Triviski’s Bar was located at 678 Selby Ave. in St. Paul.

The earliest evidence of a building at this site found in the Minneapolis papers was an unnamed grocery store where, in September 1927, a robber threw acid in the face of the proprietor’s daughter.  He was caught and sent to Stillwater State Prison.

In April 1937 the place was a bar, but the name was unreported.

In May 1946 it was Carron’s Cafe, where liquor was served.

TRIVISKI’S BAR

The St. Paul papers would be more helpful, but unfortunately they are not online.  We know from the Minneapolis papers that Lyle M. Triviski was a partner in Triviski’s Bar as of March 1953, because of a story of a robbery.

In February 1954, Lyle was arrested in a crackdown on altering whiskey, which was a Federal felony.  The IRS could impose a maximum penalty of $1,000 and two years in prison.  Although Lyle was indicted, no further news was reported, so either the case was dropped or he paid his fine.  He was accused of altering four brands of whiskey.

Five years later, in April 1959, Lyle was in trouble again, this time for selling liquor on a Sunday to an undercover policeman.  No report of the outcome.

In February 1961 an ad appeared, selling a “Deluxe Piano Bar with Grand Piano and Stools.”  Music!

In August 1962, Texas Bill Strength had finished a night of entertaining at Triviski’s when he was shot in the leg at the apartment of a friend.

 

 

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Sherwin Linton tells a story about a four week stint at Triviski’s with his band, the Fender Benders, starting in March 1963.  He was to play six nights a week, but after witnessing a fight with the combatants armed with chains, he had his doubts about the place, and never came back.

 

After an argument about a game of pool, a disgruntled young man left, returned with a gun, and killed one man and wounded his half brother.  Both the murdered man and the shooter were 21 years old with no fixed address.   The murder occurred on September 27, 1971.

 

Triviski’s was damaged by a basement fire and closed on September 9, 1974.  Arson was suspected.  The arsonist finished the job with a firebomb thrown through a window on September 30, 1974.

The site is now a parking lot.

Lyle M. Triviski died in 1988 at the age of 68.