Welcome to The Secret History of Frisco, a podcast peeling back the layers of San Francisco's vibrant and often illicit past during its last wide-open era, 1934 to 1953. Join host Knox Bronson as we journey through the city's smoky backrooms, bustling waterfronts, and glittering nightlife, where fortunes were made and lost, and a unique live-and-let-live ethos reigned supreme, naturally contingent on the right palms being greased. From the early days of Gold Rush outlaws like The Hounds and the Sydney Ducks, who set the stage for a city steeped in vice, to the looming figures of Mafia boss Frank Lanza and the corrupting influence of the McDonough brothers, we'll explore the intricate dance between crime, politics, and the burgeoning cultural landscape that captured the world's imagination, as immortalized in Tony Bennett's iconic ode to the "cool grey city of love."

In this inaugural episode, we set the stage for our exploration of Frisco, a term embraced for its outlaw swagger and the swirling mix of cultures, dreams, and darkness that defined San Francisco. We'll encounter the legendary defense attorney Jake Ehrlich, a true embodiment of the city's spirit, and glimpse the powerful forces that shaped its underworld, including the entrenched Mafia and the deeply compromised San Francisco Police Department, whose lucrative take from vice painted a picture of a city operating by its own set of rules. From the Barbary Coast's den of iniquity to the nascent jazz clubs and the shadow of the impending crackdown, prepare to delve into the secret history of a Frisco on the cusp of transformation, a city as seductive and dangerous as the fog that rolls through the Golden Gate.

Ever wondered who really pulled the strings in San Francisco during its post-war golden age? It wasn't the mayor or the board of supervisors.

When the war ended in 1946, San Francisco experienced an unprecedented boom. Servicemen who'd fallen in love with the city returned to stay, nightlife flourished, and business thrived in what appeared to be a model American city. But beneath this picturesque facade, two men – neither elected nor appointed – controlled nearly everything.

On one side was Bill Wren, a powerful newspaperman working for William Randolph Hearst's Examiner, who effectively ran both the city and the state Democratic Party through his influence and connections. His rival, Bones Remmer, was a professional gambler who had previously managed the Cal-Neva Lodge before establishing himself in San Francisco, where he systematically took over various aspects of city business. Their intense rivalry and behind-the-scenes power struggle shaped the city in ways that have remained largely hidden from historical accounts.

My fascination with this era began unexpectedly while working as a copy boy at the Examiner in the 1970s. A chance conversation with an elderly bartender led me to discover phone tap transcripts from 1950 revealing conversations between these power brokers. Most surprisingly, I learned my own grandfather had been "a player" in this shadowy world – creating a personal connection that fueled decades of research into San Francisco's secret history.

Join me as we explore the fascinating web of influence, corruption, and colorful characters that defined San Francisco from 1946-1953. From legendary establishments with their famous Pisco Punch to Hollywood connections and Bay Area criminal enterprises, we'll uncover the stories that shaped the city we know today. Have family stories from this era or research leads? I'd love to hear from you as we resurrect this crucial chapter in San Francisco's past.