Many people may not know that the second floor at O'Shea's was where the men played cards- often all night. When it was still Jack O'Shea's it was the first place in the city to put green sawdust out on the sidewalk on St. Patrick's Day.
I only have the names of a few of the folks on this photo, but it does include Jack O'Shea himself. Any help with other names would be appreciated.
The bartender standing tall is Eddie Fannon.
Standing in front of bartender are: 1 to 5 unknown. 6. Red Corbett, 7. John Corbett, 8 to 11 unknown, 12. Jack O'Shea, 13 Pop Gallaher, 14 unknown.
Front row: 1. Bob Brady, (the next owner of the tavern when Jack O'Shea gave it up) 2......., 3. ... Duggan, 4. Jimmy Dwyer
Another O'Shea's photo is one I need help with the names.
Standing: 1. Benny Sudgen, 2. John Eichner, 3........, 4. Don McMahon, 5. Bud Dwyer, 6. Francis Dwyer, 7. John Buckley.
Sitting: 1. Ray Kelly, 2. Pop Gallaher, 3. ..... Saxon, 4.... Dailey, 5. Herb Schmidt
In the doorway to the left is Maureen Brady who loaned me this photo and story, and behind her, obscurrued, is Clagert Dickerson.
Armed with search warrants and crowbars, members of the police gambling squad yesterday raided a high-stakes dice game in an apartment at 1210A Tamm avenue, premises police said are owned by John F. (Jack)' O'Shea, Democratic politician and former member of the Missouri Legislature.
Chips round on a dice table in the comfortably furnished quarters indicated that about $3000 was in play when the raiders broke up the game at 3:45 p.m. Players and "dealers" fled down an inside stairway not covered by the police, and are thought to have made their escape through the basement and a coal chute opening into Victoria avenue.
Six men, including O'Shea, who was in his Shamrock Bar, 1208 Tamm avenue, were booked on gambling charges. Tabs, cash and other evidence of a handbook operation were found in the bar. Maj. James Thompson, leader of the gambling squad, reported.
O'Shea, who is 60 years old, exhibited rent receipts for the apartment, which he said he rented to the "Parkview Club" at $100 a month. He denied knowing anything about gambling, declaring he merely "collected the rent."
The raid climaxed a long search, begun by the late Capt. Joseph A. Wren, former head of the gambling squad, for the high stakes dice game. Capt. Wren had sought the game on the premises of the Parkview Buffet, 335 DeBaliviere avenue, operated by Malachy (Mal) Maher, old-time bookmaker. Several searches failed to disclose evidence of gambling, but police continued their efforts.
Officers climbed to the root of a garage behind a grocery below the apartment and pried bars from a window in yesterday's raid. They found a dice table, chips, dice croupiers' sticks and aprons, in the front room. A stack of chips on the table indicated that some player was wagering $400 when the raiders began prying open the window.
In a second room coffee pots were steaming, and a buffet lurch was set out. A third room contained a television set, comfortable chairs and magazines. Cigarette stubs still burned in ash trays.
When assembling for the raid, 12 members of the gambling squad wore open-necked sport shirts and jackets, in order not to attract attention. Maj. Thompson had personally scouted the premises recently from a borrowed truck he drove through the neighborhood.
Several heavy oak doors lead to the apartment. A door opening onto a hallway was equipped with a mirrored peep hole, while a wall mirror gave a full view of the hallway.
The raiders forced entrance to O'Shea's apartment, 1208A Tamm, after reading a search warrant to two men inside, who; refused to open the door. The men said they were there on business with O'Shea.
Arrested with O'Shea were men booked as follows: Edmund P. Fanner, 6300 block of Clayton avenue; Melbourne Rittel, 61001 block of Pershing avenue; I George H. Stafford, 3500 block of Crittenden street; William B. McLaughlin, 600 block of Garesche avenue, and Edward Bochert, 400 block DeBaliviere avenue.
They were booked for police court appearances April 8, and police will present 'the evidence to the circuit attorney's office for possible grand jury action.
O'Shea, active for many years in Democratic politics in the Twenty-fourth Ward, served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, in the 1937 and 1941 sessions of the Legislature. The city directory lists the North Side Twenty-fourth Democratic Club at 1210A Tamm avenue.
From Art Smith: My best memory of Jack O'Sheas was the Sunday in March, 1944 when I had a going away party there as I left for the Navy. The bar (tavern or saloon) allowed very good customers (my father was one of the best in terms of frequency) in on Sundays. Colombo's (Tony & Mike) kept a similar practice after taking over from Goia.
Bob Corbett adds: Art Smith's comment on the Sunday back-door policy of O'Shea's reminds me of an experience that simply amazed me. My uncles tended to be fighters, perhaps an influence in the opposite direction that made me an avid pacifist. At any rate, my Uncle Rooster (Charles) took me with him up to O'Shea's one Sunday afternoon. I was 6 or 7, it was during the war. A guy came in the door and yelled out: "Where's Corbett?" Rooster held up his hand and said: "That's me." "I want you outside," said the guy, and Rooster hopped up and everyone trooped into the yard. Nothing was said and a fight started and Rooster just beat the poor guy bloody. Afterward they helped the fellow to the bar, Rooster brought him a beer and said, "What was that all about?" The guy explained that at a wedding reception the night before Rooster had beaten up his little brother and he wanted to square things. Rooster was puzzled and told him he hadn't gone out the night before. Then he remembered: "Ah, that was my brother, Bill. I'll call him for you," and Rooster headed for the phone. The guy yelled at him, "No, no. I don't want another Corbett right now!" I think I was the only person in the whole bar who found this even slightly out of the ordinary. I was drinking my Vess orange soda and my eyes must have been the size of saucers!
Father Dan McCotter adds:
Mike and I use to love St. Patrick's Day. We spend a lot of time at the side door of Jack O'Shea's. The gentelmen in the bar would come out and throw money to the kids gathered there waiting for them to do it. In the evening we would go back with my grandmother, Mamie Kelley, and parents for the corned beef and cabbage dinner. It was a great day.
Photo of Jack O'Shea rather late in life
The Budweiser Clydesdales Visit Dogtown
After Jack O'Shea retired he sold O'Shea to Eddie Brady. A number of people operated it before it became Seamus McDaniels
The Budweiser Clydesdales Visit Dogtown
Eddie Brady behind the bar
Seamus McDaniels at 1208 Tamm at Clayton. If you have not been to Seamus McDaniels, you have not been to Dogtown. This place is of course owned and operated by Dogtown people. For eating, this friendly place I feel would be everybody's choice of the best food in Dogtown. Thoughts of Mike Hefele
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