Anchor Inn

When 400 N. Plankinton Ave. burned in a five-alarm March 1964 fire, it was one of the oldest and longest-operating queer spaces in Wisconsin.  And it all began with the Anchor Inn.

The Anchor Inn opened in the street-level storefront of the St. James Hotel in 1884.  Although the hotel was short-lived, the tavern survived -- in a variety of incarnations -- until its long-time owner died in March 1949. 

The Anchor was one of Milwaukee's most notorious "sailor bars," where men seeking men could find each other in plain sight. It was known for a long-standing "token system" where insiders obtained access to a secret backroom.  The Anchor Inn was often raided for men dancing together, male hustlers, and serving liquor after hours. 

In November 1949, Chef Eli, server Walter Leonard, and manager John Balistrieri transformed the Anchor Inn into the Riviera Cocktail Lounge, offering steaks, chops, authentic Italian spaghetti, and martinis "2 blocks south of Gimbels." 

The Riviera, later known as Tony's Riviera, would remain a "profitable fag joint" (according to FBI reporting language) for the next 15 years with virtually no police intervention.