1939 - 2017

STEVE SUSS

In 1968, two partners from Seattle purchased a downtown tavern known as the Focal Point. Steve Suss and Roman Wydra were destined to have a major influence on the bar scene when they dissolved their partnership in 1971. Steve held a third interest in the Atlas Baths in Seattle but acquired a restaurant behind the Focal Point at SW 9th and Yamhill called The Embers. He attempted to balance his gay and straight customers by designating his exit door on Yamhill as the “Side Door” for homosexuals, and his main door on SW 9th for “normal” customers. It didn’t work. The two crowds did not mix well, and Steve made the decision to turn his place into an “out” gay establishment, the first in Portland.

Steve Suss Steve was born in Tacoma, Wash., in May 1939. I was born in Tacoma. He has five brothers and one sister, and at 5 years old his father died and his mother never remarried – taking care of all six children. He met his partner, Trevor Roman Wydra when he was around 24 years of age and they moved to Bremerton Washington as he said, “Being gay-related… I didn't want my family to find out as they stayed in the Tacoma area.” SEATTLE They had a bar in Seattle – one that had a steam bath attached. However, “the first of every month, the beat cop came around for his envelope of unmarked cash inside. And I had a hard time dealing with that. Yes. And when I moved to Portland and it came out in the paper, in the Seattle PI– that payoff went all the way from the Mayor on down. If you wanted to park your car in front of your business in downtown Seattle, you paid the beat cop and you could park there without feeding your meter. Just park there. And that was your parking spot for so much money or a bottle of booze or whatever. If you wanted to carry on gambling –they had punch boards in those days. And if you wanted to do the punch boards when they became illegal you could still do the punch boards if you paid the beat cop! a punch board? (its) like a foot square board, a couple of inches thick. And you had an uh...like an old-time key where you wound up a can of coffee? Uh, and you would punch of a little – a hole in this punch board and would come out the bottom and whatever was written on this piece of paper you won that amount of money that was on it. Or like any game of chance most of the time you won nothing.” See the article: http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/lgbtq_history.htm

Then, they had a pet shop in Bremerton. Then, they broke up, “because he couldn't stand to be in a town of thirty-five hundred people - very small. And he moved to Portland. He says, “You've got to come to Portland and see this place!” Well, I've been here and I found nothing attractive about Portland at all. PORTLAND BAR # 1 in Portland – what was the name? Unknown [Then]…he called me a couple of weeks later and he says, “I've found a bar down here and I want you to take a look at it.” So I drove down and took a look at it with him. And it was a nice bar so I said, “Well if you want it, we'll buy it.” Apparently, this was ___________________ This was the first tavern they owned, within several years sold it to Glen Dugger and it is now Scandals. As stated on Scandal’s website: Scandals exists as one of Portland’s most established gay bars since 1979. Having gone through many levels of transition over the last few decades, Scandals currently exist in the original “Pink Triangle” section of downtown Portland on SW Stark St. & SW 12th St. [what was the name of that bar? God, it's so long ago, but it's now the parking lot to the Federal Reserve Bank 1500 SW 1st – on first between SW Clay and Market Streets. [Thought that this might have been the Model Inn at 1536 SW 1st which was closed in 1967 due to the fact that the building was purchased by PDC for parking BAR # 2 Portland [he opened Roman’s in October/November 1969 AND then opened Bohemian in December 1969 ROMAN’S 728 SW 9th Per the Vector Magazine from San Francisco November 1969 [page 22], “A new addition to the Portland scene is Roman’s located at 728 SW 9th. What a festive time can be had there. Many of Portland show people (Broadway November ’69 Nov. 2nd) frequent this lively establishment” January 1972 Vector Magazine from SFO states: “off to ROMAN’S for a delightful get-together with our hosts, Steve [Pickmen] and Kim[Chidester]. The bartenders here roller skate behind the bar —Talk about fast service!

