Poop Deck at the Marlin Hotel

Joe Sanford, where are you now?
email me farmboyz@mac.com
Tony Adams

I was a bartender there in the late 70's. Worked with Crazy Richard on Sunday at the pool bar. We had many celebraties at Tea dance. Andy Warhol, Charles Nelson Riley and bus loads of TV stars. Tips were great. Never left on Sunday with less than $300. Copa and Backstreet were hot at the time.

In keepiing with creating an historical record, here are some recollections of having worked there: My name is Gary and some of you may remember me from 1974-1975. I was the "PoolBoy" and "Bellman/Houseman" I was 21. Julie Coulon? was the manager, Bill Hovan the owner. I remember Jon, Tony, Bobbie, etc. I remember a guy named Blue Flechtrick (sp?) came thru and was starting a Gay Cruise booking company I believe. Anyway, there must have been over 100 people that stayed one weekend; I really hustled that weekend moving bags around. I couldn't wait to get to work on Sundays, as I could pick up $50-$75 in loose change and dollar bills that were "lost" when the bar closed at 2am in the parking lot. I had been a fat kid and the year before I had worked to beef up and lose weight. I loved cleaning the pool in my short cut offs and white t-shirts. I recall management would literally put a chain and lock on the front door after 2am on Saturdays to keep hustlers and riff raff from sleeping in the hallways.

I took the job after reading a listing that said "come work at the Pink Palace" and I actually had no idea it was a Gay Hotel at the time (and I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale!). I had taken a little time off from college to "find myself," lost lots of weight and really got into the scene when a friend of mine, Terry, and his two girl friends - who they affectionately referred themselves as "f** hags" - took me there. Looking back, they really helped me 'come out' as I knew I was gay since about 11, but had done the dating scene and so forth. Of course, I had a crush on Terry and he would have none of it which hurt. You know, sort of falling for your "mentor." :-)

There was a big section of the hotel that was often closed up for some of the year, but when season hit, we would have to to clean the cobwebs and soot that would get into everything due to the jalousie windows. I really learned how to completely clean a room, working backwards and out the door in that experience.

Oh, man, I bet if we all really compared notes, we may have more in common than we think (wink, wink). :-)

I moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1979 after getting out of the army.

The Marlin Beach was a great place to go for T Dance after hanging out at the gay beach across the street (I had such a great tan back then). I am going to look for some photos to add.

I remember this place with extreemly fond memories. Having sex in the clothing shop changing room with the cute attandant is just one of many!

I moved to Ft. Lauderdale after a vacation staying at the Marling Beach Hotel. I formally came out due to the friendly nature of the town and the Marlin Beach.

I will never forget all my cute little friends and the great times we had there. It was the best time of my life!

I would give anything to turn 26 again and spend just one weekend back in Ft Laudredale. It was when being gay was an adventure!

I use to get my haircut from Tony at the downstairs salon for many many years. He w as so nice!! I went one month to get my hair done and was told he passed away.

On another note I use to love hanging out at the pool in my little speedo. Although I was straight, I loved the attention from gay men.

By the way I just came out at 59!! Who new?? LOL

The owner when I DJ'd there (1979-1981) was Bill Hovan. Our pay checks were from S.B.T. Corp. (Sam, Bill & Tom) the original builders & developers. My partner Mike & I got to The Marlin in Nov. 1979. I was the Upper Deck, Tea Dance DJ, 3PM - 6PM, $50. a shift. (& later on the Lower Deck DJ) & he was the cocktail waiter poolside. What a fun time & great place to work at. My first music contribution was to play "We Are Family" from Sister Sledge at Tea Dance & get it started in the gay clubs. Everyone was playing the other side "He's The Greatest Dancer" . I remember having dinner with Divine (out of drag) & his manager at the Marlin restaurant(his Mom lived in Margate) & how shy & quiet he was in street clothes. To me the best events were the annual Deck-A-Thon competitions pool side. Oh & Spring Break, we unlocked the side street gate so the in-the-closet college kids could sneak in & not be seen walking into the "gay" hotel from the Atlantic Ave. entrance. Love this site DiscoMusic.com, thanks for keep memories alive.

@gazzeravl - in addition to those clubs I mentioned, there was some small, local place on US1 near the old Sears store. As a young guy in decent shape, I remember being treated very nicely in there. :)

I also remember going to the Limelight to see Sylvester perform live ("You Make me Feel - Mighty Real"). Ah, those were some fun times.

