MU Tribune Article on Campus Bar History

[rocket surgeon]

Talk was more cocktail lounge than bar.  Tomas was famous for meeting girls.  Or at least the only girl I ever cared about.

  it was set up like a cocktail lounge because back in the day, al dimeola ran it as such. but i worked/managed it from 1980-82.  we spun records and served up adult bevies.  another milwaukee type bar, not many students.  after grandma dimeola passed(she lived upstairs) and wayne b. bought a place out in tess corners, they demolished it.  if walls could talk....

[Archies Bat]

Was Amigos the one on the corner of 16th and Wells?  Across Wells from Angelos?

There was also that other pizza place that began with a G.  Gillianos?  Greasy, greasy pizza.  And they never checked IDs.

Amigos was near 16th and Wells, just west of Grunts.  It opened in about 1981.  In the late 70's, that location was Famous Joe's NY Style Pizza.  When I graduated it was still Amigos.

[Archies Bat]

  it was set up like a cocktail lounge because back in the day, al dimeola ran it as such. but i worked/managed it from 1980-82.  we spun records and served up adult bevies.  another milwaukee type bar, not many students.  after grandma dimeola passed(she lived upstairs) and wayne b. bought a place out in tess corners, they demolished it.  if walls could talk....

I liked Talk of the Town, and had a few cocktails there during your timeframe.  However, I generally went there because some of the girls I knew liked it.  If I was going out with the guys, the starting spot (and/or finishing spot) was usually to the Lanche or the Gym.

[jsglow]

Amigos was near 16th and Wells, just west of Grunts.  It opened in about 1981.  In the late 70's, that location was Famous Joe's NY Style Pizza.  When I graduated it was still Amigos.

Right, right.  Thanks for refreshing my memory.  Just west of Grunts.

[jsglow]

  it was set up like a cocktail lounge because back in the day, al dimeola ran it as such. but i worked/managed it from 1980-82.  we spun records and served up adult bevies.  another milwaukee type bar, not many students.  after grandma dimeola passed(she lived upstairs) and wayne b. bought a place out in tess corners, they demolished it.  if walls could talk....

We used to have a group that occasionally sat at that round table way in the back. One night there a guy in our group who acted very inappropriately toward the girlfriend of one of us and was publicly called out by the group.  'Dude, WTF?'  That guy is now in prison, probably for life. 

[rocket surgeon]

I liked Talk of the Town, and had a few cocktails there during your timeframe.  However, I generally went there because some of the girls I knew liked it.  If I was going out with the guys, the starting spot (and/or finishing spot) was usually to the Lanche or the Gym.

cool-it was a nice place, but had a tendency to be a little more pricey and didn't run the deals like the gym, the lanche and hegs.  i also tended bar at heggarty's, then managed the apartment building above.  lived right above gerry boyle's office.  worked for "old man" heggarty before he passed-he was a real "throw-back" irish bar owner.  he was a cop back in ireland before he immigrated here.  funny thing-about once a month or so, he would give me an envelope filled with cash to give to the alderman,   hmmmmmmmmm  nice place ya got here jimmy.....that alderman ended up getting in trouble for some other issues, but just sayin

[rocket surgeon]

We used to have a group that occasionally sat at that round table way in the back. One night there a guy in our group who acted very inappropriately toward the girlfriend of one of us and was publicly called out by the group.  'Dude, WTF?'  That guy is now in prison, probably for life.

pretty harsh sentence for "inappropriate behavior" was it with or without his clothes on? 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Amigos was more like 15th I believe.

Guliano's and Amigos were across the street from Real Chili.   

Guliano's was $2.50 for 2 slices & a beer/soda.
Amigo's - no student went there for the food.

[Archies Bat]

Amigo's - no student went there for the food.

This statement could cause more controversy than Derrick vs. Dawson.

[jsglow]

This statement could cause more controversy than Derrick vs. Dawson.

I've certainly been to Amigo's.  My 2 favorites were Wales and Chili.

[GGGG]

I've certainly been to Amigo's.  My 2 favorites were Wales and Chili.

