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I played Hammond organ at the El Cid Club for the topless shows in North Beach San Francisco at 606 Columbus Ave. 40 years ago so I was saddened to hear this morning that my old friend Enrico Banducci had passed away. We all would end up after hours at Enrico's, the topless dancers and musicians to eat Italian food and hang out under the element heaters sitting al fresco at 3AM to see and be seen.
Enrico of course the flamboyant character who would come by our tables and play his violin and tell stories. He started the whole scene during SF's Beatnik and Bohemian days with the hungry i, where Barbra Streisand, Woody Allen, Mort Sahl and Bill Cosby, among others, got their starts. Everybody loved Enrico, he was very generous and if you were short dough on the check he would always take an IOU until pay day.
I always saw Big Daddy Tom Donahue the great radio broadcaster there, The Beau Brummels and SF's gliteratti.
Later around 1980 when the Punk Rock scene was raging across the street at MABUHAY GARDENS 443 Broadway, all the Punkers would come over to Enrico's too, the place was always Rockin'...RIP Enrico Banducci ! Let me know if you hear about his funeral or memorial event. Jon Hammond organ player/radio broadcaster