ROMAN CHANGED THE NAME TO SOMEBODY’S PLACE, 728 S.W. Ninth [The name was changed from Roman’s Tavern to Somebody’s Place.] Princess Royal listing it has *Romans, SideDoor, and Riptide in 1971/1972. Roman Wydra changed the name of the bar around 1972. Suss’s attempt to connect this tavern with his adjoining Rafter’s [I believe this should read Embers located at 739 SW Park-which was on the backside of the building] was rebuffed by Mayor Terry Schrunk and City Councilman Frank Ivancie, who consistently fought licensing his bars. Schrunk was afraid of the reputation that Portland was getting, and Ivancie had an innate dislike for the gay liberation movement and everything it stood for. Despite City Council’s opposition to licensing gay bars in the 1960s and ’70s (local jurisdiction could only recommend) the Oregon Liquor Control Commission continually renewed their licenses, fearing a test case in court

IT MOVED FROM 728 SW 9th TO 319 SW 11TH This is from Majestic Baths handout 1981 Bar # 3 in Portland in 1969 [at the same time he was opening Roman’s he was opening this one] Roman’s Bohemian Restaurant or The Bohemian, 910 S.W. Washington. Operated by Roman Wydra from December 1969 to December 1970. Per the Vector Magazine from San Francisco in November 1969 [page 22] “The Bohemian Restaurant and Lounge, located at 910 SW Washington Street is said to be the biggest Portland dance bar. It seems to swing from opening to closing. This bar is a must for all out-of-towners.” There is no reason found why this establishment closed

It appears this only lasted one year – closed in 1970. The building has now been torn down in 2019 and is part of the Ritz Carlton building

BAR # 4 in Portland 1970 [Roman then purchased the Riptide at the same time purchasing EMBERS.] The Riptide, 949 S.W. Stark. June 3, 1965-1969 Originally opened by Johnnie Honegger (the owner of the Harbor Club) on June 3, 1965 Honegger closed the establishment in 1969 under continuing pressure from the city, which refused to issue him food permits, and from the OLCC, which, under the state liquor laws, required him to serve food. Several ads regarding the Riptide and its entertainment schedule appeared in the Oregonian between June 1965 and May 1969

ROMAN BUYS THE RIPTIDE FROM JOHNNY 1970 Roman Wydra re-opened in November 1970, it’s considered to be one of the first gay bars established on Stark. The bar remained under his management until April 1973, according to Oregon Liquor Control Commission records, which provide much of the information for the history of bars in Oregon.

January 1972 Vector Magazine from SFO states, “Most of the bars serve beer and wine and close at one o’clock, then the masses descend on the only liquor bar, the RIPTIDE, for nightcaps and dancing…. we all wound—up back at the RIPTIDE for drinks and dancing.

ROMAN CHANGED THE NAME OF THE RIPTIDE [AND SOME PEOPLE SAY ROMAN’S RIPTIDE] to Roman’s Lounge or The New Roman’s Lounge– 949 SW Stark [formerly The Riptide, Roman’s Riptide]

Lanny Swerdlow recalls that, in the beginning, months of the Gay Liberation Front, the bar was targeted for its discriminatory practice of excluding women wearing pants. Gay Lib activists requested the owner to meet with them to discuss the issue, but he refused. A picket line formed shortly thereafter on a busy weekend, and Swerdlow relates how the bar owner called them up and asked to meet with them, and the practice of excluding pants-wearing women soon ended. THEN ROMAN CHANGED THE NAME AGAIN TO THE FOCAL POINT 949 SW STARK

It appears Embers was used with Side Door at this time Focal Point - mentioned in Golden Cherresses’ column in The Fountain/December 1973 “Most of the bars really got into the swing of things after hours at the Focal Point.” This is after Darcelle’s step down and Doni Lame’s crowing. Steve’s Embers Restaurant AND Focal Point The Side Door is not mentioned now.

And a note: Even with a penny shortage The Focal Point 728 W 9th tavern continues to offer their draught beer on Tuesday evenings at a two-for-one price. Northwest Gay Review November 1974 “…congratulations to Doni Lame’ and best wishes to Rose Empress XVII with the addition: Just one of the following is enough to make you a regular at the Focal Point – Embers! Randy, Steve, John Thibodeau, Bess, Klynn, Tom Terrific, Hamburger Sandy, “Groovy Guy 75 Bruce” – David -1-2-3-4-5-6-7-etc. Terry – Ray-Dan.