I was stopping by Wales everytime I came to Milwaukee until it closed down.  Once I was eating my double cheddar burger, fried mushrooms and a strawberry shake in a suit and tie.

[Archies Bat]

I was stopping by Wales everytime I came to Milwaukee until it closed down.  Once I was eating my double cheddar burger, fried mushrooms and a strawberry shake in a suit and tie.

Wales was at the top of my list, but it was the chili burger and vanilla shake.  Number 2 was a lunchtime burger at the Gym.  After that came Amigos and Chili.

[MU82]

Aldo Tase, a 2011 graduate of the College of Engineering, bought Harp and Shamrock in 2105 and wants to make it more Marquette-oriented. The majority of customers are regulars that have been coming in for 20 to 30 years and only a quarter of business came from Marquette.

Tase’s immediate goals for the bar include placing greater focus on its historical richness and marketing it to students. He also wants to update the drink and beer selection, cater and host events for televised sporting events and run special promotions.

http://marquettewire.org/3915847/news/marquette-alumnus-to-revamp-harp-and-shamrock-bar/

Wow, that is really amazing. Because that place was a dive, dive, dive. And we loved it. As Neil Young sang, "See the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives ... where the people are the real stars the rest of their lives"!

BTW, the guy who owned Harp when we were at Marquette was a morbidly obese, disgusting racist named Bernie Conway. He also owned Conway's across the street; his son ran it for him.

Bernie used to call me "Guinea," because he thought I was Italian. I didn't have the nerve to tell him I was Jewish out of fear he'd sic his dog on me.

I of course should not have patronized an establishment owned by a racist a-hole, but 1, I was a stupid kid; and 2, I didn't really patronize it because as I previously said the bartender never took our money. (How's that for rationalization?)

When my friends and I visited Milwaukee a few years ago, we imbibed at Harp for an hour or so. Somebody there told us Bernie had died. My reaction: "What a surprise. That racist SOB had taken such good care of himself."

Another Scooper mentioned the Midget Tap. Yep, that was on the corner of 24th and Wells, owned by a prince of a guy named Frank Herald. Everybody called him "the Senator." He served up 8 ounce glasses of Schlitz for 35 cents, and always bought us a round when we went in, which was several times per week. He died a couple years after I graduated and his son, Kelly, took over the place. Unfortunately, it burned downed a couple years after that. The Midget had room for maybe 20 people -- hence the name -- but probably 200 flooded it on St. Patrick's Day. It also was something of a hangout for the Sig Eps frat.

My junior year, my buddies and I lived in a dive apartment kitty-corner to the Midget. Unbeknownst to us, Jeffrey Dahmer lived only about a block and a half away!

[real chili 83]

I've certainly been to Amigo's.  My 2 favorites were Wales and Chili.

Ditto.

I remember Good Time Charlie's having a heck of a cheeseburger too.

[rocket surgeon]

Wow, that is really amazing. Because that place was a dive, dive, dive. And we loved it. As Neil Young sang, "See the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives ... where the people are the real stars the rest of their lives"!

BTW, the guy who owned Harp when we were at Marquette was a morbidly obese, disgusting racist named Bernie Conway. He also owned Conway's across the street; his son ran it for him.

Bernie used to call me "Guinea," because he thought I was Italian. I didn't have the nerve to tell him I was Jewish out of fear he'd sic his dog on me.

I of course should not have patronized an establishment owned by a racist a-hole, but 1, I was a stupid kid; and 2, I didn't really patronize it because as I previously said the bartender never took our money. (How's that for rationalization?)

When my friends and I visited Milwaukee a few years ago, we imbibed at Harp for an hour or so. Somebody there told us Bernie had died. My reaction: "What a surprise. That racist SOB had taken such good care of himself."

