I think I might have gone to one of the last few shows there..........sad. Oh yea, no surfing for me......we had these and it was 714 down here back then (btw this is a pic off of google.....none are me).
Pacific Coast Club on Ocean Blvd. RED ARROW POINTS TO THE EXACT LOCATION Hello, LBCD’s inclusion of the Pacific Coast Club is significant because it was once on the National Register of Historic Places in Long Beach, CA. There were two places or things that were on that famous USA National Register, only to be “delisted.” The other thing was the Spruce Goose. We all know where that local icon went… To date, the old club once at 850 E. Ocean Blvd. is one of two Long Beach landmarks entered into the National Register only to later be removed from the list as far back as 1970, according to a national database. The Pacific Coast Club was the only one to be destroyed. The other landmark, the Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose, was delisted after it was disassembled and moved from next to the Queen Mary to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore. The Pacific Coast Club was very exclusive and quite exclusionary. It was not until the early 63-64 that I was able to get access to the facilities through a friend of mine. Don’t ask how my friend got access, as I have already asked and got a “need to know” answer back then. He was an interesting guy that had plenty of unusual, "local connections" from the time back in high school through the 70s, when I lost all contact with him. Pacific Coast Club, Villa Riviera hotel on the right When he took us into this club entrance, it was very opulent inside. At the time, we were handball playing fanatics, having learned the cutthroat methods at Alamitos Bay’s Corner Handball Court to the 3 walls at neighborhood parks, and finally, the 4 wall facilities at LBCC. Playing inside, in a private club was the epitome of our handball adventures. (these handballs were little hard black ones, not the big blue soft ones…) At first, it was singles. Then as we became familiar with the slick wooden courts, a tournament in doubles was done, with little success. Those older “club” guys ruled the home court. The odd thing I remember of those times was that my 1958 Impala was parked out in front and was the only hot rod/cruiser in the neighborhood. There were plenty of Lincolns, Cadillacs, Mercedes convertibles, a few Corvettes, and other sports cars in the mix. Inside, we were given access to the whole complex and took advantage of beach side food service. Then of all things, a steam bath with steam so heavy and thick that you could not tell if anyone else was inside the sealed off rooms. Jnaki That was an experience for sure… Today, when we drive down Ocean Blvd, that building is gone and replaced by condos… only the memories flow. Pacific Coast Club “The Pacific, a 16-story condo building, is no exception. It is a rather pretty building, built in 1992, where condo prices start at over half a million dollars. Its shiny facade hides the fact that its construction was a point of contention and sorrow for thousands of Long Beach residents. For it replaced the fortress-like Pacific Coast Club of Long Beach, a magical castle built by SoCal patriarchs during the optimistic glory days of this city by the sea.” “These heady times were not to last. In 1963, the original, Pacific Coast Club building was sold to a new owner. The AAU portion of the club would struggle on for a time in other facilities, having continued success in track and field, while the "castle's" new owner would attempt to revive the building. This attempt was a failure, and the little used building would be sold numerous times, falling into disrepair.” The building, which had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, continued to fall apart and was occasionally used as a location for horror films. The Pacific Coast Club, which had once represented the pride of Long Beach, finally came down in 1988. It took over a month for the wrecking ball to bring the mammoth structure down. However, something positive came out of the PCC's painful, protracted end. New historic preservation regulations were drafted to protect significant structures in Long Beach. "It took the demolition...to wake the citizens of Long Beach up," said Douglas W. Otto, chairman of the Coalition to Preserve Historic Long Beach. "We learned through the Pacific Coast Club that the community cares about its past and is willing to go to some lengths to preserve it." used to be next to the Villa Riveria Hotel
