YESTERDAY'S TOWNS

HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.

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Location: GIBSONTON, FLORIDA, United States

Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

POLACK BROS. #6

DISPLAY NUMBER EIGHT: ANIMAL ACTS.

1 Comments:

Blogger Mike Naughton said...

I worked with the Van Donwen Seals on Don Francisco's Pan American Circus in the early 70's. Don (Frank Mijares, Sr.) and his wife, Mary, treated me like family. At the time the Mijares were based in Colonia, New Jersey and later in Hollywood, Florida. I was living with my family in The Bronx and attending college full-time; part-timing in showbiz.
Don Francisco died at Newark Airport after arriving from Florida for a shopping center date. Mary called me and told me that a friend would deliver "the briefcase" to me and that I was in charge, I was 20 at the time. Also on the bill were the Barry Miller Family and Ken and Vesta Austin/Grimaldi.
I met with the mall manager who's only concern was the $500. under the table payoff he was promised by Don. Mary had told me that the manager got paid-off, but she wasn't sure of the amount.
Ken and Vesta were fantastic. We all shared an empty store with convention pipe and drape dressing rooms. The Grimaldi presented their musical comedy act plus plate spinning. After one show, when a plate accidently flew and smashed into a million pieces, Vesta didn't waste a second as she stormed into the dressing room and bitched-out Kenny with, "Well, that's another 35 cents down the drain."

6/13/2007 6:04 PM  

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