Cigar City Magazine-Feb/Mar 2012

I knew when I heard the news of thepassing of the great Etta James that Iwould feature her on the cover of theFebruary-March 2012 issue of Cigar CityMagazine. It was simple really. I felt itappropriate to celebrate the life of such adynamic artist. It’s no secret to my familyand friends that music in its purest formhas always taken a front seat in my life.People ask me all the time, if you could do

something else what would that be? MUSIC is what comes out of mymouth without hesitation.

Then, of course, I’m asked “What kind of music?” “The blues ofcourse!” Many of the issues you have read over the last 8 years havebeen created and designed while blasting the blues from people likeBB King, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf and the unforgettable, hauntingvoice of Etta James. Ms. James will be remembered for her legendaryvoice and her contributions to our nation's musical history but mostimportantly the way her music touches our soul.

And let us not forget Black History Month–an annual celebrationof achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizingthe central role of African Americans in U.S. history. What bettertime to pay tribute to a musical legend. Bringing the celebration fullcircle, Cigar City Magazine is telling the story of the Jackson Housein this issue–a legendary piece of our local history.

Thanks as always to you, the reader, who has made Cigar CityMagazine Tampa’s favorite magazine!

I look forward to another exciting year.

Lisa M. FigueredoFounder and Editor-In-Chief of Cigar City Magazine

Check out our website atCigarCityMagazine.com for more stories

and post your comments!

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEFLISA FIGUEREDO| [email protected]

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORSUNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE FLORIDA STATE ARCHIVES

USF DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER

TAMPA BAY TIMES

ON THE COVERETTA JAMES

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

LISA M. FIGUEREDOEDITOR-IN-CHIEFAND FOUNDER

PAUL GUZZOSENIOR WRITER

SUSAN CUESTACOPY EDITOR

©2012, BossaNova Agency. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use without written permission from the BossaNova Agency, of editorial, pictorial, or design content, in any manner is prohibited. The opinions of writers commissioned for articlesare not necessarily those of the agency. All advertising is subject to approval before acceptance. BossaNova Agency reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason whatsoever. The BossaNova Agency assumes no responsibility forclaims made by advertisers. All letters, emails and their contents sent to the BossaNova Agency become the sole property of the agency and may be used and published in any manner whatsoever without limit and without obligation or liability tothe author there of. Cigar City™ is a trademarked name and logo, any reproduction or use without written permission will fall under the trademark infringement laws and will be executed under the fullest extent of the law. BossaNova Agency onlyholds the rights to use the name and trademark under the rules and regulations of the owner of the Cigar City™

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SCOTT DEITCHEWRITER

MARK DENOTEWRITER

8 WWW.CigarCityMagazine.COM

February/March 2012 | Volume 7 | Issue 37

FEATURES

Meet The Jackson’s | 20

Bolita Kingpin of St. Pete | 30

COLUMNS

This Month in Florida History | 10

Lost Landmark | 10

Pour Discissions | 12

The Libation Lounge | 16

Interview | 34

Cigar City Playground | 36

Mama Knows | 38


IN THE MONTH’S OF FEBRUARY & MARCH

February 22, 1819Spain signed the Adams-Onis Treaty with the United States ceding eastern Florida. Spanish minister Do Luis de Onis and U.S.Secretary of State John Quincy Adams signed the Florida Purchase Treaty, in which Spain agrees to cede the remainder of its oldprovince of Florida. Spain renounced claims to Oregon Country

February 25, 1964Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) became world heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

February 28, 2009A fishing boat from Clearwater, Florida, capsized as the four friends were pulling up the anchor. Nick Schuyler was rescued on March2. Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Floridaplayer William Bleakley remained missing.

March 8, 1861St. Augustine, Florida, surrendered to Union armies.

March 14, 1903The 1st national bird reservation was established in Sebastian, Florida.

March 25, 2009US authorities arrested Florida businessman Rama K. Vyasulu and froze his Rosemont Finance Corporation following a federal grandjury indictment in Boston indicting him on charges of laundering $900,000 in drug profits. His firm served as a key US clearing housefor dozens of black market brokerages selling dollars in Venezuela, despite an official ban on private firms buying an d selling curren-cy at unofficial rates. An estimated $100 million was believed to be frozen.

Email your answer and your nameto: [email protected]

by March 1, 2012.

Congratulations Mark & Carrie of the MC Film Festival in Ybor

who guessed last issue's Lost Landmark!

The Lost Landmark in the December 2011issue was The Palma Ceia Theater

at 2309 S. MacDill Avenue in Tampa, Florida.

to everything there is a season, and beer is no exception. Many

breweries rotate their seasonal beer selections for various reasons

like space, variety, or demand. Often times the beer will follow the

weather as well. a high-alcohol barley wine may warm the winter

nights or a light, crisp pale ale can shorten a sweltering summer

day. During this time of year, as the winter begins to thaw and the

warmer Spring temperatures show their approach, the russian

imperial stout can swap the wintry for the wonderful. imperial

stouts are the older, bulkier brothers of the beer world. they are

burly, robust, viscous, and high octane—the ivan Dragos of craft

beer. While each stout will vary by the ingredients used and the

brewer’s panache, nearly every imperial stout will be robust, higher

in alcohol, and layered with deep flavors like coffee, chocolate,

roasted malts, and dark fruit.

