What are your earliest and fondest memories?
I was born on 16 February 1940 in Gzira; just four months before the commencement of hostilities towards Malta during the Second World War. My earliest memories of a child were the frequent blackouts and playing cricket with lawn tennis balls (blalen tal-kamoxxa) outside in the street when we moved to Hughes Hallet Street in Qui-si-Sana, Sliema.
Things have changed since those days with children now stuck inside playing computer games and missing out on so many outdoor activities. This explains partly why some kids are not so street-smart and street-wise as they were in those days. Youngsters in our modern society, more often than not get carried away into a life of permissiveness, drugs, alcohol, loud and deafening music and other destructive and addictive "entertainment" and wayward behaviour.
The demise of the much-loved open space in Sliema and the uncontrolled development of the permanent commercial outlets that one sees today has contributed to an impersonal, faceless and emotionless Sliema. Gone are the days of that sense of community, warmth and closeness where people chatted and took interest in each other's wellness and well-being.
Tell me something about how you started to get in contact with world-famous entertainers?
The year 1950 saw my brothers leave Malta for the UK starting with my brother Charles, then Joe, myself, Vince and Ron. My parents were at first heart-broken on seeing all the boys leave home to another country. Emigration was inevitable in many circumstances as thousands of Maltese young men left Malta to seek virgin land and find employment opportunities, which were severely lacking in Malta, especially during the 1950s and 1960s. A large outflow of manpower left the islands to the UK, Canada and Australia, mainly.
When I emigrated, my brother Joe kept me with him at his house, as I only had 10 Sterling in my pocket and a hole in the left shoe. I immediately went looking for a job down Piccadilly way and as I loved the sound of music coming from a nightclub called The Stork Room, which was situated in Swallow Street, I started to make enquiries for a job. I was given the job of a dish-washer straight away and then in the pantry of The Stork Room nightclub. Food in the kitchen was always forthcoming. After a few months, I made it to the restaurant where during the evening dinner a cabaret was held with London local talent.
The greatest thrill for me was that many world renowned stars visited The Stork Room. Some acts and people who visited the nightclub included Gene Kelly, Shirley Bassy, Burt Lancaster, Tommy Steel, (Alma Cogan and her mother), Eartha Kitt, Pier Angeli (the girlfriend of the legendary James Dean) and last but not least, the man who has been billed as the greatest entertainer of all times Mr Bo jangles Sammy davis Jr.
London in the 1950s was known to the Maltese who emigrated there and set gaming and strip clubs in Soho. Many Maltese started to gain a notorious reputation of gangsters who dominated the London vice scene, but at the same time London was also flourishing at a fast pace with Jazz bars and nightclubs.
Among them were some of the best in the world. The interiors were cosy and glamorous without the clichés and the service was impeccable, without being annoying. They had a lot of class, without a hint of pretentiousness. The music never disappointed either, with top live jazz and blues playing. One could enjoy dinner, dancing, spectacular revues and international cabaret stars.
Burt Lancaster’s autograph dedicated to Alfred Fenech
Throughout the 1960s, some of these entertainment spots grew into world famous venues which were selected time and time again by leading companies and organisations for conventions, trade shows and commercial conferences. Such was the case of the Talk of the Town, a theatre/restaurant which was the creation of Sir Charles Forte, Sir Bernard Delfont and Robert Nesbitt which had an audience capacity for 750 guests.
During the four weeks since taking my job (Tuesday, 16 May until Friday, 10 June 1959) at the Stork Room nightclub, Sammy Davies Jr was appearing at the Pigalle in London. My job was to escort him to the Stork Room nightclub and make sure that his morning breakfast at 2pm was in perfect shape. He was a gentleman all round and a down to earth man. As the weeks passed, on the last night I served him, I asked for his autograph to which he responded with a smile and a good night handshake, plus of course, the autograph which is one of my most prized and precious possessions.
Besides these film stars I also served the Duke of Kent. When I asked them politely for their autographs, they were always willing to give it, except the Duke of Kent, as royal autographs are not allowed, because of protocol reasons.