Hey LBCD, Thanks for the nice comments. Growing up in an area live with hot rods/cruisers was my Disneyland, Pike, P.O.P. and Knott's Berry Farm all rolled into one big fun place. Like the old saying: "I tell it like it is (was)." Yes, the CHROME display and show will be opening July 14, starting with a car show at the newly reopened George's Drive-in Diner, (old Grissinger's) just up the street. But the Historical Society of Long Beach will have the display going until March of next year, with special events almost every month. There might be a display of some of my Lions Movies inside of the storefront. If they were selected as part of the huge inventory of car stuff in its history, that would be great...please look for them. In your previous posts about Long Beach and its changes, the Rainbow Pier, Cyclone Racer all go together and are in the archives of the HSLB storefront. Since tomorrow is the 4th of July, here is a retrospective of a happening many years ago at the beach between the Rainbow Pier and Cyclone Racer. Our worst experience with the Cyclone Racer compound was a fireworks show that was shot just off of the end of that short pier near the Rainbow Lagoon. We were about 4 or 5 years old (1949) and our dad got us a great place to watch right on the sand, next to the pier, on the Cyclone Racer side. We were a short ways back from the water. My mom was impressed that we were on the beach and water. She had never been so close to shooting fireworks, either. The “fireworks in the air” display was very impressive. It seemed like we were inside of the exploding display in the sky. But, there was a drawback to this colorful array of exploding designs. No one told us about the side effects of being so close to the actual launching site. That fireworks show was so loud that my mom had to stuff some cotton/Kleenex in my ears, covered my ears with a t shirt, and use her hands to muffle the sounds. The fireworks exploded directly overhead and we were under a blanket of some ashes after each explosion. The closeness of the short pier and the fireworks, firing, rocket tubes was like sitting in a WW2 howitzer blasting field. (Or the Camp Pendleton 55mm howitzer practice range.) That was the last time we were ever so close to big time, fireworks. Jnaki Afterwards, my mom was not impressed with fireworks unless we were in a quiet car on a cliff, watching from a distance. My ears were “ringing” for days, so, I also agree with my mom. Distance is much better for the ears… Jump up 66 years… After my wife and I came back from a long road trip, we went to a hotel in a local harbor. Luckily, we had reserved a room to be available on July 4th. We were able to sit near the harbor channel and watch the big, local fireworks show. We were still about .5 mile away from the launch float/boat outside of the harbor. Those booms were still, very loud and deafening. So, if I remember correctly, we were within baseball throwing distance to the end of the Long Beach Pier in 1949, experiencing the loudest thing ever heard for us. I do not like loud noises, except for “cackle cars” firing up nearby. That gives me the “goosebumps.” WARNING FROM OUR VET FOR DOG LOVERS: 2018 or anytime: Please do not take your dog to any outdoor fireworks show as the loud booms are “murder on the ear and brain,” causing much “doggy” trauma. We were going to go to San Diego to see the “Big Bay Boom.” It is one of the largest multiple fireworks displays. It covers the whole San Diego mini harbors, lit up, one at a time from the west end all the way around the huge harbor east, to the Coronado Bridge. We asked our vet for some dog suggestions as we would be walking directly under the bright displays along the shoreline. (1/2 mile away at one point up to miles away for others.) She said, "Leave the dog at home, safely away from any of those booms."
Addendum to the above post on So Cal historic fireworks: Hello, I just saw this photo of a local Orange County fireworks show getting ready to launch tomorrow. They are the size of cannons or small howitzers. This one will launch from the sand over waters of the Back Bay in Newport Beach. Any mishaps or residue should land safely in the water. Hopefully… From past experiences, I would not want to be under those mishaps with a cool hot rod or custom car… But, they certainly will make a big boom! Jnaki Not all fireworks shows have the same set up as far as launchers are concerned, but the basic idea is the same. An electronic charge lights off the so-called cannon and up goes the fireworks to explode, using a delayed fuse. For a better explanation: https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/4/4489980/how-do-fireworks-work
As always, very informative. I remember Knotts, POP, Marineland, and others.Thank you for the pictures that refresh my memories. In 1969, I became very close to 05's, 55's, 175's, and 8".
I usually would got to a small semi secret park in Newport Coast to watch the displays. On a clear day/night you can see the Newport, Laguna and Dana Point displays. Have fun and a safe 4th.