Historically, the imperial stout was brewed in england and

began its life by the name of stout porter. these beers, brewed

with dark and roasted malts, were made to withstand the trip

from London to the russian royal court, which is also why many

are still called russian imperial stouts. Like india Pale ales, the

volume of ingredients was increased, as was the alcohol content,

in order to avoid spoilage on what was an extended trek in that

point of history.

all imperial stouts have several characteristics in common, yet

each brewer will adopt the style and make it his or her own with

unique malts, hops, or additional ingredients. every imperial stout

will be dark brown in color with varying amounts of hops, have a

thick body (think motor oil), and may have strong aromas of coffee,

dark fruit, chocolate, earth, and varying levels of alcohol.

Examples of locally available Russian Imperial Stouts include:

Tampa Bay Brewing’s Iron Rat

iron rat is currently available only at tampa Bay Brewing

Company’s brewpub in ybor City. this is an imperial stout with-

out pretension; it is thick in body and dark in color. the stout

emanates aromas of chocolate, roasted malts, light coffee, some

fudge, and bits of licorice. the flavor delivers on the promises of

the aroma and tastes like dark chocolate, some milk chocolate,

roasted malts, some coffee, and interspersed black licorice.

Cigar City Brewing’s Hunahpu

Hunahpu is only released one day each year, and can only be

bought from Cigar City’s brewery. each year the release day is in

March, and in 2012 it will be March 10th. this stout is Cigar City’s

Marshal zhukov imperial Stout taken to the

next level. the stout is named for the divin-

ity that gave chocolate to the Mayans, and

aged with cinnamon, ancho and pasilla

chilis, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans. this

beer has an aroma of chocolate, some

earthy peppers, vanilla, spice, and espres-

so. the flavor is spice forward at first

with the peppers meeting the chocolate,

coffee, and cinnamon as soon as the

stout touches the tongue. Hunahpu is

very thick and full-bodied, finishing

with a bit of earthy peppers, chocolate,

and spices.


Osker Blues Ten Fidy

Warning: do not judge this stout as inferior simply because of

its container. this is one of the most viscous beers available in

Florida right now. Osker Blues’s canned imperial stout pours

the color of motor oil with a consistency to match. this beer

has an aroma of roasted malts,

earth, chocolate, coffee, and hints

of licorice. While it is fresh, Osker

Blues ten Fidy also has some hop

bitterness to compliment some of

the chocolate coffee, and hints of

licorice. While it is fresh, Osker

Blues ten Fidy also has some hop

bitterness to compliment some of

the chocolate and coffee in aroma

and flavor. the mouth feel is thick

and silky- a truly filling beer. even

if stouts do not truly appeal, a can

of ten Fidy with some dark choco-

late or truff les make for tasty

magic.

Cigar City Brewing’s Humidor Series Marshal Zhukov

this imperial stout is the base beer for Hunahpu (Cigar

City’s Marshal zhukov imperial Stout) aged on Spanish cedar.

Present in aroma and flavor are notes of coffee and espresso

along with notes of dark chocolate and roasted malts but the

cedar contributes spicy and woody notes. Cigar City’s Head

Brewer, Wayne Wambles, says that this beer will stand up to vir-

tually any cigar you could pair it with.

North Coast Brewing’s Old Rasputin

Old rasputin is one of the most prevalent and readily avail-

able imperial stouts on the market and as such has certainly

been a gateway stout for many people, myself included. Old

rasputin is a bit more hop-forward in its aroma and flavor

than many of its stouty brethren, and that will be dis-

cernible as resiny hops or coffee bitterness. Don’t mistake

Old rasputin’s wide availability for mass production; this

stout just shares its secrets more readily than some other

beers. rasputin will disclose those secrets with chocolate

mousse or a hearty portabella mushroom dish.

as long as the flavors of chocolate, coffee, spice, and

roasted malts sound appealing, an imperial stout will

prove a satisfying brew.

FeBrUary/MarCH 2012 13

Palm Ridge Reserve

Palm ridge is a flavorful, yet smooth, whiskey

that stands above most others on the liquor store

shelves. the small town of Umatilla, in Lake

County, is where Palm ridge is distilled. the

whiskey is made from a mash of barley, corn, rye,

and malt, then matured with oak and orange

wood. it’s an evocative spirit. Palm ridge is not

distributed outside Florida, but is available

throughout the tampa Bay region.

Siesta Key Rum

Siesta Key rum is a hand-crafted

rum form Drum Circle Distillers

in Sarasota. they have both a

white and gold rum. the white

rum is my personal favorite; it has

a uniquely sweet flavor, but not at

all overpowering, with a slight

afterburn. it makes for a wonder-

ful mojito, but i actually prefer it as

sipping rum.

