A Bar In Toledo: The Untold Story of a Mafia Front Man and a Grammy-Winning Song

by Dominic Vaiana & Stephanie Abbajay

When Duane Abbajay took over his brother’s bankrupt nightclub in 1962, he promised his wife it would be a quick turnaround to protect his family’s name. Instead, he became the face of a bar that transformed Toledo's entertainment scene and inspired a Grammy-winning country song—all under the thumb of a trigger-happy mafia boss. Informed by interviews with crime historians, bartenders, and bargoers and corroborated by FBI reports, this Rust Belt psychodrama offers a new perspective into the worlds of organized crime and the music business, which were closely entwined. Emotional, theatrical, and dripping with nostalgia, "A Bar in Toledo" is a love letter to the golden age of American music—and the dark underworld that made it all possible.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Audiobook

176 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Mary Shelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book and finished it in 2 days. My father was mentioned several times in the book, being that we lived in Toledo at the time and my dad was the 50’s / 60’s Rock and Roll “House Band” Donnie Bryan and the Raging Storms for the Peppermint Club. My dad is Donnie Bryan and knew Duane Abbijay very well. Duane even bought my father a brand new Pontiac Bonneville due to major success with club. After reading the book I now know how much mob activity was really involved considering how successful the nightclub was. I never knew Toledo had such a big underworld until this book. Lots of success and lots of sketchy times.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I heard about this book, I had to read it. It's a story of my hometown (where I lived for almost 45 years) that I heard whispered about, but didn't really know. In fact, I had to move away before I heard about the extent that Toledo related to the Mafia.
Before I even opened the book, my husband and I were pretty sure which song was referenced (we were right). We did not know the story behind its beginning.
It is always a thrill to read a book that takes me to locations that I am very familiar with. I'm wondering if some of my siblings might have gone to school with the children of the bar owner.
One of the authors is the youngest child of the bar owner. She does not sanitize her father's life.
My husband is interested enough to listen to this and I think I may buy a copy for one of my brothers.

[Patrick C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the life of a Toledoan, the bar he owned, his ties to the Detroit/Toledo Mafia, and a variety of related topics. Most of these facts would probably be of little interest to those without some pre-existing connections. (I am from Toledo, so I did find some interesting details.)

While all the factual information is supported by research (News stories, interviews, etc), it is obvious that the research was not very deep or extensive.

I received the book as a gift, and am glad to have read it, but could only recommend it to those who already have some connections to the material.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A palate-cleansing nonfiction book about my hometown (Toledo Ohio) and a successful gangster.
There are so many ways this book should never have worked, but it's interesting, inspiring and a really good read. There are so many plot twists and "I sure didn't see that coming" with just enough Jerry Lee Lewis that it's a one sitting winner. Bravo.
5 stars

[Helene Seaver Huss · Rating 5 out of 5]

i would literally forget that this was set in toledo and then gasp when toledo was mentioned 🤦🏼‍♀️ very interesting read!! bout to do a wiki deep dive into more of this and annoy all my ppl w my new knowledge!!

[Bubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

My aunt wrote this! Wow! Pretty cool, I’ve always wanted to know more about my dad’s side of the family and this definitely was illuminating. A fascinating family saga. :)

[Cheryl Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being from Toledo there was a lot of interesting information. Maybe if I were older and more familiar with the nightclubs, it would have been more interesting.
Quick, easy read.

[Carlos Dragonné · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de esos libros que inevitablemente se topa uno en el ritmo de lectura. Mediano, sin nada que atrape. Quizá tenga que ver que ver con los gustos musicales. No tengo idea de la canción de Kenny Rogers que da el misticismo al título. Es más, salvo saber de la existencia de Kenny Rogers, no recuerdo haber escuchado nada de su música. El country no es mi género. Por lo tanto, hasta llegado el capítulo de la creación de la canción —muy aleatoriamente, sin gancho argumental, sin anécdota realmente importante, al grado que pudo haber sido un VIPS en Tampico o un Denny’s en Atlanta—, no entendí gran cosa de la importancia detrás del título. Me llamó —como imaginarán— por los lazos de la mafia y la presencia de la familia Licavoli, un poco alejados del mainstream de la mafia de la era de la prohibición, pero fundamental en el desarrollo del crimen organizado de la zona del midwest. Thomas Licavoli le puso reglas a Capone en una reunión en el hotel Shelby: “No te quiero aquí. Manténte alejado de Detroit”. En Toledo su hermano Peter era el que mandaba.