The most spectacular firework show I ever saw was at Magic Mountain on August 9, 1974. Also saw Connie Stevens and drummer Buddy Rich perform. That was a great day and evening. Mmmm, I wonder what else happened on August 9, 1974?
Some of the members of the long Beach Surf Club was sort of uppity. Would you by chance remember B&O Cycles on Anaheim St ?
Hey LBCD, Nice photo capture…Sorry, we checked the place out several times on our South Bay excursions, but did not like the take-off zone so close to the rickety pier pilings. As expensive and sturdy as our longboards were, they were not up to bashing the pilings, if we fell, either were we. (Huntington Beach Pier is wide enough to shoot through to the other side, though…) The locals in the P.O.P. area back then were ok to us, we must have looked foreign and dark (from Hawaii or Mexico) to them. But, we did not venture out into the water so, they left us alone. Stink eyes, yes, but no confrontations. Maybe being over 6 feet tall looked imposing…ha ha… Later on in the 70’s it was a haven of radical “trash the world” guys that would do damage to anything and everyone. It was not my scene. But, that place did have good waves. There were other spots that were just as good without the impending confrontation hanging in the air. It was similar to the “Hollywood by The Sea area,” up in Oxnard. The CHROME exhibit will run until March 2019, with the Lions Dragstrip show on February 2nd. The grand opening today should be a lot of fun, with the inclusion of the George’s Diner car show. Wow, you get to see cool hot rods and the latest Tommy Ivo injected Buick. Photos for sure…Have fun. Jnaki Hey Sky, Some of those LB Surf Club members were not as friendly as we would like. My brother and I did not join any club, as we thought they were for socializing. The people we knew in that club were into contests and we were not. When a huge contest was held in Seal Beach or especially Huntington Beach, we used this time to surf the better waves at Lower Trestles on North Camp Pendleton. Most of the people were watching or surfing in and around the contest scenes. We would have those Trestles pristine waves almost to ourselves after we battled the Marines. It was a good time to be anti social, with the empty waves just 40 miles south. Jnaki By battle, I mean hiding from, or getting away from the Marines on the beach, jungle and San Mateo Creek Areas. During the day, we would bury our boards back by the railroad tracks and deep sandy marsh area. They were well hidden. Then casually, eat lunch and take a well-deserved nap in preparation for the afternoon glass-off waves. If there was a raid, we would run out into the surf break. The Marines would only wade up to their high top boot levels, and threaten us. We were safe in the water. They would eventually give up and drive away in those silly wheeled beach vehicles. Didn’t they learn to sneak up on the so-called “enemy” or at least not charge down the beach in those multi-wheeled vehicles that could be seen for miles away, by us? This duty was probably way down the list of things to do for the Marines, but someone had to do it. Technically, the mean high tide line was the actual border for trespassing, but they claimed all of the area for making their arrests and confiscating boards. We were very lucky, as we were never caught, or had our hidden cars/vans or boards damaged or found. It was an exciting adventure...! So Cal does have a lot of history…in a lot of different things. That was a very long time ago.
Hey J6, Tell that to the young members of the San Onofre Surf Club that were at the Provost Marshall's office in Camp Pendleton and the kid's parents who had to drive down to get them out, along with their boards. That was a rumor started by the San O' members. At the actual San Onofre Beach, yes, they were left alone. Only if you could have access to their own club beach area, not Church, Lower or Upper Trestles areas farther North. Jnaki Cotton's Surf Spot in the Southern edge of San Clemente was on the edge of the property and usually you were left alone. There used to be a barbed wire fence that ran from the railroad tracks down to the water line at Cotton's. That was the northern end of the Marine property.
Anyone remember the the three lane past the Paulo drive inn theater? the suicide lane in the center? or the sea planes to Catalina?
