This is the world of mirth collection made in the mid-40s these masks assisted Sal in his mind reading ask and hypnotizing people lots of crazy ingredients in the papier-mâché mix secret stuff I have this collection in our mask room there’s 40 masks in storage in this room the much larger ones are throughout the house they were made in the mid 30s Their powers are off the chart since you’re on this site I suggest you go to the mask section over 150 wild photos pertaining to the masks

If you ever wonder why there is so many pictures I have a Captain Tony Sal and myself you have to understand all three of us were photographers Sal and myself Published for over 80 years this is an original glass slide of Captain Tony take it in the pool room in 1969 The artwork in the background is monkey Tom’s work you will see a couple slides of me popping up Sal did my portfolio 45 years ago upstairs some crazy party is went down Upstairs

The photo you were looking at is one of Sal Studios when he traveled with the world the mirth bazaar traveling carnival in 1949 the mask on the wall we’re all made in the mid 30s they always have been used for Sal‘s mind Reading act and hypnotizing people the three masks in the middle are still in existence today the two on the right or at our house here in Florida with 65 other ones what’s unique about them is the special ingredients in their papier-mâché mix pyramids scrapings from Egypt, Haitian voodoo dust. Cambodian opium, and secret potions from around the world I’ll tell you what these masks have powers the second one from the left that looks like Aladdin was giving to my great uncle Lou his daughters have him There are stories flying around about him wild stories

Through the 30s and late 70s there was a nightclub in New York called Bills gay 90s no it wasn’t gay Maybe some gay people hung out in there but it was a street bar my great uncle Sal played the piano and did his hypnotizing act he was there for close to 10 years performing even his own little mask photography studio in the basement Where ever Sal worked and like the club he would talk to him in two a little room so he could do private readings take pictures or bring some young man downstairs that he could pull out of the closet that was his specialty by the way he could read your face an mind and no that was his gift in life this photo right here big organize crime guy Ronnie Gibson very good friend of Sal’s in Captain Tony

If you know anything about me or my grandfather you would know he was married four times with with sink over 13 children my dad is the oldest 84 years old I am 64 my grandfather was the ultimate player even when he was married to his first wife my grandmother 1935 My grandmother was visiting in key west in 1991 I told him I deserve a picture of both of them that day because I am the first grandchild I took this one photo my grandmother Mimi Ended up marrying captain Tony’s childhood best friend Big Red Hardie When Captain Tony wasn’t around big red was my grandfather in Jersey I was fortunate to have two grandfathers from Jersey to maniacs they taught me well

The year 1979 I have been in Key West already now for three years having the time of my life on many levels my grandfathers night club fishing and snorkeling out on the reef sunsets and lots of money it was time define that fantasy girlfriend I found her Miss Lisa Joe Burke a real Georgia peach 18 years old Stood 6 foot tall with heels on beautiful face and A insane body And I put the cherry on the cake intelligent and funny as hell technically out of my league luckily she didn’t know that Anyway we lasted two years to kid speeding in the fast lane with no seatbelt side funny thing is 40 years later we’re now married and writing a hell of a book jointly Key West the way it was