En el libro es mencionado como parte de las zonas oscuras de Abbeyjay, dueño del Peppermint Club (Country Palace cuando Rogers hizo famosa la canción) pero nada más. Así que realmente el libro no me atrapó. No dudo que si eres de Ohio o fan del country sabes qué y quién era Abbeyjay. Ahora ya lo se yo.

[Genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duane Abbajay….what a mess of a person. Yes, the entertainment names that he brought into his clubs were famous and helped raise Toldeo’s status in the music scene. I’m sure that there was a real buzz that he helped usher in. However, the rest of his life was a slip sliding mess of his own creation. So we have mob-financed establishments, sacks of money being exchanged and all of of this operating beneath the law and devoid of taxes being paid. Then later in life, “poor” Duane is relegated to a coupon-clipper existence in a rundown apartment and living on $2,000 per month in a taxpayer-funded life. Nice. I’m glad that it was a short book because people like this don’t deserve any more glorification than they have already undeservedly received. Also, it seems like the whole family continues to play dumb in this charade. Whatever.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written story -though I was surprised that the author was unaware of her father’s connections until she started working in the book.

Growing up in Toledo and being just a couple years older than the author, it was easy for me to picture areas she described.

I wasn’t surprised to hear the name Irv Shapiro as part of the mob.. and it brought back a flood of memories as my mom worked at Granada Gardens which Shapiro owned. While I was young, and my mom never came out and said so, I knew something was up.. the place was not that special to have had a parking lot of Cadillacs and to have been able to bring in the entertainment it did.

[Sally Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I was born in 1952 and raised in Toledo Ohio. In 1965 we moved to a house one block over from Douglas Road and one block further down. How I never knew about his
house and how Duane drove his car into it, is beyond me. The mafia really did exist in Toledo! My husband’s uncle always said he was a friend of mobster Yonnie Licavoli and we never believed
him. Do now, tho Uncle Don is gone. I recognized so many places and names in this book. It is a well-written story about an entrepreneur who continued to reinvent himself. I am very glad I read it.

[Willa Stine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I read it in two days flat, not only is it the perfect length but it keeps you engaged the entire time. The book told some really fascinating stories whether you’re familiar with the Toledo area or not. The authors really do a good job making you understand the people in the story, particularly Duane and I appreciate how they show both positives and negatives. This book was truly fascinating and I highly recommend it. Plus, I can already see it being made into a movie or tv show! A+

[Ana Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re from or living in the city of Toledo this is a fun story of one immigrant family seeking the “American Dream” but more than that it’s a glimpse into this history of Toledo. The book is full of old photos of the family and buildings, many of which you can still see today. The author leads the reader through many of the same named streets into a tale of night life, the mob, and music as it shaped one man’s life (for better or worse).

[Cathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was our November book club pick. It was an ok read. Interesting local history, I kept waiting for the "big thing" to happen, but there really wasn't one. It is a quick read and would be interesting for anyone local.

[Summerfield-Petersburg Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was our November book club pick. It was an ok read. Interesting local history, I kept waiting for the "big thing" to happen, but there really wasn't one. It is a quick read and would be interesting for anyone local.

[Laura Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting local history especially since I worked at Toledo Hospital with Mary Abbajay and had no idea of this connection!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is spectacular. Author needs to release another book! Also is he Italian? Sounds like an Italian name!

[Wendy Westfere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading about history in the town I live in. My mom remembered being in the club when she was young.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok for local history.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a life-long Toledoan who never knew this man or his clubs, I really enjoyed this story.

[Matt Jex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story ripe for HBO adaptation.