@vyniljunkie, there was not as much sex at the Marlin Beach as there were Drugs at the Copa. I knew what sex was all about and wasn't offended by it. But I was very naive when it came to drugs - and I was shocked to be approached so many times in the parking lot to buy this or that ... sometimes just to 'try' this or that. To this day, I'm a drug-virgin. The idea never appealed to me. But there was definitely a drug-buzz at the Copa.

At the Marlin Beach, you might see a stray couple fooling around now and then - but it wasn't in your face, nor all the time.

You know - all this talk about Ft. Lauderdale in the 70's and 80's reminds me of some very good times I wish were still in my life today. I feel so "suburban and responsible" these days. :)

Hi! :)
I'm still hoping to find my old friends from the MBH and the Body Shop that was across the street. Please drop me a line, if you remember me. I cooked in the Poop Deck restaurant from 1976/7 until the late spring of 1980. During the last couple of years of that period, I also cooked part-time at the Cafe Martinique.
I also spent a great deal of time at the Copa, as a lot of us would head there late, when we'd finished working at the MBH.
I very much want to reconnect with some of my old friends from there.

Thanks and best regards, Barbara Trollman

Dear Charles,
Would you be willing to share pictures of the memorabilia/photos you have from that time?
Tony Adams
farmboyz@mac.com

My lover and i went in Jan of 1982 we didnt go out much but were on vacation from ohio and i wanted to be at the beach. We stayed there abut 4 nites. Yes very expensive even then but the views were great. We even met a couple from colse to us and established a good frienship with them. I still have the brochures and stationary from there. I was useing an old camera at the time and didnt get that many pictures. It was 85 F when we got there and the water was great but the cold snap hit and was down to 45 when we left and had snow and ice all the way home. It was one of those years that the Oranges trees froze..and we left Ohio for that. It was still a great time. My other half is gone now but still have the memories.

@ Spring Breaker. We were going to the clubs and the same ones at the same time!!! I'm sure many of us here were..just funny to read about the clubs you were going to. My time period was more like 1975-1979. Seems like it was longer than that, but I didn't sneek into bars w/ fake ids or anything, so I waited until I was old enough... g

THE YEAR WAS 1980, MYSELF AND 2 FRIENDS ARRIVED IN FT LAUDERDALE LOOKING FOR NEW ADVENTURES WHEN WE FOUUND THE MARLIN BEACH HOTEL. WHAT A EXPERIENCE !! WE WERE THERE DURING THE FILMING OF WHERE THE BOYS ARE AND WERE ACTUALLY FILMED AS EXTRAS STANDING IN THE BACK GROUND IN SEVERAL SHOTS.. THE TEA DANCES WERE AMAZING.. BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE DANCING AND WHAT A CRUSH I HAD ON THE SECURITY GUARD. LOL THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES MARLIN BEACH HOTEL.

I have very colorful memories of the MarlinBeach Hotel! It was 18 to drink then (72?-73?) I had a great fake ID from Delaware that said I was 19 but I was only 16! Always got into the SHE club cuz my older brother took me the first time-he owned a club in Atl at the time called the Headrest, and we went to see a band that he knew called Tight Squeeze(?) - they rocked!! Went back many times after that when I was visiting my parents in Fla from boarding school. They were always cool there, no hassle getting in cuz I had 2 good fake Id's - even when the cops were watching the door after things got a bit wild there. Funny thing - ended up getting the "clap" from the guy in that band there! Come to find out that my future sister in law had gotten same ailment from same guy ! She married my brother- the brother that took me
there in the first place to see the band! Crazy times!!

I have very colorful memories of the MarlinBeach Hotel! It was 18 to drink then (72?-73?) I had a great fake ID from Delaware that said I was 19 but I was only 16! Always got into the SHE club cuz my older brother took me the first time-he owned a club in Atl at the time called the Headrest, and we went to see a band that he knew called Tight Squeeze(?) - they rocked!! Went back many times after that when I was visiting my parents in Fla from boarding school. They w

I discovered the Marlin Beach hotel by accident when I went to FLL for spring break in 1979. As a naive midwestern boy I'd never seen anything like it. I quickly made a decision to move to FLL for good. I can't say I dove directly into all the action there - I was more of an enthusiastic voyeur. I loved the energy and the relative friendliness of the people. And if I was ever lonely, well spending a couple of hours there took care of that right away. :)

A few years later, life and jobs took me to other parts of the country. But I'll always have a warm place in my heart for this hotel and the time I spent there - meeting some really nice people.

