An other Tony Mafia painting on e-bay

This painting by Tony is currently for sale on e-bay I guess it is late sixties, early seventies and typical for the way he painted in thouse years. And yes he loved his guitars and pretty girls. I do like the background and the suggestion of choppy stones, the iron bars for the window and the women in red in the back... Charming.

It is signed but I find no date on it and yes it is oil on canvas.

Bullshit Cowboy

Here is a photo of Ben's Tony Mafia he wants to sell. My suggestion would be to post one of them with the accompanying message, that 'Here is a Tony Mafia painting that is being offered for sale. The owner is a friend of Tony's who is himself an artist/craftsman, and helped us considerably in the renovation of our US residence. He is facing severe medical problems, and is being forced 'to liquidate some of my treasures', as he said. He is asking 700 U$, which is a very fair price. I agreed to put it up for sale here on Tony's site, and handle the details for him. I will offer it for sale until 1 July, at which time the highest bidder over $700, will be the new owner. This is one of Tony's whimsical painting that everybody loves. He loved to hate the painting, hence the title. It stood in the Tennessee Saloon for a long time and yes one day Tony gave it to Ben. It is not  the best picture but in enlarging it  you'll recognize Tony's strokes and landscape. And by the way, Tony did have red boots... By the way in the meantime Ben Herbst sold the painting. May the new owner be happy with it.

Clowns in Amsterdam

I was contacted through a comment on this blog and asked to send a picture and some extra information. 
So Hans wrote: Hereby a picture of the Clown. I haven't got a photo of Winnie the Pooh, as it is currently with my daughter in the UK. I did not meet Tony personally, but a friend of mine met him in a bar in Amsterdam and I bought these two works via him in 63/64. He seemed a bit down and out at the time, so I heard. I am prepared to sell. Kind regards, Hans.

I think this is a pastel drawing. I would be interested to know it's size and whether it is beind glass. Tony was in love with the circus and did several drawings and large oils about that theme.

So if  you are interested in acquiring this piece, send a comment and I'll get you in touch with Hans.

The Whiskey A Go Go and Tony Mafia

Thank you John for the additional information provided by your mam.  I gladly post it here:

"Your Dad does seem to remember buying this painting from him because he really needed to eat, and was willing to sell them for about $100.  Knowing your dad, it's hard for me to believe in the 1950's or 60's he would spend $100 for a painting.  A hundred dollars was a LOT of money then.  But on the other hand, he had just done Al Capone, so maybe he was.  He members Tony was at Schwabs Drug Store, on Sunset and Laurel, where everyone in the industry went for breakfast or lunch to maybe make a connection or be "discovered."  He thinks Tony was there because he was sort of an actor.  But reading about the Whisky, I think Dad's story made sense because Schwabs was the day-time place, and the Whisky was at night. "

This information corroborates Tony's stories about that period of his life. Dale Root also remembers Tony doing the first Go Go cages at the Whiskey A Go Go.  And yes he was kind of an actor being in a few Perry Mason issues. At the Whiskey there was supposedly also a painting hung with the back of the painting to the front and only one way of seeing it when one went to the bathroom. Also it should be repeated here that Tony did present many of the hootenannies at the Troubadour in the sixties and was part of the group "The men". I sat in a conversation when Steppenwolf came to Laughlin, Nevada between Danny and Tony remembering the Doug Weston and Troubadour days. Tony used to tell me that John Kay always lost his glasses on stage, glasses he absolutely needed.

John,I thank you for your efforts and I am afraid I learned more from you than you learned from the blog...

A girl from the sixties

John wrote: I've attached a photo of the painting. I'm trying to get in touch with my Dad to see if he remembers Tony or how he acquired the painting. He used to barter with a lot of the artists in Venice Beach and Santa Monica in the 50s and 60s.  If he has any stories, I'll be sure to pass them on.

The painting itself was either in my parent's home or one of their friends I stayed with as a young child. It used to scare my sister and me a LOT! When I grew older, it had a very nostalgic feel to it and when I saw it in storage I HAD to have it. I always thought it should have been -- or maybe even was -- used in Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" TV series.

I would LOVE to know more about this painting. If you have any information, I would be very appreciative.
Dear John, it really looks like a nice sixties painting.




Rod Sterling's name was mentioned by Tony. he also said that many paintings were used on sets for TV or films. If you have a chance to see  'Story of a hit man' with Jack Palance, you would see many paintings from that period. And banter on the beach seems just right. There was a family in the seventies who paid for his ticket from Antwerp to LA on the occasion of their 300st painting by Tony...  That too would be a story to follow up on.

Lady with a banjo

Laura was kind enough to send this picture and the following text:

I grew up with this painting in my home. My father bought it and another similar one of a woman and baby years and years ago. We live in L.A., and it is in a similar style to the Torero painting on the blog. So, I'm assuming from the same time as that one?

it is on canvas. 24" x 36". as is the other one.

Dear Laura, thanks for sending this picture and your story with it. To my best knowledge I would place this painting at an early sixties. He was still in a rather decorative phase with big eyes. Yet the background already shows many characteristics of his later work: the abstract flowers, the small doll like figure and the red abstractions. It certainly is a nice piece. I am wondering however that on the picture I can't see a signature nor a date, which is rather unusual.

PS. Laura send me the picture of the signature which she had cropped off and it certainly is his handwriting.

The Circus

Tony lived in the circus, saw the circus and was the circus.
He was half cowboy and half indian, a man from "Faraway"
a creative creation of humanity.
He lived under a tent of friendship with mainly poets,buskers,
hearts with a message and clowns.
He didn't like preachy people and politics and was not a man
of compromises.
He knew that grown-ups were nothing more than full grown children
and he remained young until the end.

Watercolor 1983