Florida Caribbean Distillers

Florida Caribbean is the oldest distillery in Florida. Located in

Lake alfred, they produce a wide

variety of citrus-based and cane

liquors, as well as cordials, tequilas,

and vodkas. One of their signature

products is 4 Orange Vodka, crafted

solely from four varieties of Florida

oranges (Hamlin, Parson Brown,

temple, and Valencia). they also

make Black roberts Spiced rum.

Mako Vodka

i have not tried this one yet, but had it

recommended by a friend. the company

is based in Juno Beach and it’s distilled

in Central Florida. it’s an ultra-distilled

premium vodka, that’s gotten a number

of accolades for its value.


Welcome to the Libation lounge. this is the first of what we

hope will be a regular part of Cigar City Magazine. it’s a celebra-

tion of spirits, both the well-known and obscure. i hope to not

only let readers in on particular brands and types of liquor that i

enjoy, but also on new finds. Over the next few issues, i’ll be look-

ing at the bitter orange excellence of Campari and aperol, bour-

bons, peaty single malts, and rum. i’ll also write about the impor-

tance of bitters, resurgence of old man bars and lounges, and the

proper music to enjoy a Singapore Slam (Martin Denny). i’m not

a professional spirits writer, nor a liquor snob. as i grow in the

cocktail world, i’ll be sharing new trends, old classics, and drinks

i have yet to discover, let alone sample. and i’m always open to

suggestion, so email away.

i thought i would start with highlighting some of our very own

local distillers who are making their mark against the big brands

and carving out a niche for themselves much like craft brewers

have done so successfully over the last 20 years. i’m a big fan of

supporting local businesses, and what better way to expand your

liquor collection than supporting Florida-based distillers.

[email protected]

Meet The Jackson’sits popular history may diminish its importance.

Located on the north end of downtown tampa at 851 zack Street,

approximately one block west of tampa’s Union Station, the Jackson House

is a rickety two-story wooden house that is best known for three things:

1. its age–it’s over a century old.

2. the fact that it is tampa’s last freestanding home in downtown tampa.

3. and because it was once a boarding house used by some of the mid 20th century’s

most prominent african american entertainers–COUnt BaSie,

CaB CaLLOWay, JaMeS BrOWn and eLLa FitzgeraLD–all of whom stayed

there while performing around the corner on Central avenue, which was then

considered the Harlem of the South.

Discussing the former boarding home’s host of famous entertainers

has becoming the calling card for some who are trying to help raise

money for the historic building’s nearly $1 million in necessary struc-

tural improvements–and for good reason, as the list of names catches

the attention of the common man, the type of person who normally

would not care about conversing about a historic african american

boarding home; in order to save the building, everyone will have to

pitch in. that same rationale is why presidential candidates appear on

comedic late night television shows to promote their serious agen-

das–sometimes, in order to appease the masses; you have to find a way

to relate to them.

But, one must wonder, if this way of bringing attention to the

Jackson House is tarnishing its true significance. to say we need to

save the Jackson House because it was once a boarding home to

african american stars is a disservice to its true importance. Saying

we need to save it because it is over 100 years old is demeaning to it.

and to say we need to save it because it is the last freestanding struc-

ture in downtown tampa is offensive to it.

tampa needs to save the Jackson House because of what it really

represents–the american Dream at its finest. the Jackson House

helped a family of former slaves who had their original name erased

by slave traders to build a name that most local historians are familiar

with. the Jackson House gave a family who will never know exactly

from where they came, a place they knew that wherever their lives

took them they could return to and call home. the Jackson House

provided a family who will never know the true beginnings of its fam-

ily tree a large extended family made up of all those who stayed at the

boarding home over the years. and the Jackson House gave a family

who was once told it wasn’t good for anything except working like ani-

mals for the white plantation owners the opportunity to become a col-

lege educated family that is equal to any family in this now great

nation.

the Jackson House provided the Jackson family an opportunity to

succeed, to fulfill the american Dream.

Willie robinson, Jr., the latest in the Jackson family tree to be

charged with overseeing the home, seems to agree with that senti-

ment, as he briskly mentions the names of the entertainers who

stayed at the home while telling its history, choosing to instead focus

on his family tree.

“i want you to meet the Jacksons,” he said, holding the family photo

album in his lap as he sat on of the house’s front porch, the sounds of

busy downtown murmuring in the background. the interior is in such

a state of disrepair and so poisoned with asbestos that visitors are con-

fined to the porch, no longer legally allowed to step inside.


By Paul Guzzo


The Matriarch of the Jackson House,Sarah Jackson.

Jackson House at 851 Zack Street in downtown Tampa.


“Don’t ask me who everyone in this album is,” said robinson as

he flipped through the album, passing the strange faces of ancestors

with identities lost forever. “i know my grandmother, my parents and

my kids and a few others, but the rest i don’t know.

