Tuesday, September 1, 2009
La Rosa's - Detroit Michigan (Gay bar)
La Rosa's was located at 731 Bates in Detroit. Bob Damron's 1968 guide book shows that it was "Rough Trade" If you know anything about this bar, please post. Also photos if you have them.
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I remember, back in the early 1970's, some old queens talking about this bar. I don't think it survived into the post Christopher Street era.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the main bars in Detroit's old gay area around the corner of Bates and Farmer, which grew out of the gay scene around Frame's Tea Shop during the prohibition years. When Detroit became something of a gay mecca during WWII, there was La Rosa's, the Rio Grande, and the Sliver Dollar in this area. There was a big drag scene then, and a big Halloween party in the streets every year until there was some trouble in the late '60s and it was shut down. La Rosa's was the last surviving gay bar there (I remember it being there when I was a kid, and seeing tough looking characters hanging out in front) and it closed, and the building was torn down, sometime in the early '70s.
ReplyDeleteThe bar was never shut down.When Jimmy died his wife mary took over until she decided to close it in the mid 70...
DeleteMy mom who was a secretary in Cadillac Tower for decades used to join her coworkers every year and get dressed up for that Halloween parade every year for years, it was a crazy scene, started at La Rosa's and headed into Cadillac Square, thousands of office workers, cops, politicians glad handling, all the bars and lounges full of drinkers, mom didn't get home till late those nights! LOL
DeleteMy Grandfather John La Rosa and his brothers owned the La Rosa bar.
ReplyDeleteI went there when Jimmy was there
DeleteMy Grandfather John La Rosa and his brothers owned the La Rosa bar.
ReplyDeleteJimmy LaRosa owned the bar. He carried a handgun regularly. Lived across the street from me.
ReplyDeleteYes... Uncle Jimmy always had his .38 special with him.
ReplyDeleteYes... Uncle Jimmy always had his .38 special with him.
ReplyDeleteJimmy was my grandfather- unfortunately my father also passed and never told us much about the bar. Would love to learn anything else you might know about this history!
ReplyDeleteContact me at Artwords@currently.com I’ll tell you what I know about your father Jim and Big Daddy .
DeleteAhhhhhhh memories, my first gay club. The doorman at the time was Bernard. Friends consisted of, Toy, Randy Smith aka Candy. Family; Raphael Allen, & Rack, we also went to Foster's and that little bar inside the Buss Station... "shannans" I think... and George's and the Woodward, oh and the Famous door... haven't thought of these places in years....❤️
ReplyDeleteWow, blast from the past! Though I was young in the 60's and 70's I remember some of those bars from the outside, La Rosa's to the right of Checker Bar, didn't they have a large black drag clientele, same with Famous Door? I remember my mother (who was a secretary in Cadillac Tower) and her coworkers dressing up every Halloween to join in the drag parade that originated at La Rosa's and went towards Cadillac Square, it was a huge party scene for the rest of the day and night as I recall...
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