doors.

The restaurant is located in a neighborhood known as Dogtown and on St. Patrick’s Day, it's Party Town including the Ancient Order of Hibernians annual parade that begins at Tamm & Oakland Streets and ends at Manchester Ave. Dogtown gots it’s name when miners, living in Forest Park and working the mines there, were evicted to the area south where they built cottages and continued to work the mines. While the men were away at work, leaving the women and children alone in the sparcely populated area, they kept dogs as protection, hence the name “Dogtown”.

Failoni’s is just one of several bar/restaurants in the Dogtown neighborhood, but it is my favorite. I’ve celebrated many of my many birthdays at Failoni’s. It is truly one of St. Louis’ hidden gems. Grandpa Failoni purchased this tiny brick building along an industrial stretch of Manchester Ave. from the Lemp Brewing Company in 1916 and for 91 years, the Failoni family, including sons, Joseph Frank and Alex, has been quietly turning out some of the best food in St. Louis. (Frank Failoni was past manager of Kiel Auditorium and director of the St. Louis Convention Center.) What food! Today they offer a to-die-for Sicilian salad, wonderful lemon garlic chicken, chicken parmesan and delicious pasta dishes, Mama Rosemary's marinated olives, great sandwiches including the best reuben sandwich west of the Mississippi. Customers stop by Failoni's not just for the food but also for the live music on Thursday afternoon and Friday nights when Alex Failoni, Jr. fills drink orders with one hand and sings into a microphone with the other. He sings mostly songs made popular by Frank Sinatra and he sings them so authentically, you might even think that he’s lip-synching. All of the family-Alex, Sr., Rosemary, Rossetta & Victor-join in the singing as they serve drinks and food to the patrons. Local celebrities stop by to sing also; you never know who’s going to come in the place, including baseball, football, and hockey players, both present and retired.

Bar is open: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday

Live music; No cover charge; Serving Dinner and Lunch; Casual Attire;Yes, a donation to our reunion !

A Trip To The Concession Stand:*

Few things identify Italy and Italians (and home and abroad) as food. During the early 1970s, as the availability of Italian Food in America greatly increased, the cultural difference between the consumer and the goods lessened. A much greater variety of ingredients, recipes, and eating practices were represented in popular magazines. The emergence of a taste for ethnic foods in America in the 1970s was partly a legacy of the cultural climate of the 1960’s. Ethnic food appealed to segments of society such as politically motivated or otherwise unconventional young people. The “ethnic revival” borne out of second- and third-generations of European immigrants discontent with purely “American” identity, provided a sizeable amount of ethnic food consumers. Also, in the early 1970s, Italian Food benefited from the growing public concern for the relationship between nutrition and health.

*www.ItalianAcademy.edu

On The Jukebox:
Frank Sinatra Concert Tour 1972
October 20, 1972 Chicago, Illinois
Young Voters for Richard Nixon
Frank sings "My Kind of Town"

At The Movie:*

The Godfather is a 1972 crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo — Puzo and Coppola collaborated on the screenplay. The story spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 as the leader of a New York Mafia organization hands his family business over to his reluctant son.

Cast
Marlon Brando as Vita Corleone —the head (the "Don") of the Corleone family. He is the father of Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie and surrogate father to Tom Hagen.
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone — the Don's youngest son. He recently returned from the Marines to recover from wounds. He wants nothing to do with the Corleone family business.
James Caan as Sonny Corleone — the hot-headed oldest brother of the Corleone children. He is being groomed to take over the family business after Vito Corleone retires.
John Cazale as Fredo Corleone — the middle son of Vito Corleone. Fredo is somewhat simple and weak willed.
Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen — an informally adopted son of Vito Corleone, he is also the family lawyer and is likely to become the new consigliere (counselor).
Talia Shire as Connie Corleone — Vito Corleone's only daughter. She marries Carlo Rizzi.
Diane Keaton as Kay Adams — Michael's girlfriend.
Richard S. Castellano as Pete Clemenza — a caporegine (underboss) for the Corleone Family.
Abe Vigoda as Sal Tessio — a caporegime for the Corleone Family.
Al Lettieri as Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo — a heroin dealer associated with the Tattaglia Mafia family.
Gianni Russo as Carlo Rizzi — marries Connie Corleone.
Sterling Hayden as Captain Mark McCluskey — a corrupt police captain in the pay of the Tattaglia family
Lenny Montana as Luca Brasi — a strong-arm man utilized by Vito Corleone.
Richard Conte as Don Emilio Barzini — the head of a rival Mafia family.
Al Martino as Johnny Fontane — a world-famous popular singer and godson of Vito.
John Marley as Jack Woltz — a powerful Hollywood producer.

*Wikipedia

Mrs. Zimmerman's 1st Grade Class Bethalto 60-61

...from Sheri's collection.

Recognize any of these people????

Thanks to Dennis Talkington for this blog donation!

Here's an old friend

Anyone care to venture a guess as to who this guy is?

Yes, he graduated with us.

Where were you in 1967?

Thanks to John Walker for this picture.