Picture by Barbara.

Here is a photo of the drawing which I purchased while a student at the University of Miami in 1969.
I love it and have cherished it all these years.  It's a mother with her two babies.  Was this his wife and
children?
Enjoy,
Barb P

Thank you Barbara. By the way: did you ever meet Tony? If you did, do you have any memories. I like the drawing you send. It looks like a pen and ink drawing. In 1969 his little son Sören was a couple of month's old. When Tony and Anna Mors left for the USA on January 14, they left a lot of the bigger items for me to use for my daughter: I remember a plastic bath tub and some bits and pieces. It did help because nobody among us had money in those days. I don't know when Anna got pregnant with their daughter. I seem to remember she was  born in autumn in 1970. So Tony may have anticipated his daughter in this drawing. To me this drawing looks like a child with two dolls... See, art is always open to different readings. I have been told that the family has lived for a while in Miami. I think he did teach art there for a while. Not sure.

Thanks for sharing.

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.

Tony's jewelry

Melinda wrote me following comment on Tnry's blog: Hi, I purchased a wonderful huge unsigned chunky Sterling Silver ring that I was told was made by Tony Mafia. The people I purchased it from said that they personally knew him and that it was probably the only piece of jewelry that he made. It is cast and abstract. It has a man and woman's head on it. The man has a large mustache. Do you have any idea if this story could be true? If so, any idea of value? If you know anything or would like a picture do contact me. So I did because I truly believe it is a piece done by Tony. He used to have a metal box in which he had jewelry making tools. I have seen it. I don't know whether this is the only know piece or whether he made several pieces. He has done several sculptures and the style and dealing with the material really looks it could have been a piece Tony made.

As to value, I don't really know: he used to say for a handful of love or a bag of peanuts. It is a rare piece, so to someone  collecting Tony's work it might add something special to their collection.

I remember a story of two lawyers in California who in the 70's flew him over for a party because they had their 300 st piece of work by him, even a plaster cast he made as a child. I don't know the name of these good people. Maybe someone does... Maybe there are people out there who would like to see or own more Tony Mafia's. Maybe somewhere out there, there is a Tony Mafia foundation...

Watercolor lady

When I was contacted for some information by Kari about the above piece I wrote:  It looks like an early work of Tony. I would guess between 65 and 75... based on other work from that period I have seen. How did you come by it? Was it a gift. It definitely is an original. Thanks for sharing.  Her answer was:

Hi'
So nice to hear from you.. I have had the painting for about ten years. Got it at an estate sale in the fairfax district.  Embarrassed to say first I was attracted to the colors as they matched my bedroom. Well once I got it up, I really loved it.  I see it first thing in the morning and literally discover something new all the time. I think it was months before I realized she was in front of a mirror!  I see new colors,facial expressions and even clothing whenever I really focus. I never researched the art because I just loved it. I have been low on funds and selling a few things in the house and thought "lets just check it out"
Reading your blog has been fascinating and I sure wish I had met Tony. Great to hear she is original, but the whole story is too cool to want to let her go anytime soon!
My husband has the picture on his laptop.and my tech savy is lacking. I will get him to send it to you, but wanted to return your kind note A.S.A.P.  Thanks again! Kari

It is good to complete the collection of Tony's work online. Thanks to all who share their work with the rest of the world.

Family Portrait?

Kim send me a picture of this oil painting requesting some information.  The best I can do is confirm that it is an early sixties painting by Tony. The lady in it could be Anne. The male figure is not a self portrait, but a more Mexican type. This could mean the painting could be from the period he lived between Tijuana and Los Angeles. He must have been in a romantic mood when painting it.  Thanks for sharing

Animals

I received a comment on the post of December 28, 2008: The Animals. I had written it was from de DL collection. It is part of the pictures a dear friend, living in Los Angeles took over the years of Tony's work. That is what it means.

The missing melody

For those who never saw a bit of acting by Tony Mafia here is a rare occasion at Youtube

Tony as a young waiter and very serious indeed.

Thank you David for sending me this link.