Another Scooper mentioned the Midget Tap. Yep, that was on the corner of 24th and Wells, owned by a prince of a guy named Frank Herald. Everybody called him "the Senator." He served up 8 ounce glasses of Schlitz for 35 cents, and always bought us a round when we went in, which was several times per week. He died a couple years after I graduated and his son, Kelly, took over the place. Unfortunately, it burned downed a couple years after that. The Midget had room for maybe 20 people -- hence the name -- but probably 200 flooded it on St. Patrick's Day. It also was something of a hangout for the Sig Eps frat.

My junior year, my buddies and I lived in a dive apartment kitty-corner to the Midget. Unbeknownst to us, Jeffrey Dahmer lived only about a block and a half away!

  wait, 24th and wells?  wasn't there an apartment bldg. there?  i lived there my junior year.  a law school prof owned it-ralph anzivino or something.  the lady across the hall from me, her husband was in jail for killing his boxing manager.  talk about roach hotel.  there was a laundromat kitty-corner to it.  the midget bar had to have been between 21st-22nd wells across from tomas, kitty-corner from that little armenian? grocery store.  yeah, that was dahmerville alright

[MU82]

  wait, 24th and wells?  wasn't there an apartment bldg. there?  i lived there my junior year.  a law school prof owned it-ralph anzivino or something.  the lady across the hall from me, her husband was in jail for killing his boxing manager.  talk about roach hotel.  there was a laundromat kitty-corner to it.  the midget bar had to have been between 21st-22nd wells across from tomas, kitty-corner from that little armenian? grocery store.  yeah, that was dahmerville alright

Holy shyte, rocket ... you and I have something major in common -- besides our love for lower-case letters, that is.

Yes, we used to call it the Anzivino Dive. When any of us would go to the bathroom and turn the light on, the roaches would scurry for cover. I am not kidding -- and you know I'm not kidding.

One day, we were so fed up with the conditions at the place, the four of us marched over to Anzivino's law office to confront him. We were breathing fire and spitting smoke. We walked into his office and he immediately diffused the situation. He spoke calmly and said he would try to take care of the problems but he offered no guarantees because he owned a lot of buildings and was a busy man and he was giving us an incredible deal at only $265/month.

So we went in there thinking we were going to kill him and we left saying, "Thank you, sir, can we have another?"

That entire junior year, I never once brought my girlfriend to my place. We always went to hers. She asked me why a couple of times and I always said something like, "My place isn't worthy of you." And it wasn't.

I heard a few years later that the railing of the little deck outside the back of our apartment broke and a few people got hurt and sued Anzivino. I never knew if it was true or if they won their suit.

I have seen many dives and even lived in a couple others, but there was no dive like the Anzivino Dive. None.

Abso-freakin-lutely amazing that you lived there, too.

Oh, as I said, the Midget was kitty-corner. Across the street was the big lawn of the VD clinic! Classy neighborhood. No wonder Dahmer was so fond of it.

[mu-rara]

As long as we're discussing drinking, how about Marquette Liquor.

"Cold case 'a Pabst Richie"
"Cold case 'a Blatz Paulie"

We only bought Pabst when we were celebrating something.  Otherwise it was RWB.

[rocket surgeon]

Holy shyte, rocket ... you and I have something major in common -- besides our love for lower-case letters, that is.

Yes, we used to call it the Anzivino Dive. When any of us would go to the bathroom and turn the light on, the roaches would scurry for cover. I am not kidding -- and you know I'm not kidding.

One day, we were so fed up with the conditions at the place, the four of us marched over to Anzivino's law office to confront him. We were breathing fire and spitting smoke. We walked into his office and he immediately diffused the situation. He spoke calmly and said he would try to take care of the problems but he offered no guarantees because he owned a lot of buildings and was a busy man and he was giving us an incredible deal at only $265/month.

So we went in there thinking we were going to kill him and we left saying, "Thank you, sir, can we have another?"

That entire junior year, I never once brought my girlfriend to my place. We always went to hers. She asked me why a couple of times and I always said something like, "My place isn't worthy of you." And it wasn't.

I heard a few years later that the railing of the little deck outside the back of our apartment broke and a few people got hurt and sued Anzivino. I never knew if it was true or if they won their suit.

I have seen many dives and even lived in a couple others, but there was no dive like the Anzivino Dive. None.

