A postcard of Sam Leto, atop "Thunder." Leto, who died in July 2001, was described by the St. Petersburg Times as "one of the Italian patriarchs of Ybor City." Leto, one of Ybor's alcaldes (Spanish for "mayor" -- in Ybor's case, think of a goodwill ambassador), was an unceasing promoter of the historic Latin quarter.
A former stuntman on locally filmed movies during the 1950s, Leto moved to Citrus Park when it was populated by citrus groves and raised palaminos. The postcard was produced for Ybor's Centennial in 1986.
Another commemorative menu, this time from the Wild Shrimp Company. One time, too eager to haul away some shrimp po' boys, gumbo, and cornbread, I left my Blackberry at the order window. The good folks there found it, and called my father from my address book, not realizing they were calling all the way to Pennsylvania. Anyway, I got my phone back, and Dad got an unexpected chuckle. It's sad about the closing.
Here's the last of the mid-fifties ads I've been running. It's a pre-Football Bucs image of the Buccaneer. Has the appearance of the buccaneer image dropped off in local advertising since the arrival of the Bucs? And "Sleepy Lagoon Yacht Harbor"? What a name!
Continuing with the series of mid-1950s ads, is this ad for a citrus grove. I am guessing that this gentleman, who owns a residential citrus tree care business, belongs to the family mentioned in the ad above. The link contains some early photos and is worth a click.