I also spent time at some places like the Copa, "13 Buttons" and "Zelda's" - but nothing compared to the Marlin Beach.

I came to fort lauderdale in 1987. my first gay bar was backstreet then cathode ray. Went to the Marlin Beach a couple of sunday tea dances. that place was a blast. I remember every season that my friend roger and I would check out all the grand openings of new gay bars. Hung out mostly at Tacky's on Sunrise Blvd then off to the copa to finish off the night. Remember Libations on andrews ave? Monday night Beer blast at Cathode. Dock 501, pecks, hideaway. the I-beam on oakland pk blvd was another one of my favorite places. A lot of great memories from back in my youth.

the marlin was the fist gay bar i ever entered, in 1978! i was 25 years old, hard to believe...the place sold me on being an 'out' gay man...it was fabulous, especially @ sundsy teadance. i moved to san francisco in 1980 and have been in the bay area ever since... i will never forget the energy of the pre-aids marlin...it was unbelievable!!!

Aside from online banking, YouTube, & Skype; 1 of the best tools of the Internet is Google! It's kewl 4 revisiting long forgotten memories. I digg it. I was a naive 18 the Summer of '79 partying in Ft. Ladeeda. My 1st time @ Copa, I thought someone will pull me aside & rape me! I stayed glued 2 my friends 2 avoid contact w/ strangers. I Laugh Out Loud @ myself! Of course, I became a Saturday night regular & met Laura Brannigan (Gloria) R.I.P. & even experienced Grace Jones in concert.
By the Spring of '80, I arrived @ the Poop Deck. I remember the downstairs hallway that led into the club space. We were all teens (Sergio, Pam, Angel, Xiomara, myself) and not necessarily gay, just into the Sunday night disco scene & its other-worldly, vivid experience. The Poop Deck was our Bat-cave & we ruled it!
By '81, Backstreet arrived on the Ft. Liquordale scene & my regular crew of friends dispersed. I was still a club kid, just older. Backstreet w/ its indoor wrap-around balcony, merry-go-round horses hanging from the ceiling, & huge outside back patio became a 2nd home 4 me. I ran w/ a crowd of married couples (Flaco, Cookie, Papo, Marilyn, myself). The times where fun. As the 80's marched along, disco died. I moved away from South Florida. At some point in '02, I revisited the Copa while on a business trip. It was a quarter of the size I remembered, but still open. In '06, on another visit 2 the area I checked out what was once Backstreet. It was now a small club space on the side street by the railroad tracks & still frequented by the gays. I feel Blessed to have experienced Backstreet, the Copa, and the Poop Deck. Especially, the Poop Deck. It was different in a way the other club spaces weren't. It was underground, dark, and all our own. Who knows, some of us posting here may have crossed paths back in the day. God Bless.

Getting off of a Greyhound bus as a 17 year old kid in 1976,I found my way to the Strip. Even though I'm not gay, I had many friends who were and wonderful memories.I did wander around Birch Road at the time,out of necessity....Used to hang out at "Games People Play" the game room on the Strip, sold 'ludes' to Jason,the manager.Also at night,did the same at the Copa.I loved the people and the atmosphere.I often think back to those days and it really has alot to do with just being young and naive.Things at the time were new and exciting and no one knew what was around the next corner-and didnt care! Everyday was an adventure.Hanging by the beach every day,the Copa almost every night, the music,the people.The whole atmosphere was,to me,like a secret world from the rest of society.Now,it seems,everybody knows everything.There arent any more 'Poop Decks'.The Marlin Beach is gone...The Strip has changed...Florida has changed....The world has changed...WE have changed.Thats it in a nutshell-.....Being 17, 18 without any responsibilities had its advantages....But we still have the memories......Thank you to everyone that has contributed to those memories!

GOD!!! so MANY memories i LOVED the marlin beach i wish there were another one around.. that is what inspired me to become a dj.. im a bit old now,(61) but i still dj once in a while here in michigan.. i used to love the copa as well i remember the really cool laser light that ran across the bar right near the ceiling when you first came in.. and how you could go to so many other bars when you went out one door from the main club and go outside and watch them cook ribs and chicken then enter another door and go inside to a place to play with the pinball machines, then go into another bar where they played videos.. was like being in alice in wonderland LOL!!!i deeply miss all those good times and wish that i could go back in time and relive it one more time.. maybe there will be such places in heaven!!!!!

