Fiorito’s Drinking Emporium was located in the Park Square Building, 400 Sibley Street, in St. Paul.  The Park Square Building was an old manufacturing plant, turned into a venue for small businesses.

Fiorito’s was owned by Stanley Fiorito, Jr., in or before December 1972.  Barbara Flanigan wrote in her column that the Fiorito family had been in the bar and restaurant business since 1900.  Also, the walls of the place were covered with the pages of old St. Paul newspapers.  (Minneapolis Star, December 14, 1972)

A search reveals a Joe Fiorito, who played accordion on KSTP radio, and a Ted Fiorito, whose orchestra was heard on the radio and on movie soundtracks.

At first, on May 3, 1973, Will Jones of the Minneapolis Tribune reported that at night they brought in a rock band and the place filled up like a packed madhouse.  He did like their 90 cent martinis, though.

Then on May 28, 1973, Jones had to make a correction and clarify that the house band was just two people, known collectively as the Smith Park Spring Ensemble:

• Bill Gay on tenor and five-string banjo, and
• Tom Mega on string bass and acoustic guitar

They did, however, admit to playing to a packed madhouse, with people singing along to songs like “Waitin’ for the Robert E. Lee,” “Swanee,” and “The William Tell Overture.”  People would do the hora or dance on the table tops, they said.  Must be those 90 cent martinis…

The Ensemble was to be replaced in a week for a banjo and tuba duo, playing similar music.

An article from December 3, 1973, says that a banjo band performed Thursday through Saturday nights and the audience often sang along.  (Minneapolis Tribune)

JAZZ

By August 1974, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Fiorito’s became jazz nights, reported  Will Jones.

St. Paul Pioneer Press, June 8, 1974

In December 1977 to July 1978, the Mouldy Figs Dixieland Jazz Band was advertised.