“My mother knew them all and when she passed on she took their

names with her. She told me when i was a kid but when you are

young things like that go in one ear and out the other,” he lamented,

as though ashamed that he cannot fully live up to his mother’s dying

wish that he keep the family history alive.

“i know this one,” he continued, pointing to an old photo of what

seems to be a white man in a World War i uniform. “that is Willie

Hitchens, and he has an interesting story that i would like to tell

you.”

robinson’s known family tree begins in the mid-1800s with his

grandmother, Sarah allen, a slave on a plantation in georgia. the

part of georgia where she was enslaved and what she did on the plan-

tation is now unknown, but robinson does know the last name of

the slave master–Hitchens–because his grandmother’s first born bore

that name.

His name was Willie Hitchens and he was the product of Sarah

allen and Mr. Hitchens.

robinson said Hitchens could have easily passed for white with his

light skin and straight hair, but he chose to stay with his mother in

the fields, an odd decision considering the treatment of african

americans at the time.

When Hitchens was 15 or 16, he tried to join the Buffalo Soldiers

but was told he was too young to fight. Which war he tried to fight is

unknown to robinson. He later enlisted and fought in World War

i, from which the only photo of him emanates.

Sarah allen moved to tampa at some point in the late 1800s/early

1900s and met Moses Jackson, a railroad construction worker who

was uneducated but made up for a lack of book smarts with a strong

drive and determination. His goal in life was to purchase a home for

his entire family to share – brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. He felt own-

ing a home was a true sign of freedom. He saved every penny he could

and bought the plot of land on zack Street. then, using a handsaw,

he built a one-story six-room house.

“My mother often said he had a talent for envisioning something,

putting it on a piece of paper and then making it real out of wood

and nails,” said Willie. “She said he could build anything.”

the home’s most prominent feature is its large porch standing at

least seven feet above the ground, maybe more. Moses and his family

would often sit on the porch and enjoy the Florida evenings. Because

there were few establishments in tampa at the time that accepted

african americans, whenever african american passengers would

find themselves in a layover at Union Station, they would walk the

neighborhoods to kill time, often asking Moses Jackson if they could

sit on his porch for a few hours until their train departed. a light

went off in Moses’ head – he saw the need for a boarding home, a

place for the african american travelers to stay so they did not have

to wander the streets or sleep outside if they had to wait until morn-

ing for the next train.

From 1903 to 1905 he added on to the structure, turning it into a

two-story 24-bedroom boarding home. His family still lived there; ten-

ants rented the other rooms, first for 25 cents a night and later 75

cents a night. Kerosene lanterns lit the structure and three fireplaces

kept it warm. Because of its high ceilings, it was hard to keep cool, so

the guests would congregate on the porch until it was bedtime.

in 1908, Sarah and Moses married and started a family, birthing

six children in all. they also expanded their business ventures. Sarah

would wash and iron clothes for the well-to-do guests at the white

hotels in downtown and she and Moses founded tampa’s first

african american-owned cab company–Jackson Cab

Company–which specialized in transporting the african americans

riding the trains around town.

and at some point, the boarding home ceased to only house tem-

porary residents, also becoming a fulltime residence for some.

Moses Jackson passed away in 1929 and his wife died in 1937. the

house was then passed on among the Jackson daughters, first to Ora

Dee, then Josephine and finally, in the mid-1940s, to Sarah, who was

named after her mother and by then married to Willie robinson Sr.

and named Sarah robinson. it was under Sarah’s watch that the

Jackson House accumulated its pop culture history.

tampa’s african american community of Central avenue, which

included the Jackson House, was a booming entertainment district.

Both established and up-and-coming musicians flocked to the

“Harlem of the South” to wow the crowds. Sarah robinson once

claimed that besides being home to the stars, it was where at least one

star penned a legendary song. She had a piano in the parlor that she

swore ella Fitzgerald used to write, “a-tisket, a-tasket.”

and when the entertainers were not at the Jackson House, they

were at the Marshall Barber Shop on Central avenue, owned by

Willie robinson, Sr. “My father was the top barber in tampa,”

bragged robinson. “all the performers went to him. He did nat King

Cole, Duke ellington, James Brown, and more because they all wore

their hair a certain way–processed–and my dad was the best at it.”

He was also a no nonsense father who was determined to provide

his son with a good education both inside and outside the classroom.

Willie robinson, Jr. was born in 1948 and attended the prestigious

Saint Peter Claver Catholic School, which was inarguably the top

african american private school of the time.

“My parents were excellent parents,” said robinson, who was an

only child. “they were excellent because they were tough and wanted

me to understand the real world.”

Right: Various members of the Jackson Family. Picture 563-04 & 563-10 isWilly Hitchens who was also in World War 1 shown in his military uniform.Photo 563-09 is the daughter of Sarah Jackson also named Sarah with her hus-band Willy Robinson and their son Willy Robinson, Jr. Photo 563-02 is MosesJackson as a child with his parents.


