Hawaiian Mafia

We quickly learned working seven days a week and practicing Five didn’t allow much time for fun. Weekend afternoons we had some time to explore. Sometimes after work we would do something, which is how Gary and Hoot almost met with disaster. They decided one night to ride their bikes out toward diamond head. They found a park or something I’m not sure exactly what it was, but they rode all around in the dark. They were up high along the coast. They had a heck of a good time and came back telling us all about it. The next day after practice they took us out to show us where they found to ride. We got up there and could see their tracks but in the daylight it was pretty scary. They had made numerous trips within a couple of feet of a drop of. At the bottom of the cliff was solid rock. Signs all over the place ” Danger do not enter”. Had they gone over it would definitely have been the end for them.

I have told you how nice the club was and how good the crowds were but have yet to tell you about one group of people that were there every night. They had one small section all to themselves and NOBODY ELSE ever sat there. Their numbers varied there was always at least ten and sometimes as many as twenty. One waitress was assigned to them and only them. Their area was just to the right of the bandstand. Right in my neighborhood. We would ask the manager and owner about them but no one had much to say. They were all Asian. They were not real friendly but always nice to us. We knew there was more to the story but never really wanted to delve into it. We just gave them a wide berth and they never bothered us. Much later on, our second trip over there, we had some inter action with them but that’s another story. We just called them the Hawaiian Mafia and I personally believe that’s the correct name.

A really strange thing about Waikiki was the number of streetwalkers, and even more strange was the fact most of them were male but dressed as females. There was some kind of law that said they must identify themselves as their true gender. So, they would be dressed to the nines as women but would have a small sign on their person that read ” I’m a boy”. All true . Now there was a pretty large group of them that lived at the same apartment complex as us. I don’t know what it is about me but I am always curious. Living with all these boys that impersonate girls was a real girl. I got acquainted with her. Not romantically just like friends. After work almost every night she and they would be sitting around the pool. Sometimes in their women’s clothes but most of the time in just shorts and tee shirts or whatever. One of them started coming on to me but the girl told him I was straight so they all left me alone. Well he then asked me about the other guys in the group. Now how could I pass that up. I said ” well I don’t really know”. A couple nights later I saw one of them heading towards my room so I followed. I just rounded the corner heading towards our room and I heard a shout and the sliding door slam.. I met the guy as I neared our room I opened the door and Gary was standing there with a pair of shorts, no shirt in total shock. ” did you see that” he said. He said the guy knocked on the door and when he opened it the guy just reached out and grabbed him by the uhh well you know. He was plenty upset so I knew I had made a mistake. I went back and told them no we were all straight. They never bothered us again. Well not until my brother Tommy and a bunch of His buddies came for a visit. But that’s another story.

Also living in this apartment complex was a bunch of professional wrestlers. Once again I was curious so I got acquainted with them. There was a seating area near the front of the complex. They would gather there on occasion and laugh and talk. I would join them and listen in. They would say things like ” let’s see I fight you tonight don’t I”. I win right. Or now go a little bit easy on the such and such hold you like to have broke my neck last time or whatever. It was fun to listen to them. Some of them were huge and they all looked mean.

Also living in our complex were other bands working in the area. I met and talked to Frank Zappa there one time. There were some other groups one I recall was The Green Men. I can’t remember any others.

Next. Another visit to see my brother aboard The USS ORISKANY