Since you're discussing Cotton's Point (later known as the Western White House of Dick Nixon), I believe this story as told by former surfing champion Corky Carroll about the restrictions imposed in that area, might be of interest. "So, being the weasel I can be when necessary, I wrote a letter to the Secret Service stating that I was the United States Surfing Champion, which I was, and that the surf spot in front of the Western White House is where I did my training to represent America in surfing competitions all around the world. I added that I would like a pass to be able to continue my training even when Nixon was in town. I had no idea if this was gonna work but figured it was worth a shot. To my surprise they called me and asked me to come in for an interview. They ran a comprehensive background check on me, and I guess they figured I was OK. They took my picture and got my signature and told me I could surf there any time I wanted. When Nixon was in town there were armed guards on the beach and a big Coast Guard boat outside the break along with a flock of helicopters cruising above. I would check in on the beach and paddle out to perfect big summer south swells either all alone or with Rolf Aurness. Rolf’s dad was the actor James Arness (dropped the “u” for T.V.) and he had a home there, so they could also surf. It was a fantastic deal, at least for us. One afternoon I was out surfing by myself and was just getting out of the water when Nixon came walking down the beach. He was wearing blue walking shorts, a white shirt and blue tie, blue blazer, black dress shoes and blue socks. He was also surrounded by a bunch of bodyguards. He saw me coming up the beach and walked up and offered his hand. He smiled and said, “So you’re our surfing champion.” I shook his hand and smiled back and said, “So you’re our president.” We both laughed; the bodyguards didn’t. He told me to have fun surfing and I told him to have fun being president and that was that."
Hey SE, Corky Carroll grew up as a kid during the times we were doing the South Orange County surf scene. (But, that article incident was almost 10 years later.) We would see him at our Surfside, surf party scene, as he lived inside the colony. He was one of the best from the area and was always joking around...His column in the Register Website is fun to read. He has a lot of So Cal history about growing up as one of the little "gremmies" from the Seal Beach/Surfside area. We would see him surfing at the Huntington Beach Pier a lot in the mid 60s. Corky, Denny Buell, and Eddie Barrymore ruled Seal Beach/Surfside. Jnaki No movies of Corky Carroll, but here is one that looks a lot like Denny Buell at Huntington Beach Pier in 1960.
Hello, Nice photo capture of those fanatical skimboarders at the Aliso Beach Pier area in South Laguna Beach. The beach was a stopping off point for all things hot rod /surf wagon trips south for the views and check out the swell direction in the very early 60s. (In the background is one of the only piers to be constructed in the early 70s, only to be destroyed by wave action and dismantled by the county workers.) The beach is a pristine site, with some of the most beautiful views of the coastline and ocean. Treasure Island (Montage Resort, now) to the North and the towering cliffs to the South. There were many sunset "photo ops" that show up constantly... It is a great place for hot rod photo spreads with the ocean and cliffs as a background. Big waves were responsible for the destruction of the Aliso Pier over the years. In the 60s and 70s, there were quite a few hot rods and cruisers in the parking lots. (Beachside and across Coast Highway) This public beach became quite popular, since the ocean and beach is a right turn away on any trip south to Dana Point along Coast Highway. We used to stop here for a snack and a walk out on the weird looking pier. When the Aliso Creek flows from inland Orange County, it is stopped by a huge sand berm on the beach side of Coast Highway. That water becomes polluted and has given Aliso Beach poor water quality ratings. This is still ongoing, today. The water pools and fights to get out to the ocean. Once it breaks the sand berm, the water gushes out to meet the ocean. But, while the water is pooled behind the beach sand berm, it becomes more polluted each day, fertilizer from the golf course inland, the road grime, dead animals in the canyon, and stuff from farther inland, etc. Unsuspecting mothers still let their kids play in this built-in stagnant pool with no worries until a week or so later. Be warned… Jnaki With the constant shoreline wave action, it takes a couple of days to make the water fairly safe, again. But, now, the danger is the steepness of the underwater, sand terrain that is just steps from the dry sand. It gets overhead quite fast, as you step deeper into the water. On those pristine big wave days, these skilled skimboarders slide down the