For instance, robinson was never allowed to believe in Santa Claus.

When the rest of this friends were bustling off to whatever destination

in tampa Santa was visiting that winter day, robinson had to either

stay home or stand and watch his friends talk to Santa. When

robinson was 5, he cried that he wanted to sit on Santa’s lap and

believe in the folklore. His father sat him on his lap and sternly said,

“you are sitting on Santa’s lap right now. and every morning when

you put on shoes, eat breakfast and then go to a good school, you are

enjoying Santa’s gifts.”

When robinson was old enough to take on the responsibility of

work, around 8 or 9, he was charged with cleaning 10 rooms and when

he complained about not being paid, his father reiterated the Santa

Claus answer to him.

“i saw Leave It to Beaver and was wondering why i didn’t get an

allowance like they did,” laughed robinson. “My father opened the

refrigerator, showed me the food and said, ‘there is your allowance

right there.’ My dad was great. He really taught me about life.”

as did the countless guests that passed through the Jackson House

throughout robinson’s childhood.

One such guest was Mr. ebanks, a Honduran man who stayed at the

Jackson House for 30 years. robinson never thought anything special

of the man for the first few years he was a resident until he was visited

by a group of Honduran royalty. When asked why they visited him,

Mr. ebanks explained they were his family. robinson said he was con-

fused. “Why would a member of royalty want to stay in a boarding

home in tampa?” he asked Mr. ebanks, to which he replied, “Because

those people are stuck up and i just want to be a plain old guy.”

“the grass is always greener, i guess, is what i learned from him,”

said robinson.

then there was Mr. Smiley, a tenant he named “Professor” shortly

after he moved in because he would sit on the Jackson House’s porch

every morning and read two to three papers while dressed to the nines

in a suit jacket and bow tie, no matter what the occasion. robinson

later learned how appropriate his nickname was. When he asked Mr.

Smiley why he read so much, he explained that he was once a college

professor. robinson inquired as to why he was no longer teaching and

Mr. Smiley simply replied, “the pitfalls of life.”

“i don’t know what exactly happened to the man,” said robinson,

“But i never forgot what he said. ‘the pitfalls of life.’”

He didn’t always appreciate the knowledge guests could pass on to

him. in fact, he blew off the Jackson House’s most prominent

guest–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

the Freedom riders were integrating downtown tampa at the time,

taking turns sitting at the counters of restaurants. they sat in

waves–the first wave would take a shift and when they tired the second

would come in. in between shifts, the Freedom riders rested on cots

and were fed at the Jackson House.

“So as you see, we were also instrumental in the Civil rights move-

ment,” said a proud robinson.

When Dr. King stopped by the Jackson House to visit with the

Freedom riders, robinson was out back playing stickball with his

friends. His mother called him in to meet the civil rights leader, but he

only did so momentarily, saying hi and bye and then running back out-

side to continue his game.

“i was just a kid,” he laughed. “i didn’t realize how significant it was.”

the significance the Jackson House has had on his life has not

escaped him, however.

“it takes a village to raise a child and i had a great village around me,”

he said.

He credits having so many positive role models around him for his

success. He attended the now-defunct Bishop College in Dallas on an

academic and athletic scholarship.

“i was third fastest in the state in high school in 1967 in the 100-yard

dash,” bragged robinson, who attended Middleton High School.

“and i also excelled in the 220, anchored the 440 and played bas-

ketball.”


James Brown Ella Fitzgerald Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nat King Cole Cabell "Cab" Calloway

Interior photos of the kitchen, bath, inside front door, bed room, fire place and upstairs/hallway.FeBrUary/MarCH 2012 25


He graduated with a B.a. in education in 1971 and then earned a

masters degree in administration from Prairie View a&M in 1975,

becoming the first in his family to go to college, earn a bachelor’s and

earn a master’s.

“Some of the proudest moments of my life,” he said.

a family of slaves had become college educated. the american

Dream.

“i could not have done it

without the Jackson House,”

said robinson. “it gave me

the stability i needed, finan-

cially and socially.”

Unfortunately, the

american Dream was earned

at a cost–the Jackson House

itself.

robinson had dreams. He

didn’t want to return to

tampa and work in the

boarding home; he wanted to

succeed in the field of educa-

tion. Following graduation,

robinson moved to Houston

and spent the next nine years

teaching all levels of educa-

tion, from elementary

through college.

“i wanted to give back,” he

said. “So many people taught

me so i wanted to teach oth-

ers.”

in 1980, his father passed

away. Because robinson was

an only child, his mother was

left to care for the Jackson

House on her own.

