They all have their own unique personality I know I had individual conversations with them throughout the years some of them are 80 years old the rest are 70 years old Sal used them In his mind waiting ask as far back as the late 30s what makes them special is there ingredients pyramids scrapings from Egypt, Haitian voodoo dust,Secret potions from around the world we have 65 of these at our house the energy level is off the charts
One of my favorite family portraits that Sal took in 1947 my grandfather Captain Tony was heavily involved with some horse track scams he’s on the right my great grandfather Luigi Terracina Costello right in the middle And then my great uncle Joey on the left 42nd St. pool hustler and a hell of a boxer made it to the golden gloves
45 years ago my great uncle Sal did my portfolio above Captain Tony’s saloon I was 20 years old and just moved to fantasy Island
1948 Sal goes to Italy to find out about his real last name Castello my great grandfather really isn’t a Luigi Terracina he is a Luigi Costello cousins with Frank Costello in Chicago that’s why Sal got to perform and his two nightclubs in the late 20s the Otis beer tunnel and the Peacock lounge check out the original ads on this site
In 1929 Sal had a studio in Elizabeth New Jersey the police didn’t like what was going on in there they were suspicious of him being gay and making weird masks They forced him out of Elizabeth New Jersey Sal went over to hillside across the street from a big graveyard this is one of the photos from that mask photography studio 1929
After 30 years I finally left New York this was my first day at the beach with Lisa Ponce Inlet 5 miles south of Daytona beach that’s Daytona beach in the background I like this image the two old-timers getting some sun the funny thing is I am one of those old timers now
Key west 1980 Lisa and I are doing a Bikini photo shoot for some company in Key West The owner of tutti-frutti on the Val Street approached me And wanted to do an ad for his ice cream store this is the one we use for the ad a little sassy but they liked it
Anybody who knows me knows by now in the 42 years of my career I published over 1200 exotic dancers in three different magazines and a lot of advertisements there’s a difference between the New York dancers and the New Jersey ones New Jersey is not topless but New York is These or New York dancers a published over 30 years ago
1958 Gene Hackman decided to go to New York City get some head shots done buy some guy he heard about an Sal Terracina not only did Sal do his portfolio he sent him to a Broadway play That was doing readings Gene Hackman landed it and I think that’s how it started