Joseph and Frances Maniaci, both of 3326 North Richards Street, signed the articles of incorporation for Mando Enterprises on June 8, 1965 in front of notary public Henry G. Piano. Joseph was president, Frances was vice president and Ann Porath (1821 North Marshall) was secretary-treasurer. For a brief time, James Jennaro (855 North Brenner) was also a director. (Ann Porath seems to be the married name of Ann DiGiorgio, the sister of Angelo DiGiorgio.)
August 5, 1965: The license for 323-327 West Wells was transferred from Hank Marino Recreation to Mando Enterprises (Joseph Maniaci). The location was to be a bar called Chez Joey. Like Maniaci’s previous business, Henri’s Show Lounge, it was generally believed to be a Balistrieri establishment.
The Ad Lib night club (323-327 West Wells) opened on June 10, 1966. The registered agent for the business was James Jennaro, and the owner was Mando Enterprises (Joseph and Frances Maniaci). Formerly an army surplus store, the Ad Lib storefront was beautifully redesigned as a cocktail lounge, supper club and cabaret. “Richly gilded in golds and scarlets, the Ad Lib is brassy classy with ornate glass chandeliers, a big mirrored wall and soft pink lighting,” said the Milwaukee Journal. “The setting is both plush and posh.” The opening night had a $2 cover charge and was full. This success was slightly offset by the fact in the same night there was a small fire at the Antlers Hotel and the Scene had to temporarily evacuate because of smoke.
Within its first year, the highly regarded nightclub welcomed Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Herbie Mann, Lionel Hampton, Dorothy Donnegan, Henny Youngman, Rusty Warren, Art Van Damme, Gene Krupa and more.
The Ad Lib abruptly switched to an all-striptease format in August 1967. “We’re only doing this temporarily,” promised manager Jimmy Jennaro. “I already have jazzmen booked for September and November.” But this wasn’t exactly true, as the Ad Lib remained a strip joint for the next six years.
May 14, 1968, an informant said the Ad Lib Club stopped selling lunch and the regular crowd had moved to Sally’s in the Knickerbocker Hotel.
James Jennaro was called into the city attorney’s office on November 4, 1968. He arrived with attorney Joseph Balistrieri and was told that he could not have a liquor license for the Ad Lib because he was not a resident of the city. Balistrieri told the city it was okay and a few days later submitted Jerome DiMaggio’s name to the City Licensing Commission.
An article appeared in the Milwaukee Sentinel on January 23, 1969 concerning the Vice Squad’s crackdown on the downtown strip clubs. Apparently the city only allowed dancers to strip to their underwear, but at the Ad Lib they found some dancers stripping to nothing more than a G-string. One dancer, female impersonator Brooks Walter Woodsman (performing as Teri Tyler), was caught inappropriately touching an undercover officer and was fired and fined $50.
Nunzio A. Maniaci, 6912 North 37th Street, submitted his name to be the agent for the Ad Lib on January 31, 1969. Maniaci, a real estate agent and bank teller, was replacing Jerome DiMaggio, whose application had been rejected after police said he had made a false statement in his application. DiMaggio had failed to report an arrest for disorderly conduct in 1951, when he was found i na hotel room with a woman other than his wife. DiMaggio, in turn, was supposed to replace Jimmy Jennaro, who lost the license because he was not a Milwaukee resident. (It’s not clear to me which Nunzio this is, but it may be Augie’s son because apparently Augie was not consulted and this was seen as an “ethical violation” among mob figures.)
Two special agents went to the Ad Lib on April 15, 1969 from 10:00pm until 10:35pm. While there, they saw James Jennaro at the far right side of the bar in conversation. An agent asked a waitress if Jimmy was still in charge. She said, “Yes, but you’d never know it because he doesn’t do anything.”
Around 10:15pm on May 19, 1969, the agents left and went to the Ad Lib Club. Minutes later, James Jennaro sat down at their table and struck up casual conversation. Jennaro said the club stopped using female impersonators and was now strictly female strippers. He had also fired a comedian that he considered “too raw”. The bartender Jerry was currently in the hospital undergoing tests —he was grossly overweight and had stomach problems. Jennaro said Joseph Enea was still working at Alfie’s on Teutonia. He said he liked living in Brookfield, though he missed Milwaukee’s East Side. But having a wife and three children, he thought Brookfield was a better environment to raise a family. Jennaro said he barred [redacted] from the Ad Lib because of his notoriety as a thief. Jennaro said he was a “dumbbell” and would always be a thief. Walter Brocca stopped by for a moment to say hello to Jennaro, and after he left Jennaro said Brocca was a “clever craftsman” and “capable carpenter”, having built the Kings IV almost single-handedly. The agents left the Ad Lib at 11:15pm.
Judge Harvey L. Neelen ordered the Ad Lib night club temporarily closed on December 1, 1969 until the corporation that operates it, Mando Enterprises, could provide proof of workers compensation insurance. The attorney general wanted the club closed permanently.
Manager of the Ad Lib, Jimmy Jennaro, and female impersonator Misty Dawn, of Chicago, were
charged with prohibiting indecent performances on January 20, 1970. Apparently while dancing, Dawn exposed her breasts and buttocks. The incident was witnessed by Patrolman Roger Cortez. The city attorneys ran into complications with the ordinance when they were unable to determine if Misty displayed male or female breasts —ar he had undergone surgery to be transformed into a woman. Ad Lib management argued that since Misty was born a man, it was legal for “him” to dance topless and/or bottomless, sit with male patrons and solicit drinks. In the end, Misty got off with a $50 fine thanks to attorney Dominic Frinzi.
April 2, 1970: Mando Enterprises (the Ad Lib) was fined $2,600 for liquor law violations. At the hearing, it was mentioned that Frank Balistrieri was affiliated with the club. Joseph Balistrieri, representing Mando, became upset, saying his father was not a stockholder in Mando and this was simply an excuse to publicly attack him.
On July 1, 1970, the Ad Lib license was changed from Mando Enterprises (Joseph Maniaci) to Joseph Enea.
Joseph Maniaci was found in contempt of court October 7, 1970 after failing to show his corporate books to state tax authorities. Maniaci was the president of Mando Enterprises, which operated the Ad Lib night club.
On January 26, 1972, Dane County Judge Russell J. Mittelstadt found Jennie Alioto and Joseph Maniaci guilty of sales tax fraud for their handling of Mando Enterprises’ books. Specifically, they had signed false and fraudulent tax returns for the Ad Lib night club, reporting about $15,000 less in sales than necessary.