All rushing back. the SHE discoteque. Yes....now I remember....

I had no idea this was gone (shows you how much I look at Ft lauderdale these days. A friend is there for a wedding and for fun I googled Marlin Beach). This has been a great trip down memory lane for me. I worked there as a bellman, 1976-1977 or so, remember all this now....great times, yes "FLYING MACHINE!" Holy cow...how it was weird, the hotel being straight, then disco upstairs, removing tables off the dance floor, etc. great times. I used to often find close to $100 on Sunday mornings cleaning up trash around the hotel from the drunks the night before. One of my fav jobs ever. Imagine, a bellman! HA!

Was a waiter at the Poop Deck from 76 to 85. Met my partner Sandy in 76 and still together. A great time in gay history.
New Yorkers like Steve Goodfriend and all the bar owners loved the place. So did we

Me-straight female: I used to hang out at the SHE downstairs when it went more "flash" rather than rock & roll. Loved to dress up and dance. By accident really, early one weekday evening, my pals and i went up to the MB lobby and into the Poop Deck for a drink. Only a few (5)gay guys at the bar. They were thrilled to have a few girls around to shoot the breeze with. But the music!!! Disco was not a term yet and Bette Midler was still singing in the NY baths. And we danced and danced. Had a ball. The MB was still straight and some hotel guests would wander in and out. Within 6 weeks though, the place was packed with gay guys and chicks like me who dressed to the nines and had all guys going ga ga for what we wore...I even lent out some of my clothes for the drags. Best music in Ft Lauderdale. The place started to decline some when Ft Laud. officials started to crack down on spring break. When it got late we all went to the Copa which used to be called the Flying Machine because they were open to 4am. Sometimes we would go to some gays bars in Hallendale for breakfast. Very good times

incredible memories.....

I born & raised in Ft Lauderdale and remember coming home after my first year in college and coming out to my friend Parker. He said "I'm gay too and I know a great place we can go to ... it was "The Poop Deck".. God I have such great memories of partying there and will never forget the great times. Sunday Tea was the best! Funny though, my high school (FLHS - go Flying L's) Prom after party was held in the disco that was underneath - the one with the window to the pool.... I can't remember the name of it though.... but I believe it was the same club that was used in the scenes in "Where The Boys Are"...Fort Lauderdale was a fantastic town to grow up in! Does anyone remember "The Flying Machine" disco out by the airport that I think eventually became the Copa?

Cris, let's talk about the spoon.

Tony farmboyz@mac.com

I just acquired a stainless steal ice teaspoon and it is inscribed "The Marlin Beach". Would you be interested in purchasing it? I was goin to put it on e-bay, but found you.

IT WAS 1974,I WAS A LONG HAIRED FREAK HANGING OUT WITH A LOVELY BISEXUAL GIRL. SHE USED TO TAKE ME THERE. THE PHILADELPHIA? SOUND WAS JUST STARTING. I CAN REMEMBER DANCING TO SOME GREAT LOUD SONGS. MY FIRST UP CLOSE WITH THE GAY WORLD. LOTS OF FUN AND GREAT LAUGHS WITH SOME NICE PEOPLE.

Hi, Crystal! :)
Actually, I WAS the only female there when I was there, according to the resort's own managment. If there were any other women working there during that time, I never saw them.
But then, I was there from early 1977 and put in my notice and left for the Virgin Islands by May of 1980, so I may have been gone by the time you came there.
I was a cook for the Poop Deck restaurant. When I first got hired there, by Maurice, who was chef then, the other cooks included Ron McLaren, Jon Gay (Later his family changed their name to "Gray" :-/ ), and Alex (Don't remember his last name). Maurice was fired at some point, and I worked under a few other chefs over the years between then and when I left.
My mind is hazy on many last names, so I welcome help with that.

