Man Overboard

MAN OVERBOARD

In 1994, city workers in Tampa, Florida, uncovered a series of underground passageways and rooms while installing a new storm drainage system in the old Latin town known as Ybor City. One chamber held an oak bar with empty wine and liquor bottles, suggesting that the place might have been a speakeasy during Prohibition.

Also found in this room were boxes of premium handmade cigars, a straw fedora, a gold key-shaped pin with a missing stone and a file, dated 1928, containing the case notes of a private detective named William Heart, a.k.a. Billy Corazon. This is his story.


Friday, May 29, 2009

Cigar City Magazine Smokes!


Cigar City magazine is so cool. And I'm not just saying that because they published an excerpt of my book Man Overboard in the May/June issue. The cover story, by Editor Emanuel Leto is about our very own roller derby jammers, the Cigar City Darlins. I saw them a couple of years ago at a roller rink in West Tampa with my pal, Cosmic Cowgirl Susan Cain. Even though they have cheeky names (and often cheek-baring costumes), these are some tough contenders. There's also an interesting piece about Naviera coffee mill and cafe by USF food historian Andy Huse and lots of info about local cigar smokers.

The mag's website is cool, too, with old photos, a nice Spanish guitar solo, and some great features about historical tidbits, like the guayabera shirt. But my favorite feature of all is Mama Knows, a hysterical advice column from a saucy old lady who can tell you a thing or two about the town you think you know. For example, do you know where Guolmar, Besbai, and El Pobli are? If not, check out Mama Knows.
Speaking of wonderful Latin things, if you're looking for something fun to do tomorrow night at 8, you might check out the Tango show at La Pollera Colorada restaurant at 2315 Linebaugh Ave. The dancers, Victoria and Frederico, are Argentinians who live in Tampa, and La Pollera has the best fried yucca on the planet.

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