Central avenue was no

more, demolished in 1974

when it could not be repaired

following riots and fires.

entertainers, tourists and

local residents no longer

flocked to the area. Plus, with integration, african americans could

stay wherever they wanted, not just african american-owned establish-

ments. tenants were scarce and money became tight. Sarah robinson

had to hire less reputable people to repair the home. they failed to

properly fix the house, kept the money in full and the house fell into

deep disrepair.

robinson returned to tampa in 1984 with his wife and daughter to

tend to his mother, who had fallen ill with heart problems. they all

stayed at the Jackson House and continued to take in tenants, but they

were not of the same quality of Mr. ebanks or Mr. Smiley. Drugs and

crime had taken hold of the area and the tenants were the kind who

did not mind.

Finally, in 1989, robinson and his mother decided it was time to

shut down the Jackson House. it was no longer needed.

His mother did not give up on it, though. She began to fight for it

to obtain historic designation status. She did not live to see her hard

work come to fruition,

passing away in 2006.

On her deathbed, how-

ever, she told her son he

was in charge of the house

and that it was his job to

get the historic designation

so he could begin soliciting

the community for dona-

tions and the government

for grants to fix the house.

in 2007, he succeeded in

obtaining a historic desig-

nation but has not yet

found a way to launch a

successful fundraising

effort.

it is hoped that the list of

famous entertainers who

stayed there can bring the

Jackson House the atten-

tion it needs.

But one has to

worry–will the Jackson

House’s true legacy be lost

in the Pr effort?

the names and faces of

the celebrities who stayed

there are not the story.

Willie robinson Jr.’s two

college degrees are. His

daughter’s college degree

is. and the fact that her

two sons are on the college

track is.

the Jackson House enabled a family of slaves to become a family of

educated men and women.

it is a symbol of everything that was once wrong and is now right

with america. it is a symbol of perseverance. it is a symbol of the

american Dream.

that is why it neeDS to be saved.

To donate funds or services to the effort, call Bracken

Engineering at (813)243-4251.

Willy Robinson, Jr.



bolitakingpin B y S c o t t M . D e i t c h e a n d M i k e Wa r d

tropicana Field looms large over St. Petersburg. it serves as a

boundary of sorts, with downtown to the east, grand Central

to the west, and Midtown to the south. But there used to be an

african-american neighborhood right where the trop sits now.

and a resident of that neighborhood was one of the most

intriguing characters the ‘burg ever saw.

When the trop was built in the mid-1980s it erased remnants

of the gas Plant district, named for two fuel tanks that looked

over the neighborhood like sentries. But Charlie Williams was

the real guardian of the neighborhood. to the residents of

many of the City’s historic black neighborhoods Williams was a

robin Hood figure, to the politicians he was a sure path to the

african-american voting bloc, and to the police Charlie

Williams was the bolita kingpin of Pinellas County.

to most, the game of bolita is firmly tied to tampa and ybor

City. generally a hundred numbered balls would be thrown

into a bag and mixed up. Someone would pull a ball out of the

bag and the numbered displayed, on the ball, would be the win-

ning number. Unfortunately this lottery system was not always

honest. Sometimes several balls would have the same number

placed on them, increasing the chances of that number being

drawn. Sometimes certain balls were placed in a freezer before

being put in the bag, that way the frozen ball would be identi-

fied and pulled from the bag. also some balls would be infused

with lead so they would automatically fall to the bottom of the

bag, and easier to find.

Bolita later became a catch-all phrase that covered various pol-

icy, or numbers, rackets. these were similar to the lottery.

People would bet a penny, dime or nickel on a number, and the

bolita operation would use the last three numbers of the stock

market that day or the Cuban lottery as the winning bolita num-

ber. these lottery-based forms of bolita were not endemic to

tampa; they existed across the State and were very present

across tampa Bay.

of St. Pete

Charlie Williams,

St. Petersburg had a section of town dedicated to the game. the

neighborhood known as Methodist town was centered around the his-

toric Bethel aMe Church at 919 3rd ave n. One of the sections of

Methodist back in the early 1900s was known as Bolita Alley, and was a

center of much of the bolita action in St. Petersburg’s black neighbor-

hoods. Bolita Alley was little more than a lane with six,

two-story row houses and a few scattered single-family houses. it’s now

the site of Unity Park, between 11th and 12th St, north of Burlington

avenue.

the gas Plant district was to the south of Bolita Alley. Williams lived

at 1242 1st ave S in an unassuming house. Born on June 18, 1892,

Williams actually had a number of legitimate jobs, primarily as a rail-

road porter at the nearby train station. He also worked as an agent to

place young black men in hospitality jobs in the northeast. it’s not

known when Williams started in the bolita game, but by 1937 he was

considered one of the kingpins in all of Pinellas County. that’s when

police raided his house and found $50,000 in cash.

But 1937 was also the year that Williams entered urban lore for his

one-man stance against an army. Williams was also a political leader

who politicians they knew he could help deliver votes. in 1937, accord-

ing to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, Williams urged african

americans to register to vote and back the police chief in a civil service

referendum that might have paved the way for recruitment of black offi-

cers.