Whisky-A-Go-Go

Gia wrote: Hi Tumbleweed - I am in possession of three Tony Mafia pics from my parents who owned the Whisky-A-Go-Go in the 60's. How can I find out about these paintings? Thanks.
That was the question I was asked so I asked a friend who was there when it all happened.Dale's answer: On the corner of Sunset Blvd. & Doheny Dr. near the west end of the fabled Sunset Strip, up until 1962, there was a Music Conservatory, where folks went to learn and practice dance, music, the physical arts. A fellow named Bill Gilbert bought it, 'cause he had an idea to start a nightclub which would attract neat young ladies after work, where he would give them a 'club' where they could freshen-up, come down a flight of stairs into a nightclub, making whatever kind of an 'entrance' they liked, and be served a free drink and snack food. His idea was, 'Where the chicks are, the guys will follow'. Great concept, but for a lot of reasons it didn't fly. Meanwhile, the disco rage was going in the east, with pole-dance-type chicks gyrating in cages, so Elmer Valentine, who owned and ran the Interlude, a club on the Strip upstairs from another famous LA nightspot, the Trocadero, joined with Phil Terrazini, who owned and ran the Losers, a hot spot on La Cienega Blvd just a block down from the Strip, and they bought the failed Party (Bill Gilbert's failed club), and turned it into the Whiskey a Go-Go (known as just 'The Whiskey').

While it was the Party. Bill had hired (used?) Tony to decorate and do paintings for the club, and I don't remember why, but one day while it was just being started to be built, I wandered in, and somehow got inveigled into doing the sound system for the place. Tony and I hit it off, and one day we got to feeling pretty good, and he was looking at my almost new '61 T-Bird convertible, and asked me if I'd like my car painted. I said. 'Are you nuts?!' The paint is perfect.  (It was a medium to light blue). He said, 'No, I mean I'll paint it'. At that time, you could still buy lacquer paints, so we went to an auto supply store, and Tony picked out about six or eight different colors (Blue, White, Green, Red, Yellow, etc.) of half-pint cans of lacquer. Then we spent the afternoon up in the upper back parking lot of what is now the Whiskey (Which was designed as where the chicks would come into the Party women's club house), and Tony painted ladies, dancing girls, horses, flowers all down both sides of my 'Bird. This was way before kids were putting daisies and doing wild paintings on vans (except, maybe, for Ken Kesey), and the car attracted a lot of attention. In fact, the first time we took it across the border, it was as if we were leading a parade down the main street of Tijuana. Back to the Whiskey: The opening act was (damn, I can see him in my mind, and hear him, but can't remember his name. A little guy, but he could sing, had several top hits, you can probably look him up), and the crowd was great, Girls were dancing in cages suspended from the ceiling, the music was rocking. guys were picking up chicks in multiples to go somewhere and ball, chicks were picking up chicks and couples, and vice versa, it was a swinging place, long before the NY scene. Funny vignette, a couple of guys I knew from Hewlett-Packard were just developing the very first home TV tape-recorder/cameras, and gave me a demo to take to the opening, which was in the after noon, and I set the camera up on the balcony overlooking the front entrance and stage (Which at that time was right in the front corner of the building, exactly on the corner of Sunset and Doheny.) A lot of Hollywood type s came to the Party with their chicks and assorted ladies, and after a while, when they noticed the camera, a bunch of them went bananas and threatened to 'Burn this F***ing place down if you don't get rid of that camera and destroy the tape'. Everyone loved Tony's paintings, and I'm pretty sure that when Gilbert sold the place to the Whiskey, he sold a few of those works, and I doubt Tony saw any of the money. At that time, Tony had an apartment above a drug store on Santa Monica Blvd, just a few blocks east of Doheny, so he could easily walk, not only to the Party/Whiskey, but also to Doug Weston's Fabled folk-music club* which was right adjacent to the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Doheny Dr. where Tony was Master of Ceremonies for the Monday night Hootnannies, where folks like Judy Collins, the Smother Brothers, and Joan Baez, et.al, used to perform when they weren't out on the road. Good times, Thanks for bringing back the memories. Tony was poor (financially, as usual) but you did not have to feel sorry for him. One morning I came in from Vegas, and picked up a couple of bags to food to take to Tony at that Santa Monica Blvd. apartment. He usually left the place open, and I knew where he 'hid' the key, so after I knocked and he didn't answer, I walked in and started putting stuff in the fridge and cupboards. 'Hey, what's up', I heard, and turned around to see Tony's head above the back of the couch. 'Just bringing you some breakfast and other stuff', I said'.  'Cool', he said, and 'Meet Darla', as a beautiful lady's head rose up next to his from the couch. 'I know her', I answered, for in the sack with Tony, gratis I'm sure, was the most expensive hooker in Las Vegas, at the time.
* the Troubadour.

For questions about the paintings, you need to send a picture of them and we'll figure out what we can tell you about it. Post a comment with your e-mail, I reply.

