CLUBBING Cuban STYLE

TropicanaThe Tropicana nightclub, which sizzled in 1950s Cuba, becomes the topic at the Authors, Artists and Friends series at Glendale Library.Night after night a constant stream of A-list celebrities, elaborate stage shows and high rollers filled the Tropicana in the 1950s. Soaking up all the glitz and glamour was Ofelia Fox, the “first lady” of the Cuban hot spot owned by her husband, Martin Fox.

By his side, Ofelia Fox found herself chatting with stars of the era, like Nat “King” Cole, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, or sitting with Liberace at the piano table, which was designed for the flamboyant pianist.

Her memories are sprinkled throughout the book “Tropicana Nights,” which she wrote with Rosa Lowinger, a writer and art conservator. Lowinger also interviewed employees and gathered research from books and magazines.

Ofelia Fox, who has been living in Glendale, was scheduled to appear Wednesday with Lowinger at the Authors, Artists and Friends series at the Glendale Central Library, but she passed away on Jan. 2.

The program has changed, and Lowinger said she will make the evening all about Fox.

“I will talk about the experience of working with her, and about the importance of a bystander who lives to tell the tale, because, think about it, Martin Fox was the protagonist of the story but his wife gets to tell the story of the Tropicana,” she said.

Their book is not just about a nightclub, Lowinger said, but a historical account of a country. Ofelia Fox saw Cuba at its most exciting time and its lowest point, during the revolution when Fidel Castro came to power and Martin Fox lost his beloved Tropicana.

Having this story as part of the library’s Authors series allows the community to hear about a different segment of the community, series chairman Leon Mayer said.

Mayer attended Ofelia Fox’s funeral services and met many people who were from Cuba.

“They want to be identified as exiles and almost all have become American citizens and they are proud of that,” he said. “Ofelia and her husband were run out of the country by Fidel Castro, but they have remained and become vibrant people in our society.”

Mayer named the Porto family as a prime example of Cubans who have come to America and, through hard work, met much success.

“This event allows [Cubans] to share themselves, their history and lives with us and with our community, as well as keep open the lines of friendship with them,” he said.

The Tropicana remains a nightclub and a huge draw for tourists, Lowinger said.

Born in Havana, Lowinger was drawn to writing about her native city because of the mystique of the 1950s when the American Mafioso ran the gambling there.

Martin Fox was able to run his casino and cabaret without interference from the mob because of his close association with the Cuban government, Lowinger said.

“Martin Fox was friends with the mob,” she said. “He was an incredibly smart and shrewd businessman and he gave everybody a piece of the action.”

It was destiny that, on a trip to Havana in 2000, Lowinger met Ofelia Fox’s nephew and expressed interest in writing a book on the Tropicana. When he gave Lowinger Ofelia Fox’s phone number, she was stunned that they lived in the same area code, she said.

“I couldn’t believe she lived so close to me, it was like somebody hit me on the head,” she said.

Ofelia Fox invited Lowinger to her home, and told her she had wanted to write a book about her husband -- to set the record straight that he was never in the mob as the Cuban government had portrayed over the years.

One of Lowinger’s favorite anecdotes in the book is about when Carmen Miranda played the Tropicana in 1955. She became good friends with the Foxes, and the three would head out to the other nightclubs at 2 a.m. after Miranda finished her show.

One night, the trio’s car was stopped by men in an unmarked car who claimed they were the police. After Martin Fox casually let his coat open to reveal his Smith and Wesson, the men, who really were police, arrested them.

But once at the Cuban Army headquarters, Martin Fox made a phone call, and the rest of the evening was spent with the Foxes watching Miranda singing and signing autographs for the police.

“That really shows the spirit of the times,” Lowinger said.

FYI

WHAT: “Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub” with Rosa Lowinger

WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: Glendale Central Library Auditorium, 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale

COST: Free

REFRESHMENTS: Provided by Porto’s Bakery, the event’s co-sponsor