What are your memories and experiences of the Malta Police Force?
After a short stint of three months with the Admiralty Constabulary at the Bailey's Dockyard at Għajn Dwieli, Cospicua, I joined the police force in 1960 and my first work was on the Valletta Police District performing duties on the beat, then I was stationed at the Docks, again at Għajn Dwieli and Manoel Island as the need arose. Eventually, I was then transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department and my first job was statistics compilation which included a staff of seven Women Police Officers (WPCs) on the site where the Police Museum currently stands.
Later I was assigned an office at the main gate and my work colleague was WPC 1 Bice which we used to call, Peach. She was a highly-educated police-woman and we got on very well together. On several occasions I was called to investigate serious crimes that used to take place every now and then such as murders, hold-ups and rounding up of the usual professional criminals. In those days investigators did not have at their disposition the sophisticated means as today, but one thing was for certain; when a serious crime took place they knew who the criminals were.
During my career in the police force I attended and successfully completed a course in April 1974 organised by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States Department of Justice. This course enabled officers to analyse drugs on the spot using a special kit and thereby perform arrests of offenders on the spot.
The Pigalle hosts Sammy Davies Jnr and an autograph on the reverse dedicated to Alfred Fenech
How did you involve yourself in animal welfare?
After serving nearly 18 years in the police force, I retired on medical grounds in 1979 and thereafter, I made it my mission to help in alleviating the cruelty that was being inflicted on the poor animals, mainly dogs, as the institution that was supposed to defend them was instead putting them down. This, I could not bear and accept. So I decided to squat illegally at the old Manoel Island Lazzaretto Hospital and gradually, I turned it into an animal sanctuary.
At one time I had more than 230 dogs which heartless people had thrown into the streets. There, they left them to die, some of them with bad injuries. This mission only lasted for 16 years (1979-1995) when one day, out of the blue, I was surrounded by 20 policemen who arrived armed to their teeth to evict me and my dogs as if I was some big "mafioso". I was charged with animal cruelty for the simple reason that I was keeping sick and injured dogs, which of course, was the responsibility of the government to take care of.
I was fined Lm50 (about €150 in today's money) for not separating the sick from the healthy dogs. According to the authorities, as the veterinary surgeon told me later on, these people wanted to find in me a tiny and remote fault to evict me and my dogs. They went to such an extreme that they even barred me from entering the sanctuary. One night when the sanctuary was not guarded, together with some friends, I rescued 35 of these dogs, including Gejtu, my favourite dog and kept them in a temporary place in Gzira for four months.
Yet again, when the dogs were taken to Valletta Road, Luqa in 1998, two volunteers of mine (two of my supposed helpers and paid by me) were still after my blood by inventing a story, after which I was charged with misappropriation of funds. Right now, I am still defending and clearing my name of this accusation.
I was never charged with any acts of animal cruelty and this is attested to in all the reports published by the newspapers of that time.
Do you intend to publish your autobiography?
I would most definitely like to do so. Not only will I bring out some interesting stories full of suspense and intrigue, which over the years as policeman, I have put together many. I also have written about numerous incidents that are indeed touching and full of emotional content. Surely it will be an interesting and intriguing autobiography. As a taster, I will surely write about these cases, and many more:
- Strange Happenings (a house full of paranormal activity in Gzira)
- The Heavily Guarded Libyan woman (who came to Malta to seek her long lost son)
- The Lockerbie Case (an unpublished suspense story)
- Christina Radcliffe (who worked at the War Rooms during the Second World War)
- Tony Nicholl (one of my childhood idols and neighbours)
- As a security with ex-Premier Dom Mintoff and later on my friendship with him as he neared the end of his life
- Film stars who visited Malta and who I escorted (Paul Newman, Roger Moore, Lee Marvin and many others)
- Dignitaries and politicians who I escorted (including Dom Mintoff, Sandy Cachia Zammit, George Borg Olivier and many others)