It appears that the Focal Point closed around 1974 – the Side Door was closed and only used as an “Emergency Exit” – merging The Side Door with Embers. BAR # 5 THE SIDE DOOR 811 SW Yamhill [had to be open around 1968 because of the GLPAN interview with Steve] incorporated with Embers around 1973/74 See FOCAL POINT AND THE SIDE DOOR LOUNGE This bar was a non-descript entrance on Yamhill next to the Embers Restaurant entrance which was on the corner of SW Park/Yamhill. See the above – a lot of the advertising was with The Focal Point. BAR # 6 EMBERS - 739 S.W. Park, 1969 - 1979.

Roman and Steve purchased The Embers around 1970 per ads showing that Johnny owned the bar in 1969 into 2017 Steve had The Side Door and per his interview in 2011, “We had the Embers on the other side of me on the same block. [Embers, 739 S.W. Park and Morrison next to the Virginia Cafe.] Came up for sale. He wanted to sell it and I figured we shared a common back wall. And I thought maybe that I could put a hole through the wall and combine the two bars. So, when I applied for it through the city – the old Embers was up on Park and Yamhill in the, where the Zell block was. The Zell block, uh...the Zell Brothers Jewelers. Now it's a big hole in the ground. I needed more space in that hole connecting the two bars then I had so I approached the guy who owned the clothing store on the other side of me if I could maybe take a corner of his spot just like maybe two feet and he said, “Sure! No problem! Two feet? Take 10 feet!” He says, “This used to be an old bank, and right in that corner is the vault. You're not going to get an inch!” He said it's impossible to cut through that steel and concrete. So, the police department decided, they came back and said they weren't going to allow it anyway. It would be too hard to control something like that – having to enter through one side of the block when the main portion of it was on the other side of the block. So, I decided I wasn't going to do it. And then a week later I thought well, I decided that I would do it. For one-year Embers when Roman purchased it stayed a ‘straight’ bar, then changed it. It was right next door to the Virginia Café [per Wikipedia While the origin of the café's name is unknown, the original Virginia Cafe was opened in 1914 at 1014 SW Stark Street by three Greek immigrant brothers (Theodore, William, and Christopher Dussin) after they were laid off from their jobs. The brothers opened a second location at 725 SW Park Avenue in downtown Portland in 1922, which lasted until 2007 when it was replaced by a $150 million, 35-story office tower built by Tom Moyer's TMT Development firm.

Suss’s attempt to connect this tavern with his adjoining Rafter’s [believe this actually was The Side Door] was rebuffed by Mayor Terry Schrunk and City Councilman Frank Ivancie, who consistently fought licensing his bars. Schrunk was afraid of the reputation that Portland was getting, and Ivancie had an innate dislike for the gay liberation movement and everything it stood for. Despite City Council’s opposition to licensing gay bars in the 1960s and ’70s (local jurisdiction could only recommend) the Oregon Liquor Control Commission continually renewed their licenses, fearing a test case in court. NOTE: Roman and Steve had 3 bars at one time – the city, Mayor Schunk didn’t like a ‘monopoly’ on bars – it is believed that Roman would lose a license or not be renewed and Steve would apply and get them. STEVE is 40 move Embers to BROADWAY “10 years later I lost the lease …I think because of Nordstrom, being right directly across the street from Nordstrom. And it didn't help that one night after Nordstrom had built their new building and they were getting ready for their grand opening. One of my customers, late on a Saturday night, had his motorcycle on the sidewalk just outside the front door. He got onto his motorcycle and revved it up. Well, it slipped into gear and while it was revving up it shot out from underneath him and careened across the street right directly through the new glass doors of Nordstrom. Well, they had their grand opening with their main glass doors boarded up. 'Cus you don't, you don't find one-inch thick glass doors anywhere! They were special ordered and it took them six weeks to get them and replace those main front doors. So they weren't too happy with me and I'm sure they put pressure on my landlord not to renew my lease. So being forced with no lease I went looking for a building and this was it. [The location on Broadway was]… an auto-dealer ship at one time. And then the auto-parts store, they did a huge mail-order business out of here. And it became too small so they moved into a huge warehouse space on the east side of the river and left this place vacant for about four years. So it was just a derelict of a building.” [it appears that it may have moved to Broadway in 1980 Moved to - 110 SW Broadway 1979-2017