steep sand with speed, hit the open face of the shore breaking waves and rip it to shreds. Only in South Laguna…at the Aliso County Beach. Yes, our group tried skimboarding, but fell on our butts every time, even before we got to the curling shore break waves. I remember one good short ride and that was it. “The pier was a spot for regulars. Some visited every Sunday after church. Some went to take sweet photos of big waves after a storm. It was a bustling go-to spot for tourists to snap photos. Fishermen caught perch, halibut, bass and sand sharks from the pier. The annual Victoria Skim Board contest was held next to it every summer. The county demolished the Aliso Beach Pier – built in 1971 from concrete and steel as part of a public beach development in South Laguna, following a series of battering storms that caused it to crack. When pieces of concrete and steel began washing up on the beach, county officials figured that it was time to take it down. The pier stood 35 feet high on concrete pilings, it was 660 feet long. It was part of a public park that included a parking lot in South Laguna. There were restrooms and a snack stand. El Niño storms began damaging it in 1983 and 1986. The force of the surge coupled with the steep beach created powerful waves, compromising its stability. In 1987, its structure began cracking, and the county closed it until December 1989 during a $1.2 million reconstruction. The pier stood for another seven years before storms again pummeled it. The Orange County Board of Supervisors declared the pier irreparable in March 1998, after Aliso took a particularly tough beating from El Niño storms. One-fourth of the pier’s almost 40 pilings were severely damaged, and its conditions worsened so that by September the supervisors voted for its emergency dismantling. “South swells travel over a deep underwater canyon (like Aliso Canyon but underwater) so they arrive unimpeded to break on a very steep beach. The power of these waves at Aliso is different than waves arriving at Main Beach. It is no surprise the pier failed and this is emblematic of many other engineering failures in our watershed and coastal waters.” “It was brown water and disgusting but they were perfect waves. Sand and waves made Aliso Beach Pier different than others in Orange County. At Aliso Beach, the sand goes into the water and gets deep almost immediately. In some places of Newport, San Clemente and Huntington, the waves break further out. It was unique to have a pier on a beach like that.”
such a fun show yesterday- all in socal can check out the exibit if you get the chance, it runs for several months and its free admission
Hey LBCD, Nice photos of the event. The cars are/were very cool. That place takes me back to 1959-63. We almost lived there during the high school summers. The photos look like what the Grissinger's Drive-In used to look like when the locals packed it in every Friday night after going to football games and Saturday nights after Lions. That back row and alley were famous spots to showcase your hot rods in sight and sound. They were teenage shenanigans...for sure. Jnaki Nice event at George's. Did they allow Tommy Ivo's single Buick FED to fire up for a MINI CACKLEFEST? I will, one day, get back to visit the Historic Society storefront down the street to check things out. Maybe there were some Lions drag racing films playing in the displays located inside of the museum.
Yea, always stay away from Aliso creek after a rain, that’s where the annual compition is held. I grew up on the north side, I skimmed at crescent bay......but boogie boarded up and down the coast.I never really got into surfing, I started skim boarding in 7th grade and pretty much stopped when I got into cars.
Anyone remember the the three lane past the Paulo drive inn theater? the suicide lane in the center? or the sea planes to Catalina? Attached Files: a8b8739f2c6dbe4d511bacff94886a4c--flying-boat-vintage-photos.jpg c118a023b686f14c9223b0e878f64668--glenn-martin-art-designs.jpg 9868c99de64fa87204a87943fb3b74c9.jpg Many years back, I took a girl friend over in one of those planes. She ended up, up front with the pilot. I was in a front row isle seat, so I took a look up front at the dash/firewall. I was only a LITTLE concerned when I noticed that the gages for the right engine...read different than the gages for the left engine, by a fair amount...INCLUDING the "tachs"..! Then after we got there and landed (fairly smoothly), the pilot directed the plane to the ramp, ran the engines up, nuthin, ran them to full throttle, the plane was not...going to go up the ramp. The pilot looked back and told me and another guy about my size (about 210lbs) to go to the back of the plane for...ballast..! It struggled, but we made it up. The flight home was uneventful...except for the odd reading engine monitoring gages..! Mike