Abso-freakin-lutely amazing that you lived there, too.

Oh, as I said, the Midget was kitty-corner. Across the street was the big lawn of the VD clinic! Classy neighborhood. No wonder Dahmer was so fond of it.

  yes yes yes-it was an entomologist's dream come true!  we hung a baseball bat outside the john as a joke(kind of) so you had a fighting chance if ya needed a little extra me time.  i think the roaches were related to keith richards.  if there was a picture of serenity, it would be of anzivino sitting at his desk-you described him perfectly.

   when we first looked at the apartment, we thought, hmmm, price is right-this will do.  except one of the 3 bedrooms was the hottest pink, ya broke out in a sweat just standing there.  so we gave that room to fred who couldn't join us for the look/see. good thing he was as laid back as anzivino. it must have taken him like  6 coats of earth-tone to kill the pink.  i swear his room size shrunk from the coats of paint

[rocket surgeon]

As long as we're discussing drinking, how about Marquette Liquor.

"Cold case 'a Pabst Richie"
"Cold case 'a Blatz Paulie"

We only bought Pabst when we were celebrating something.  Otherwise it was RWB.

when we were low on funds-rhinelander and leinenkugels were around $3/case.  we had a guy who was a walter as in walter's beer living in mccormick my freshman year-no help.  but can you believe leinies was bottom of the barrel back then?  guess ya gotta start somewhere

[MU82]

  yes yes yes-it was an entomologist's dream come true!  we hung a baseball bat outside the john as a joke(kind of) so you had a fighting chance if ya needed a little extra me time.  i think the roaches were related to keith richards.  if there was a picture of serenity, it would be of anzivino sitting at his desk-you described him perfectly.

   when we first looked at the apartment, we thought, hmmm, price is right-this will do.  except one of the 3 bedrooms was the hottest pink, ya broke out in a sweat just standing there.  so we gave that room to fred who couldn't join us for the look/see. good thing he was as laid back as anzivino. it must have taken him like  6 coats of earth-tone to kill the pink.  i swear his room size shrunk from the coats of paint

So effen funny.

And small world, too.

Hell, maybe I even have something major in common with Chicos, too.

[jsglow]

when we were low on funds-rhinelander and leinenkugels were around $3/case.  we had a guy who was a walter as in walter's beer living in mccormick my freshman year-no help.  but can you believe leinies was bottom of the barrel back then?  guess ya gotta start somewhere

Amazing, isn't it.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

when we were low on funds-rhinelander and leinenkugels were around $3/case.  we had a guy who was a walter as in walter's beer living in mccormick my freshman year-no help.  but can you believe leinies was bottom of the barrel back then?  guess ya gotta start somewhere

I just had some Rhinelander not too long ago.  Minhas Brewing in Monroe still makes it.  Not a bad, tasteless lager.

[rocket surgeon]

So effen funny.

And small world, too.

Hell, maybe I even have something major in common with Chicos, too.

  hey, if we go back far enough, we might even be paisons-hey'na?? 

[Marqevans]

     i'll never forget F.V. grunts-after i watched our warriors lose in the 1st round to miami of ohio. they throw jerome whitehead out of the game in the first half for coming down with a 'bound and protecting his space with elbows.  it was my freshman year and they were returning with a better team(minus al and bo ellis) than the one that won it all.  so much for national champ respect.  i could never go back in there again

I believe it was J.V. Grunts when I was there. Named after the owner John Volpe.  Met my wife there.  Her and her girlfriend used to play a mean foos ball! They drank for free all night!  Needless to say I became a pretty good player out of necessity!

[CTWarrior]

As long as we're discussing drinking, how about Marquette Liquor.

"Cold case 'a Pabst Richie"
"Cold case 'a Blatz Paulie"

We only bought Pabst when we were celebrating something.  Otherwise it was RWB.

We used to grab a 6 or two of PBR or Old Style (one of them was always $1.68 / 6 Pack back when I was there) from Doc's to get a head start and save a little money before heading out to the bars.