While this would have been enough to ensure his political clout, the

referendum vote propelled Williams into a legend in the black neigh-

borhoods. the night before this election over 200 members of the KKK

marched in their robes and masks throughout several marched in their

robes and masks throughout several black neighborhoods in an attempt

to frighten black voters. the KKK also gathered and burned a cross at

4 ave and MLK St. S.

according to the newspapers, the Klansmen leading the march gave

a statement:

"This demonstration is in protest of the recent (black) registrations to killthe white vote, and of the rumored close connections of some of our highpolice officials with the (black) gambling element. This is a white man's city.Let's keep it that way."

the KKK continued to march and made their way to the front of

Charlie William’s house. the Klan set another cross on fire while they

were there. Williams came out of his house with a gun. according to

different accounts of this story, Williams either had a shotgun or a

machine gun. Williams was said to have shot up the cross and or stood

up to the KKK, causing them to turn around and end their march. the

KKK never marched in large numbers, in St. Petersburg again.

in the ensuing years Williams expanded his influence and bolita oper-

ations. He operated in a neighborhood known as the Deuces, centered

around 22nd St. S. and Williams had his hand in not only most of the

gambling rackets, but also financed several businesses in the District.

Williams was also suspected by police of working with the crime figures

in tampa to finance his operations and share customers.

On Wednesday night, February 18, 1953 Williams drove from St.

Petersburg to ybor City to visit his favorite barber shop for his regular

shave. He made the drive every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

earlier that day his wife noticed that Charlie was acting a little jittery,

but he wouldn’t tell her what about.

He drove up to ybor with his secretary. Before going to the barber-

shop, they bought five cases of liquor for an upcoming elks event

(Williams was high up in the State elks organization). When they

arrived at the barber, he seats were filled so Charlie waited and his sec-

retary took a nap in Williams’ Chrysler sedan. after Charlie got a

shave, he walked out of the shop and towards the car.

Just then a gunman emerged from a narrow alley and walked up to

Williams. Before Charlie had a chance to react, the gunman shot the

kingpin in the chest twice with a .45. the gunman ran away and peo-

ple came out of nearby businesses to see what happened. By the time

Williams was brought to the hospital he was dead.

Police on both sides of the Bay started investigations. tampa police

thought that a regular in a nearby bar had seen a young black man

standing in an alley off 16th St. immediately before the shots, but the

suspect was never located. the case remains unsolved.

Williams’ funeral was held at the Bethel aMe church. Over 3,000

people came to pay their respects. the coach of the gibbs High School

football team and three elks serenaded the crowd with William’s

favorite song, “Lead Kindly Light”. From there, the funeral continued

to the Lincoln Cemetery at 7th ave and 58th St. S, where Williams was

interred. the cemetery is the final resting place for several generations

of african-americans, community leaders, and Civil War veterans.

Why was Williams killed? there were rumors that Williams was

cooperating with police. He did enjoy a close relationship with the local

PD and Sheriff’s department. Williams would help them break cases in

black neighborhoods in return for favors. He was even issued a deputy

sheriff’s card by Sheriff todd tucker.

But the evidence points to the tampa Mafia and Santo traficante Jr.

traficante was engaged in an internal struggle for power, and himself

was shot just a month before Williams’ killing. trafficante was looking

to expand his reach across to Pinellas. after Williams’ killing, Santo

sent his brother Henry to establish the tampa Mafia’s dominance over

the St. Peter bolita racket, but Henry made the mistake of trying to cor-

rupt an undercover police officer. Before the Mafia was able to take over

where Williams left off, Henry and some associates were arrested.

Williams’ legend as the bolita kingpin of St. Petersburg remained

secure.

Mike Ward is an officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department

For more information on the Mob, visit

CigarCityMagazine.com{ }



in the early 2000s, shewas tampa’s “it girl.”

it seemed that nary did amonth pass by in whichChrissy Chase was not fea-tured on the cover of a localpublication or on a segmentfor a local news show, alwaystouted as tampa Bay’s nextbreakout star. She hosted apopular open mic night atybor City’s King Coronaand was a bartender andentertainer at ybor City’sCoyote Ugly. Blessed with avoice that was as beautiful asher appearance, wherevershe turned up in tampaBay, people followed.

then one day she left. She packed up her bags and headed fornashville, in search of the fame she and everyone knew she was talented enough to obtain.

this country is littered with such stories: talented local leaves thesmall town or small city behind for what he or she believes is greenerpastures, only to never achieve that stardom. a funny thing happenedto Chase on her way to becoming another sad story … she succeeded,she became a star!

Over the next few years, she continued to grace various mediums,but this time on a national level. She graced newsstands international-ly in Glamour, Allure, Teen Vogue, Jane, Lucky, Self, and Makes &Models, and performed at the Daytona 500 and on the Speed Channel.

then she returned to Florida, this time Orlando, and landed a gigwith nickelodeon and MtV, her original songs appearing onnickelodeon shows iCarly and Victorious.

recently, Cigar City Magazine caught up with the former tampa “itgirl” to catch up on her surging career:

CCM: How did you launch such a successful musical career?