Hello, Nice story on the seaplanes. Wow, like minds and interesting stories about those seaplanes. The scenario was the same, but our pilot wanted us (3 teenagers) to get farther forward in the plane before take off from the Long Beach Airport. He wanted more weight up front and lighter in the back. The small, twin engine, Catalina Sea Planes (Grumman Goose) took off from the Long Beach Airport, went West, over our Westside house, turned left and flew over the Terminal Island Complex to the Eastern end of Catalina. It was a wild ride. There were three of us and the pilot, two big guys, a medium size guy and the pilot. As we got into the plane with our luggage, we climbed over the seats to get into the back seats. When we were all in place and buckled in, the pilot turned around and said… "You guys need to move up to the seats right behind me. We can’t take off with the extra weight in the back tail section." Whoa, that told us something… The pilot barely made it up and over the end of the airport’s Western fence, but climbed easily. Being a map reader from the young age, I tracked our neighborhood streets and could see our house next to the Terminal Island Freeway. He followed the freeway all the way to the ocean and kept going toward Catalina. The streets and houses looked so close down below. For many years, as little kids playing on the ground of the Westside of Long Beach, we saw these small Catalina planes every day. Who knew that someday, that small plane was going to be my first airplane ride…over water, no less. Now, here comes the scary part. It was concrete when we took off. But, for landing, it was on water at the Eastern edge of Catalina.(about 20 minutes from Long Beach) The plane hit the water, started slowing down the RPMs, and glided over the water on his pontoons. We could feel the water hitting the bottom of the floor through our shoes ! Finally, he headed for the concrete slope ramp on the beach. AHH…LAND! Jnaki After a week of exploring Catalina, we all decided that the small planes were not for us and decided to upgrade to the large 4 engine Sikorsky (Mother Goose) that took off from Avalon Harbor facing the Long Beach mainland shoreline. The time it took going back to Long Beach was almost instant. The big, 4 engine picked up speed out of the harbor and immediately was airborne headed for the Long Beach Harbor. Now, that was luxury, safety and smiles all around.
Speaking of sea planes, the first and only jet fighter sea plane, the Sea Dart, was developed in San Diego at Convair. Saw the scale models being towed in the channel behind the airport. The program was canceled when the first test flight was a disaster and the pilot was killed. I collect sea plane models and have several with Catalina Airlines livery. The PBY's used to fly from Long Beach to Avalon could never be totally flushed out with fresh water and the salt water ate the aluminum.
Hey LBCD, There was a podcast of the George's Diner just a day or two ago. Someone's hot rod was in the movie panning portion. It was looking pretty good at a historic place/event. Wow, I can smell those large cut French Fries and gravy right now... along with those tasty cherry Cokes. Back then, it was contrast between gasoline + exhaust fumes and hot, out of the oil, French Fries... It was hard to decide which was better. 1960 Grissinger's Drive-in transformed into George's 50s Diner... Jnaki A cool place and event. Nice car... http://primerpodcast.com/podcasts/episode-222-chrome-opening-with-tony-colombini/
Is this a weekly cruise in or what. I would like to swing by the next time I’m in SoCal looks interesting. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Just found this thread and boy does it bring back memories.Although I was born and raised in Hilo,Hawaii I attended Wilson High in Long Beach and graduated from Millikan High in Long Beach in '62..Jake and I were part of the 10 founding members of the Early Times in 1965.No CD or cassete's back then ,8 track's were new and ARC 45 record players wouldn't fit on our hot rods.AM radio: KFWB channel 98 and KRLA is what we listened to and Wolfman Jack. Sat nite circuit when we were out looking for tail we meet at Oscars at the traffic circle,then Hody's(Anaheim & PCH),Lakewood and on to A &W in Bellflower finishing at Harvey's Broiler in Downey.Every once in awhile we would organize a Sat nite cruise to Tiny Naylors in Hollywood from Oscars in Long Beach.Had 28 cars one nite.Sometimes a few over heated on Hollywood Blvd.Lots of traffic and some didn't run fans.Powerine Gas Stations would start gas wars and was down to 17.9 cents a gallon at one time.We could cruise for a buck all nite long. Pics: The 28 PU is Jake's and 27 T roadster PU is mine at the time.Jake was running a stock 4 banger and I had a 265 SBC w/cast iron powerglide .Pic taken in Compton around 1964.Silver 27 T sedan I built in 1967.R&C cover of another T sedan I built in '68.Jake painted the body in his driveway in Compton.The '34 roadster I built in '72.
