Athletic Club Flower shop

 


Athletic Club Flower shop


     This phrase is actually the telephone greeting at Greg's uncle Johnny Tassano's flower shop at 808 W. 8th street near Flower street in downtown L.A. Greg loved the place and culled many a story and line from his experiences at a place he worked and visited fondly. Even when he wasn't employed he drove around with cousin Kent (Kevin Smith) and they had a ball observing the absurdities of modern living in the Southland. The phone was answered by different employees and each had a unique turn of "Athletic Club...flowershopppp" There was owner John Tassano, right-hand man Ronald P. Lord, "Speed," a delivery man, and Carmen who cut flowers and told odd anecdotes such as the origin of pizza. I believe Greg and Kevin could go on for weeks about the people they met on their deliveries as they set forth across the city of the angels to spread floral joy. This might include places to eat, fascinating neighborhoods, cemeteries, lonely widows, old apartment buildings and the joy of just riding around while employed.  So much flower shop lore lost when Greg took his last ride.







Comments

  1. K. SmithAugust 30, 2024 at 3:31 PM

    No discussion of the Athletic Club Flower Shop could be complete without mentioning the world famous Pantry on 9th and Fig. Johnny often sprang for breakfast for Greg and me if we could rouse ourselves to get there by 7:00 AM. This was not the sanitized Pantry of ex-mayor Riordon. This was the greasy spoon Pantry of founder Dewey Logan. Dewey employed ex-cons and gay men well before it was fashionable. Volumes should be written about this LA icon but suffice it to say he paid his employees well, kept them for decades and would not use any sort of machine dish washer in his establishment.

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