Chase: My career really began from my love for musical theater. i wastrained classically in italian and French opera, but my heart was in musi-cals. you know the show glee? that was me in high school. During thistime i learned to play guitar and began writing music. i also joined a band.the only song we did well was a cover of iggy Pop's "the Passenger." Let'sjust say we didn't get too far!

CCM: You really made a name for yourself in Ybor City in the early 2000s. Tell

us about that.

Chase: i consider tampa and ybor City home and for a few years i host-ed an open mic night at King Corona on Seventh avenue. this was wheni started showcasing my original material. it was just me and my guitar. itbrought in a lot of local original artists and we created a great and positivescene.

CCM: And then you began working at Coyote Ugly in Ybor City when it first

opened in Tampa. How did that help your career?

Chase: Working at Coyote Ugly was probably the best thing for my careerin terms of honing my performing skills. My job was to sing for hundreds,sometimes thousands, of people four nights a week for three years. i real-ly learned what it meant to work and engage a crowd, be confident, andhave fun. i also did a little modeling for them, appearing in their nation-al calendar. aside from the calendar, they use some of my pictures all overthe country. i will get a message from a friend in Vegas saying, "i'm look-ing at a billboard of you!" it is actually funny, and my friends like to giveme a hard time about it!

CCM: When you first burst upon the scene in Ybor City, you touted your

music as girlie folk rock. Then one day you end up in Nashville. That is a bit

of a musical leap. How did that occur?

Chase: i knew that in order to move forward, i had to leave Florida. theobvious musical hubs are new york, Los angeles, and nashville. i havefamily in new york and my best friend in La, so you would think thosewould be the easier choices. Plus i have spent a lot of time in those cities.But my heart was pulling me to nashville, so i packed up my car and went.

CCM: Tell us about your career in Nashville.

Chase: i am actually blessed for what i accomplished there. i worked close-ly with multiple grammy producer rob galbraith. He really taught mehow to use and "find" my voice. i also recorded a country duet with actorKevin Bacon for Bleve records. it was for a compilation CD to raisemoney for the FOP and firefighters. i was also in quite a bit of musicvideos for major artists and that was a blast! i also wrote with some of thebiggest writers in the industry, which is amazing. nashville is a writingtown, and i learned so much in that arena.

CCM: How did you end up back in Florida?

Chase: My now husband, who was then my boyfriend when i lived innashville, was getting his doctorate degree on the east coast of Florida. icame home to be with him for the holidays with the intention of goingback to nashville. i quickly began writing and recording with Brooklynbased producer Marc Osborn out of Orlando. i loved what we were doing,and i felt like i could have the best of both worlds (family and career) bystaying in Florida. Marc and i will be releasing our six-pack this spring. ihonestly have never been happier than where i am at now in my life.

CCM: How did you end up working with Nickelodeon?

Chase: Before i moved to nashville, i wrote and recorded my albumBrand New Girl in new york with producer roger Fife. Shortly after, iwas offered a licensing agreement with MtV and nickelodeon.

CCM: Do you still perform live? If so, tell me about your new band.

Chase: i do! i just started singing for Orlando based band Lily and thetigers. it is an original pop band with a strong, great team of peoplebehind it. and i love the guys in the band. We will be releasing ourpromo video and eP titled "Look at Us now" on Valentine's Day.

CCM: Where can people hear your songs?

Chase: My music is on Pandora, Spotify, and many other internet radiosites. also, you can listen to my Brand New Girl album on my Facebookmusic page as well itunes, amazon, and many other online musicstores.

34 Cigar City MagazineFor more photos on this event and other events, visit CigarCityMagazine.com and look for our Facebook page!

Dear Mama,It’s voting time again and I haven’t a clue who to vote for. Doyou have any suggestions?

-Not SureDear Not Sure,First, I live in Cuba! Second, if ignorance is bliss, you mustbe the happiest person alive.

-Mama

Dear Mama,I went to dinner the other night with friends. The bill cameand for whatever reason the waiter just handed it to me. I feltembarrassed to ask everyone for money and no one offered,so I just paid the bill. I can’t afford to do that. What shouldI do next time?

-Going BrokeDear Going Broke,Sounds like your friends are moochers and the fact that youare asking me what to do, makes you an idiot who deservesto get mooched off of. Let me send you my address and makethe check out to Mama!

-Mama

Dear Mama,My friend and I have been arguing what is appropriate attirefor a funnel. She thinks it is not necessary to wear black anymore and I still think black is the way to go. What color doyou think we should wear?

-Funeral AttireDear Funeral Attire,Pardon me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someonewho gives a damn.

-Mama

Dear Mama,A thought crossed my mind the other day. You live in Cuba,right? So what kind of cigars do you smoke?

-Cigar SmokerDear Cigar Smoker,¡oh mi madre! There is no vaccine against stupidity.

MAMAKNOWS

GOT A QUESTION FOR MAMA? EMAIL HER AT:

[email protected]


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Cigar City Magazine-Feb/Mar 2012