1964 – At this period in my life, I was very involved in the bar business, also a liquor store in San Juan Capistrano in the same building where my Swallow Bar was located on the corner of Camino Capistrano and Verdugo St. It was a very large parcel with a lot of vacant land in back of the store buildings that fronted on the main drag – – and I thought to myself, this little town does not have a laundromat, and I will just go ahead and make one. So I built this nice building, and the natives were ecstatic. The ground floor was about 90% laundromat with a small retail space fronting on Verdugo. Then there was a 2nd story with 4 apartments, and this is the site where this tale of woe from Mr. Piazza was referring to. I found this letter from among some of my old pictures and letters I am trying to get through before leaving on my beeg vacation. Please bear with me – – spelling, etc is all as exactly written by my tenant.
LETTER FROM A TENANT DATED FEBRUARY 24TH, 1964
Dear Mrs. Melithas (sp) Froster (sp)
On Febraury 14th of this year I came to San Juan Capistrano and I visited the girl in the Swallow liquor store that I paid my rent to when I lived in your Apt C on 26762 Verdugo Street in San Juan Capistrano. I asked her for the twenty-five dollars deposit that I gave her when I took the apt C on the 28th of October of last year.
The girl in the liquor store whose name is pat, gave me a telephone number to call, – Pat Runyon your secretary number 499-2416. Miss Pat Runyon said on the telephone that she was unable to help me in my situation about receiving the twenty-five dollars deposit that I gave the girl in the Swallow liquor store when I took the apt c on 26762 Verdugo st. and she gave me your address on Temple Hill drive in La Guna Beach.
Mrs Froster I lived in Apt C from Oct 28th of 63 to Jan 28th of 1964. The last months rent I paid to Dick the bartender in the Swallows Bar because he said that he collected rent for you also.
About ten days to two weeks I had to move out of Apartment C on Verdugo St. because of very bad transportation to San Clemente where I had to buy my belongings because I came from the East coast with very little (a small case) because I only expected to stay a short while in California for a rest.
You see I had no automobile at that time that I could use for transportation, the bus that came by only once a day was the way I had to go to San Clemente.
After a short while in San Clemente I had to move inland because of bad health. You see I came to California because I get winter illnesses to often in the winter time so I am living in Ontario where I am now.
I was unable to write you sooner Mrs Froster because I am very busy setting up house here. You see I bought a house and I am waiting to move in. I am living in an hotel here and I receive mail in a post office box.
My address is
Emilio Piazza
P.O.Box 233
Ontario, California
If you care to know more about this situation you can write to me.
I tried to leave your apartment as clean as I knew how as you know I cleaned it often.
Hoping to hear from you about my twenty-five dollars deposit I gave the girl in the Swallow liquor store, I remain
Sincerely Yours
Emilio Piazza
I found lots of letters dated before AD 1900, but this one caught my eye, and it is comparatively recent – 1964! What grabbed my eyeballs mainly was the way he absolutely murdered the spelling of my name, and that in itself would have sent me bonkers. I absolutely hate it when someone misspells my name!
Do you suppose I ever gave him back his $25? My mind must be slipping – – for the life of me, I cannot remember. And my cancelled checks for the IRS do not go back quite that far. Do you suppose – – just to be fair, that I should google and try to find him to set the record straight, and put my mind at ease?
