Our Historic Bars

Our bars were taken from the first bar and casino ever opened by Sam and Rosario Maceo, the “godfathers” of the gambling and entertainment syndicate that ran Galveston Island and much of Galveston County from the 1920s to the late 1950s.

The Sicilian immigrant barbers - turned - boot leggers eventually owned dozens of bars, restaurants, and casinos, including the legendary Balinese Room Pier, the Turf Club, the Hollywood Club and the Western Room, and controlled all gambling and other vice in Galveston County, until the Texas Rangers finally shut down gambling here in the late 1950s.

The Maceo's “Little Turf Club” was located on 23rd Street in Galveston near the Seawall. Our right-hand bar was the original 1920's era bar from that location. Up some “semi - secret” stairs from there, our left-hand back bar was from the Maceo's “Tropicana” casino. Most likely the Maceos were in partnership at that time with Dutch Voight and Ollie Quinn and their Beach Gang. The Beach Gang later merged into Maceo's syndicate.

We have restored these two Maceo bars and placed them in this building, the historic Agee Pharmacy building, which was also built in the 1920's and operated here as a well-known pharmacy and soda fountain/café for decades thereafter.