Tony Tursi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony (Tony) Tursi, an Italian-American, was a nightclub and business owner in San Juan, Puerto Rico for many years. His principal distinction was to own and operate "La Riviera", one of the most distinguished adult entertainment emporia in San Juan. During the 1950s and 1960s, the place was very popular and visited by locals, expatriates and tourists. Constant police raids did little to diminish the popularity of the place. Business began to decline in the 1970s, as society became more liberal about sex. In 1968 he ran for Mayor of the City San Juan. He was also well known for his Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and Three Kings' Day celebration to poor children.
Mr. Tursi would say "I’m going broke because people are now getting for free what we used to charge for!". Still, being a principled man in his own way, Mr. Tursi repeatedly rejected suggestions to turn the nightclub into a gay disco, although that would certainly have improved his business. As such, Mr. Tursi finally agreed to sell his nightclub to the government, who promptly demolished it. In 1975 he was convicted of tax evasion among other charges, and was sentenced to approx. 12 years in Federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Prisons web site lists his release date November 30, 1979.
He retired to Nevada and died April 22, 1989
Mr. Tursi also lived in Cuba for many years during the 1950's.