Torero

Dear Attila, thank you for your questions about Tony Mafia and this particular painting. From your description of the support (a kind of board with canvas on one side) for the painting I gather that he painted it in the United States. Probably in Los Angeles, California, in a period that he didn't have a real canvas and was a strugling artist without funds. It definitely is an original and a fairly early work I think, based on the way it is painted. I would say it is after his stay in Casares in Spain. The painting seems to be in good condition. That, the subject, also the size decides the value. A collector of Tony Mafia's paintings or a bullfight lover, might want to spend some money on this canvas. Bullfights were certainly a recurrent theme in his work. He loved the flamboyance and the vibrant colors, the life and death issues dealt with through beauty and ritual. I would put a 5.000 $ price for a particular sale. It may take a while however to find the person who would fall in love with the painting and willing to invest his money in Tony's work. I know for a fact that after the stay in Casares he had a show in Rue St. André des Arts in Paris with Spanish and bullfight paintings and that the show sold out. I heard it a couple of years ago from the Gallery owner Madame Besnard. So it might be a good thing for you.

The horsewhisperer

Tony often wrote stories and illustrated them. He was a painter first and foremost. These illustrations are done with airbrush. You have to love the horses! Tony knew horses, he rode, as a 14 year old he worked in a very famous stable. Didn't really like him since one of the horses was really ornery. I think it is an early seventies piece when many of his best stories originated.

Birds

These birds, at first glance they seem to be pigeons; they are a lithograph. When in Paris Tony did several lithographs. Once again: no date or signature on the photograph but seen it is in the series of work from the early seventies in Los Angeles. I know Robert K. owns some of those. Do you see the lady with the red hat?

Love

This hippie couple probably dates from the late sixties/early seventies and was more than probably painted in Los Angeles. The blond lady must have been Ann, his then wife. Flower power rules in this painting. Good message.

Lady of Time

This 1975 pen and ink drawing done in LA, reminds me of a meeting Tony had in Antwerp. An old man approached Tony, it must have been 1997, and said I knew you as a kid. Tony replied that wasn't possible since he wasn't from Antwerp. But it turned out that the old man when Tony when he was 16, having missed his ship out had shown him the town. The good parts, the bombed out parts. They had a few drinks together told each other an appropriate version of their life and went on. Tony was happy to have met this old man from another time. So now I wonder who the Lady of time was and what she reminded him of doing the drawing.

Steve Stein Gallery

This great oil with horses and nudes has been shown in Steve Stein's Gallery in Los Angeles. It is more European in style, breaking up the big canvas in smaller paintings that are incorporated in the total composition. When I asked him one day why he did that Tony answered: I won't have the time to paint them all...

Dogman

Tony loved dogs. He was seldom without them. The drawing 'A time of five' is of his great Dane late sixties, Los Angeles I think. The photo is Tony in Hoboken with Tootsie and her tree puppies: Vita, Vivaldi and Vee...

Real?

Someone who recently fell in love with Tony's work (through the blog!) bought this oil and seems to worry if it is the real thing. That is a fair question because I know of two instances, one in Antwerp and one in LA where another painter copied Tony's work. In Antwerp the guy (Frank) would pick up discarded drawings and then color them in. The US the painter was more subtle. As far as I can tell by the photograph it would be an oil painting and there are enough points of recognition in his way of handling the paint to think it is a genuine Mafia. Tony would do strange things, but the signature, the mask on the top right hand corner and the way the ladder is done would reassure me. If anybody knows more about the painting, please tell us.

Vote!

If you had any doubts of where Tony stood: he was a registered democrat, sending some money once in while out of his often meager income. He would want you all to get involved and be active in the present election campaign. He would make fun of 'stupid' politicians and their Wienerschnitzel actions. He marched in the first civil rights march in Selma and didn't like to be chased by vicious police dogs... Yes I guess Tony would want the troops home now. He was not a draft dodger and has been in the Air Force.

Four O'clock Red Sun

This Tony lithograph press is titled "Four O'clock Red Sun." Its number 11 out of the series of 12. My father bought Tony a lithograph press years ago, as I have found out, it was one of three presses Tony had. For Tony to live he would sell a drawing or painting and buy a bag of food. My dad has always been a kind man. After their initial meetings my dad started to pay for some of Tony’s painting supplies that Tony could not pay for, like the press. Tony had no job…he was an artist. That was what he devoted his whole being to. To my father, Tony showed a pure devotion to a craft. He had never met anyone in his life then or now who had such a vision. Tony would just sit by the window, letting the warm sunshine dance on his white hair while gazing at a fresh stroke of color etched by a master onto a piece of canvas, giving birth to his artwork.

This is the other piece that hangs in my room. I can see the influence Mexico had on this piece. The bull and the horsemen with a Mexican style hat. Now that is just my opinion as my father doesn't exactly remember when Tony did this series of lithographs.