Santa Fe Ave. Westside of Long Beach Hello, We moved to the Westside of Long Beach, CA in 1948 from just across the LA River on PCH. My dad had already scouted out the best Italian Meat and Deli Markets in the whole area. One was a place close by that had great pizza and sandwiches. But the Santa Fe Importers had the best meatball sandwich and the original, Italian Meat(s) Sandwich. The two brothers could not get enough of those fabulous sandwiches. Our mom tried her meatball sandwiches for us, but they never tasted the same. The Importers were a few blocks away, so it was a favorite place to go for great food. It was a true neighborhood place. (As luck would have it, the Importers were located across the main street from my dad’s friend’s business.) When we moved again to another Westside house, it was now closer to the Santa Fe Importers. So, we were in a better location. Mickey Thompson’s shop was very close by, the giant Bill Williams Welding Company was just in the next block, Joe Mailliard’s Speed Shop was a few blocks away, and they were all bicycle close. Our dad liked to visit his friend’s pool hall and bar across the Santa Fe Ave. from this Italian Deli.(where I learned to play pool) The Weber’s Bread Factory was also just across the street. Santa Fe Ave. on the right facing North Jnaki Over the years, during our beach days and cruising days, the Santa Fe Importers got quite a workout with the tons of Italian sandwiches, chips, and Cokes. If we remembered, a cooler full of Italian sandwiches and Cokes were in the trunk of the 58 Impala for those long Saturday at the drags that led into the late night. (not that the famous Lion’s hot dogs got replaced weekly…) The generations of the original family still run the latest store as well as two others in So Cal. But, the one on Santa Fe Ave. in the Westside of Long Beach was the first since 1947… over 71 years of community service. Santa Fe Importers: Italian Deli and Market: “Santa Fe Importers, an authentic Italian delicatessen has been a staple of the Westside community at 1401 Santa Fe Ave. for 71 years. Vince Passanisi, the current owner, said his grandfather started the business in 1947, mainly as a small grocery market. Over the years, the store has evolved with the community, which has transformed from an ethnically diverse residential neighborhood to mostly port-related industrial businesses.” Marisa Passanisi and her brother Vince Passanisi are pictured in front of the popular Santa Fe Importers, an authentic Italian delicatessen they operate at 1401 Santa Fe Ave. in the Westside industrial area of Long Beach. In 1947, their grandfather, Vincent Passanisi, opened a small Italian deli and market, with recipes from his native Sicily and imported Italian foods. Today, Santa Fe Importers has a second location in Seal Beach. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan) “We still have the market, but mostly we’re doing lunches and food to go,” Passanisi said. “We get people from downtown, the oil refineries and the port . . . On the weekends there are people who come all the way from Riverside.” The deli, which serves anywhere from 500 to 600 people during lunchtime hours, offers hot and cold sandwiches, pasta, pizza and salads, along with authentic Italian dishes made with family recipes passed down from generations, while the market sells imported cheeses, meats and other specialty items. Passanisi also manages an Italian food manufacturing operation, selling products such as meatballs, sausage and salami for restaurants all over the country, he said. Santa Fe Importers, which employs up to 50 people, now operates two other locations, one in Seal Beach, which opened in 2008 and a new spot in Irwindale that opened earlier this year. He said the company continues to stick to its core values, which are serving quality food in a timely manner while keeping the restaurants as clean as possible. “What’s been successful for us in the past is just trying to execute on the values that we’ve always had: the speed of the service, the quality of the food and the cleanliness of the restaurants. We know that if we can do that, we’ll be able to continue serving the community, and, if we don’t, we won’t be here for very long.” Until 1998, when we sold our last, Long Beach house, we can attest to that great food, people, and fabulous, original, community Italian Deli. 71 Years and still going strong...!
The Jalopy Journal
