Photo by Richard Freitas, Courtesy “The Land at Our Feet”: Preserving Pioneer Square’s Queer Landscapeĭon Paulson and Roger Simpson, An Evening At the Garden of Allah: A Gay Cabaret in Seattle (New York: Columbia University Press, 1996), 22, 23. But John paid off the police he was good at working the payoff system."
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The Casino was the only place on the West Coast that was so open and free for gay people. They'd do anything for you if they liked you, even bail you out of jail. They protected us and we loved them for that. "John and Margaret wouldn't let anyone mess with the queens. There were lots of gay kids at the Casino and we made friends right away. The Casino had two pool tables and tables for playing cards. But we'd go down to shacktown called Hooverville and buy a pint of whiskey and bring it back to the Casino and drink it there at the bar. "When you came down the stairs from Washington Street, you'd find a small restaurant area and a long bar across the room where they sold soft drinks and near beer, which was one-half percent alcohol, the legal limit during Prohibition. It was a large basement without any decoration except a few signs for Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola and later when Franklin Roosevelt became president the managers, John and Margaret Delevitti, put up a picture of FDR which is still there today. We could hardly wait to get down those stairs. The Casino was in the basement below the Double Header. We arrived in Seattle on June 15, 1930, and headed straight for the Casino. That's all I heard, Seattle, Seattle, Seattle and this fabulous place called the Casino and all the neat kids there. Following is a description of his first visit: "Two friends of mine visited Seattle and raved about it. He worked in the Double Header Tavern, a gay bar, on the weekends until the illness that led to his death in 1993. "Vilma," one of Seattle's "best known gay men," arrived in Seattle in 1930. Shortly after the Casino opened, a new patron, Vilma (1912-1993) visited the Pool Room. Nicknamed "Madame Peabody's Dancing Academy for Young Ladies," the Casino was considered the most open place for gays on the West Coast. The Casino paid Seattle policemen "protection money" and there men danced happily with other men. In most cities, men were not allowed to dance together.
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While the area is considerably large, you can find the majority of gay life on Pine and Pike Streets, which are spilling with plenty of gay bars, restaurants, and clubs.
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Bellotti owned the club and John and Margaret Delevitti managed it. Most of the Seattle gay scene can be found around Capitol Hill, which is a quaint, hilltop neighborhood that overlooks the city’s downtown. The Casino was located in Pioneer Square at 172 S. It is the earliest known establishment in Seattle and King County to cater mainly to gays.