These stories are collected from locals around town, they do not claim to be fact
I went to one gallery tonight on the St. Augustine Art Walk. A couple in Royal Blue batik shirts, in their early 80s stood in line at the bar. They both sported same floaty silver hair, a captain’s hair-do.
"Do you have champagne? And did the bridge tender own this building?"
At first, I wanted to judge them for asking for Champagne at a public opening, but then I realized I would do the same thing.
"I had just discovered the private parking lot of the bridge tender," I chimed in, scanning the bar display bottles trying to figure out how to upgrade my drink.
And this is what I learned from the generations local couple:
The term "The Real Mckoy “ comes from a bootlegger who would sail his clipper ship from Cuba through Saint Augustine to Canada during prohibition full of booze. The Bridge of Lions used to flash different lights when the authorities were in town and they would throw the booze overboard in burlap sacks mixed with salt and hay to make it sink. They would get past the cops, and in a few hours, the salt would dissolve and the bottles would float, and they will recover their loot with fishing poles.
In town, the hierarchy of who got McCoy‘s booze went government officials followed by the police, followed by the hoteliers.
St. Augustine had many casinos, including the Villa Zorayda, who hosted Al Capone among other presidential types.
Villa Zorayda Winter Home and casino
Blanche Aviles was a Madame and financed many buildings in St. Augustine. She also hired a weekly doctor for her workers and provided them housing once they retired An apartment buildings.
Men and women did not party together at the time. So Mr. Woo who ran a laundry, opened an Opium den on the second floor for the women while they male counterparts were visiting the casonos.
Pretty good Champagne order I should say.
Check out parking sign and granite lions. The likes of Al Capone and lady friends would have enjoyed the frog fontain before going out to the casino and/or the laundry mat.