Best regards and happy holidays, Barbara

Wow,the memories I have of the Marlin Beach are so incredible I can't do them justice in writing. The memories, people, fun, music, beautiful people are bigger than life. It was 1978 and I was 19. It was sort of "right of passage" at the time. There was no place on the planet like "Sunday Tea at the Marlin".

hotel was built in the mid late 50s i washed dishes there in the 70slearned to cook from Tony barbra and sebastion massa worked there for two years jon castellie was the mgr leftie and kevin were the bar tenders back then was owned by the gay mafia out of new york and lots of girls worked there

DUH on mt part! my other favorite drag Queen Carlie Brown!

First of all,Sorry to Barbara trollman, but you were not the only female there at that time. I worked at the MB during the years of 1980-1981 as the housekeeping assistant manager,along with the most gracious "MARIO" the departments manager of many years. He truly was the greatist boss, workaholic, and perfectionist. Everyone loved him.I also remember that it was my best friend GEORGE ! who if it weren't for him, I would have never known of the place. Does anybodt remember "RUTH KING who sang nightly at the poop decks pool side bar? of course I worked nights because of all the fun & excitement. I also co-hosted many of theyre theme partys( the hawian liowa,new years eve party, I met and served some of the old great entertainers such as; the pointer sisters, Sylvester & Two tons of fun,Tina Marie,and sevseral others. Not to mention a lot of lauderdales fabulous Drag Queens; Dana Manchester and I forget the other favorite of mine.She usually was the host and MC of most gay/ Drag events in the area; I remember his/her first name was CHARLIE! Well, I could go on and on. I was only 19 years of age and landed a manager title,and BLACK, and LESBIAN, and my First year out of the closet, from my home town of Dayton Ohio. Marlin Beach Hotel played a major roll in my life, and Ill never forget it....... Or DOUG's one of the managers,( Bill's son's/ family?) peanut butter and mayonaise sandwich's that he forced me to try and surprisingly, I LIKED IT! Crystal j gordon Boise, Idaho

I was a cook at the Marlin Beach Hotel Poop Deck restaurant from the time that Maurice was chef there. He gave me a chance and helped me to no longer be homeless, by arranging for me to rent a room from one of the other cooks and giving me advances on pay. He always called me "Lovey" <French accent used here>
That was in 1976. I worked there until 1980, when I left for the Virgin Islands.
Bill Hovan was owner, with his adopted son, Cliff Hovan, doing much of the management duties.
Bill (mentioned above) was head of security for much of that time, until he left and his asst. took his place.
I am not gay, but most of my friends then were. I LOVED that place and have so many great and not so great memories.
I was just getting off work when the DJ (I can't remember if Jimmy or Terry was his name...I used to cook him steaks all the time, in exchange for him spinning Beatles tracks for me) broke the news to me that he'd just heard a radio announcement that John Lennon had been shot. I sat in the Poop Deck in disbelief as the news sank in. Terrible! That is just one of the many profound moments in my life that took place at the Marlin Beach Hotel/Resort.

I was the only actual female employed there out of over 150 employees. It was pretty great and I had many friends amongst the staff who were very dear to me.
I would love to reconnect with old friends from then...sadly, some have passed on, I know.
I especially want to reconnect with my best friend and roommate, David Peacock, whom I've tried unsuccessfully to find for years. If anybody has knowledge of his whereabouts, please help me.
I do have at least one 10 Cents Per Dance shirt and some other things from the MBH, but I'm not really keen on letting them go. lol I also have an old "Anita Bryant sucks..." shirt, Copa Caberet shirts, some David mags from that time period, etc...

Best regards, Barbara

Dayna,

Would it be possible for you to include Terry Martin as one of the DJ's in your listing. I would be very appreciative.

Thank you!

Terry

I lived there in 77 & 78. The Marlin Beach Hotel was so fun. In 1973 I went there for my first time at age 17 and the drinking age just changed that year to 18. Thank God for fake ID that you could make at home. Met a guy named Rory. So Hot!
They had a bouncer at the door at the Poop Deck (a nautical reference) Bar....big dude with long dark hair and a large purple streak in it.

The bar downstairs at that time was straight called the SHE. Lots of fun as well. That's how I came out. By starting out down below and working my way up by accident. True story.

But the Poop Deck was a great bar with lots of hot guys (the bar above).
I loved it so much that's why by the late 70's I had to move there. The bar down stairs was gay by then. Oh my, it may have seaped down! Ya think?
Loved driving my red/orange Triumph SpitFire to the beach every day.

I had a peach colored speedo made from the shop the girl had in the hotel and never relized that you could see thru it when it was wet, until I had a picture taken of me.

