Finocchio's Club

The term finocchio is Italian for fennel, but is also a negative slang term for homosexual. Finocchio are described as young male prostitutes, often underage, working at brothels. In New York City, the Italian word finocchio was common derogatory slang for homosexual men, equivalent to fairy or faggot. == History ==

Joseph "Joe" Finocchio, the creator of the club, had the idea of a nightclub with female impersonators in costumes when a patron jokingly went on the stage of his club and did a routine that the crowd enjoyed. The club was not advertised as a gay club; it was advertised as a place for entertainment and fun. Both gay and straight performers worked there. The acts included varying ethnic-inspired performances such as geisha-style performances, which may have helped encourage tourists and contributed to the diverse, often racially diverse crowds, which was unusual during this time of segregation. Finocchio's was "off limits" during World War II, not due to the entertainment, but rather for selling liquor to the military outside the authorized hours of sales. On December 31, 1943 the ban was lifted after Joe Finocchio and other bar owners signed an agreement to limit liquor sales to military personnel between 5 pm and midnight. Finocchio's was a huge favorite with tourists from the 1930s to the early 1990s. Joe Finocchio died in January 1986. Eve Finocchio, Joe's widow, decided to close the club on November 27, 1999 because of a significant increase in the monthly rent and dwindling audience attendance. Club 82 in New York City; and the traveling Jewel Box Revue. == Prostitution ==

Finocchio's nightclub combined entertainment with sex trade and prostitution. With the criminalization of prostitution, there was a general trend away from commercial brothels and towards nightclubs. While some nightclubs had rooms rented by the hour, Finocchio's did not have these. Friedman writes that this method of arranging "dates" had precedent in the "messenger boy" culture of New York City and Chicago in the 1950's. == Influence ==

A 14-page program, "Finocchio's: America's Most Unusual Nightclub", was published by Zevin-Present, circa 1947. The Finocchio shows published playbills. After Finocchio's closed, they donated the costumes, photos and programs to the GLBT Historical Society. It is thought that Finocchio's was the catalyst for the art of drag. Celebrities who attended shows at Finocchio's throughout their many years of operation included Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes, Ava Gardner, Tallulah Bankhead, David Niven, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Lena Horne, Joan Crawford, Barbra Streisand, Mae West, Carol Channing, William Haines, Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Roddy McDowall, Liza Minnelli, Cher and Bette Midler among others. After the closure, another San Francisco establishment called Harry Denton's Starlight Room started a drag show in 2006 called "Sunday's a Drag," a female impersonation show modeled after Finocchio's. These shows are hosted by Donna Sachet. ==Notable acts==

Artists who performed at Finocchio's included (in alphabetical order): • David de Alba, often dressed as Judy Garland or Liza Minnelli. • Angel Amor • Bobby Belle • Francis Blair • Aleshia Brevard, her Marilyn Monroe impression became so well known that Marilyn Monroe came to see her perform. • Lenny Bruce, comedian • LaVern Cummings • Francis David • William Hart • Sir Lady Java • Bobby Johnson • Pussy Katt • Bambi Lake • Milton LaMaire • Del LeRoy • Li-Kar, performed a "Geisha dance" and was also a designer and artist, contributing visuals to the Finocchio's playbill. • Jackie Maye • Kelly Michaels, as Madonna in the late 1980s. • Mike Michelle • Karyl Norman, worked at Finocchino's circa the 1930s, a former well-known vaudeville performer. • Lucian Phelps ("a Sophie Tucker expert", or "Male Sophie Tucker") would wear Sophie Tucker's actual gowns and early in their career performed vaudeville. • Russell Reed • Freddie Renault • Nikki Starr • Carroll Wallace • Holly White == See also ==