Per Steve Suss in a 2011 interview with GLPAN stated, “Was there anything that inspired the name 'Embers?' “ Steve said, “It was the 'Embers' before I bought it. Why they called it that, I don't know, but I thought it was an alright name so I just kept it. Fire Marshal didn't like it but I didn't have to please him! I thought of changing it one time. I have a contest with my employees about coming up with a new name and one of my bartenders at the time - God rest his soul. He passed away about 10 years ago. [The club moved to its 110 NW Broadway and Couch location in 1979-2017]. When Horace Megger was doing business down here at the other end of the block, he had Couch St Fish House. And...He said we should probably run Horace Megger some competition and call the Embers the “Couch St Fag House.”

Obviously, I didn't change it. At its height in the mid-90s, Embers was pumping out drag shows seven nights a week. Famous visitors included Madonna and Henry Rollins. During his time working at Embers, James Hemphill wore many hats - he was a cocktailer, a DJ, a lead cook, security, and his personal favorite - an entertainer - performing as drag queen Terrika St. James Now that the gay lifestyle is mainstream, James says he feels like there’s no such thing as a gay bar anymore, guessing that 75% of Ember’s guests towards the end of its years in business were straight or questioning. “Plus there were a lot of bachelorette parties,” James said with a laugh, pointing out that this wasn’t a bad thing at all … “If there wasn't a gay guy to dance with, there was always a nice straight woman to dance with!”

Per the Oregonian, James Hemphill a bartender for 26 at Embers has mixed feelings about the transition. “You can buy the building but you can’t buy the business,” he said. "The sad part about Embers disappearing is that it’s the last of the old-school gay bars in Portland. Embers is an iconic name for alternative lifestyles across the country - not just in Portland. It’s a place you knew you would feel safe.” STEVE is 78 years old Ember CLOSES In 2017, After suffering a series of strokes, owner Steve Suss became incapacitated and unable to speak or write. His family had to make the difficult decision to close the club. Bar # 7: The Castaway Lounge 901 SW Salmon some have the date in 1972 others in 1974. Steve opened opening The Castaways Lounge a disco in 1972 but later gave it up because the City of Portland made it impossible for him to get a license. The Castaways was two blocks from The Park Havilian. The city claimed that it didn’t want one man to control the gay bar scene. Bar # 8 – Slick Willies 9047 SW Barber Boulevard unclear time period possible late 70s into the 80s. Steve and Roman purchased the old Pulaski’s Turquoise Room located at 9047 SW Barber Boulevard which had been in operations since 1959. They named it Slick Willies, which was a straight bar, “I tried not to mix the two but even though I knew that everybody knew what was going on … I decided that I was going to have a co-ed party. So they brought a – to the party, this was at my big Victorian house in the Northwest around Overton or Petty – and they brought a sheet cake, very well decorated. With a set of cock and balls on it. And the caption on the cake was “To all, you cock suckers from all us cock suckers.” There were two Turquoise Rooms located on Barbur Blvd – one in the 50’s/60s on 30th and then one further down Barbur Blvd at 90th. Vintage matchbook for the Dunes Motel once located on Barbur Blvd. in Portland, Oregon. The motel featured bowling, billiards, a restaurant, and the Turquoise Room cocktail lounge. – looks like there were TWO Turquoise Rooms on Barber

Per a post on: http://bojack.org/2009/05/portland_1974.html :Thanks for the memories Jack - and Bill. I moved to Seattle in 1974 and first came to Portland in 1975 for a week-long gig at the Turquoise Room with a funky horn band. Stayed at the Portland Rose across the street, rigged the 'Magic Fingers' bed to run 24/7, and got woken up by Tom Peterson knocking on the TV. Those were the daze . . . Still somewhat crazy (and even gigging occasionally) after all these years. Posted by Doug | May 3, 2009, 6:18 PM There’s a YouTube video with a Slick Willies ad - 1982 https://youtu.be/cd1ukPYwMp

Elsa Daniels and Steve Suss at The Rafters. Year 1979?