Great memories....ahhhh

Hi Dayna,

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I used to DJ T-Dance at the Poop Deck and the Lower Deck Disco from (around) 1978-1981. I'd love to reconnect with anyone who remembers me or was around then. Thanks!


Terry Martin

I used to hang out at the Marlin Beach during high school. The poop deck was also the location for the underwater pool scene in Where The Boys Are. Little did they know it was where the boys would be.

For a documentary about The Marlin Beach Hotel, I am seeking anyone with memories, info, names, associations and memorabilia.

Tony Adams
farmboyz@mac.com

I am not gay (but all my friends were) and spent every weekend in Ft. L back in the day. I usually spend Fri & Sat nights at either the Copa or Backstreet (or both)....but there was nothing like the Marlin Bch Hotel on Sunday afternoon. As far as it being "seedy"...it was what it was. You either accepted it and had a blast or you should have stayed away. I thought it was great and I have tons of great memories of the place.

When I studied photography at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale a Friend of mine who is a Doctor Rolf Brinkmann from Dusseldorf introduced me to William Hovan. They were Friends and Bill was going to help me to make some Money to finance the school.

We became friends and as a black belt in Taekwon-Do I worked as bouncer in many places. I am straight. But needed the money and I am not afraid of different sexual orientations. So I worked for Bill Staetz who was the security manager and I became Bill Hovans Body Guard, Friend and Butler.

When he went visiting his adopted son in Germany (where we met the first time) I was taking care of his house. His other son Cliff Hovan (from a Mormon Family originally).

I was taking care of Ethel, was her chauffer and know her sister very well. When I came back from a trip to Germany she had passed away. Ethel was gone for a few days and left her older sister alone at home. She took a bath, fell and died in the bath top because no one was there to help her out of the bathtub.

Sometimes I wander what happened to Bill. Is he still alive? Ethel was around 90. I think her sister was 92 but I may be wrong on this. Ethel was dancing with me at the poop deck for half an hour until I had to take a brake.

I would love to hear any more detail what happened to the people.

Thanks

My uncle owned this hotel in the late 60's early 70's not sure when he sold it. His mom ran the office "Ethel" We use to eat lunch there and go to beach, I was in high school then. So its been many years ago. I enjoyed visiting there and I knew it was gay atmosphere, but I enjoyed visiting and was always treated very nice. My uncle had many friends and they were so nice to my grandmother Louise Graham whom is now gone to heaven. I have not been down to Ft. Lauderdale in years because all my family is gone. But I will always remember the fun times at the Marlin Beach.

I've been looking for this hotel for almost a year, now I've found it only to see it's gone to "Fairy Heaven"..... I'm so peed off. Guess you just can't go back and claim your youth, that place was a blast, wonderful and fabulous and every superlative in-between. I stayed for a month during November sometime in the late 70's, arrived on a Sunday and checked in and went down to the Poop Deck. That set the trend for the whole holiday (vacation), the beach across the road Tea Dance at the weekend. Breakfast on the first morning, looking out from the restaurant at the ocean. All those lovely men..... ah those were the days. I was there over Halloween, that was a crazy night.

well, good to hear all the great memories of this by gone era, what a place it was, i went there every afternoon for about 2 years every afternoon!!! knew all the locals and employees as well as the owners, I cant begin to describe the sunday tea dances, what a blast it was, so many,many wonderful people i met there, the music, the views the cocktails and the men, i cherrish these memories, backstreet was anther great club

If anyone has one of the t-shirts from the Marlin Beach, either the one with the guy in the aviator sunglasses reflecting another guy or the 10 Cents a Dance one, I would be really interested in buying it. Thanks!

What memories. I went there several times during the 1977 - 1981 period. Also, spring '78, the big song was Donna Summer's "Last Dance" which you could not escape from; everyone at the hotel was walking around singing it. A year later it won an Oscar!

Randy.. I used to go to 13 Buttons all the time. It was a great dance club. Also had a HOT back room, if you were into that playful stuff. They had a pretty good free buffet every Sunday. I miss all the old clubs. There is not ONE left these days.

Thank you Randy..
it was my pleasure and such a wonderful piece of memorabilia..It does bring back SO many good memories,.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it
xo
Dayna

i used to hit the beach in front of the marlin every weekend. well a bit north actually was the spot for us locals. then we'd head over to the marlin for t-dance i still have an "original poopette" t-shirt. jump in the pool to get the salt off and dance and cruise all afternoon. i think they had a beer blast and we'd buy plastic mugs and bring them every week. i remember sylvester and divine hanging out yaking it up out by the pool. years later it did get seedy. i approaced the owners about doing a night there for a new style of music coming out of chicago called house music. LOL! the night was to be called house-X-stacy! i remember meeting the hottest stripper there. he popped up later modeling in "in touch magazine" and even later in madonna's "sex" book. he went on to be a big model for herb ritts and bruce weber. just recently he opened the door and greeted his good friend, santino, on an episode of project runway. small world. toward the end there was a fire in the downstairs diso which imploded the portholes and the pool rushed in and put out the fire. disco inferno, anyone?

First and foremost, I want to thank DAYNA for photos of the hotel's flyer. I am so jealous that you have it!! I have been searching for some type of memorabilia of this establishment and have been unsuccessful. My very first memory of the Marlin was from 1977. I was living in Daytona Beach at the time, had just bought a new car and I and a friend decided to drive down. It was Halloween weekend and the hotel and club were decked out in the holiday's decor. We walked into the club, where they were playing Peter Brown's "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me?" and I was mesmerized by the crowd, the atmosphere, everything. Eventually, a friend of mine from Daytona moved down and worked at the Marlin, so I would come down often. I have so many wonderful memories of the Marlin, and I'm sorry to read that it went downhill.

While on the subject of South Florida clubs, does anyone here remember 13 Buttons? That is another club I remember fondly.

This place was alot of fun. Not much attitude...wasn't there Tea dance everyday? The Atlantic Beach side wall along the dance floor was all glass (I'm pretty sure). Late 70's - early 80's was the only place to be to dance (and drink)in the afternoon.... Who knows which came first...the Marlin Beach or the gay beach right across the street? My $$ on the Marlin, it was the anchor for the boys at beachtime!

and no it's not a gay code word."poop deck"..
It is what it is.. a nautical
theme for a hotel by the water..Not rocket science.wink

Lady D, no HOMOPHOBIA here! I KNOW what it was, a GAY HOTEL with a GAY DISCO. The POOP statement was meant as a joke! Sorry if it wasn't funny. You must have gone there when it was a cool place. It went downhill quickly! It helped get SPRING BREAK out of FT. Lauderdale. The city fathers used it, and it's activities as an excuse to rid the strip of ALL THE FUN!! I simply think that they should have been smarter, just like the religion that lost their status as a religion because of a few idiots selling their sacred weed!! Funny how quickly the word HOMOPHOBIC gets tossed around when I state an obvious reality. Just cause I am not GAY, I have to be careful in my choice of words? There were as many straight clubs that lost their licenses because of stupid actions of their patrons. It wasn't a GAY thing, it was a dumb thing!

OMG~!!!
This place was not like this in the 70's especially not when Bobby Viteritti worked there. and It was good enough for the likes of Viola Wills, Sharon Redd, Karen Young, Pamely Stanley, Two Tons Of Fun, Sylvester and many other artist to perform there..

and as to the question if "poop" meant to be used in the text in which you are questioning is ridiculous.. poop deck is a nautical term and that was what it was meant to be.

It "was" a GAY establishment. alot of people have alot of good memories about this club and hotel so please dont try and make it seem like it was always so distasteful.
As i wrote in the bio ,yes it went downhill, but it was once a lovely place and I suppose not for the HOMOPHOBIC.

Quick Question. With a name like POOP in the middle, was that intentional? I think that it was Stupid to be so casual and blatant. It invited trouble with the city. Another example of being stupid was the Rastafarian's temple in Star Island. They smoked CHEECH & CHONG type blunts out in the open, sold weed from the front door. Too obvious. Same Applies to the Marlin Hotel, too obvious. It invites the authorities to come see and check things out closer. Neither The Marlin Hotel nor the Rastafarian's are still around! All closed down by the state. Stupid move! Keep things behind closed doors! Smarter.

While a persons sexual orientation should not be so reverent, in this case, this was a GAY PLACE, that few straight ever went to. The Ft. Lauderdale city fathers went after this place more than once. They condemned it, and all the wild out in the open sex that it featured. I know of this place from the headlines it received, my gay pals went to the COPA. Was it that bad? Really?