Shots and Giggles: The Bizarre Tale of Frank Fontis
Posted: 10.15.2024 | Updated: 10.15.2024
Key West. Those two words conjure up images of good times, Jimmy Buffet songs, and a colorful band of residents who defy description. So, it should come as no surprise that the ghosts that haunt Key West are peculiar in their own way. Besides the Indigenous peoples, Spanish conquistadors, and pirates who lived and died here, there’s a contingent of good-time spirits who just can’t put their partying ways behind them, even in death.Perhaps no spirit is better known for his bizarre life and end than Frank Fontis. His unsolved murder is the stuff of legend, still discussed in bars all over Key West, especially at his home bar, Shots and Giggles.
Is Shots and Giggles The Most Haunted Bar In Key West?
Shots and Giggles is nestled next to Tattoos & Scars Saloon right off Greene Street. It’s undeniably one of Key West’s most popular and haunted bars, widely known for its relaxed atmosphere, cold drinks, and always having the game on any of its five TVs. Their resident spirit, Frank Fontis, is a powerhouse of a phantom who bothers staff and patrons alike. Animals are afraid to cross by the bar from the street, adding to its already eerie reputation.
Good Times And Lots Of Shots And Giggles
Fontis owned a rather odd establishment, the Coffee Mill and Florida Railroad Museum, which died along with its owner when he was murdered. Fast-forward to 2011, when a pair of intrepid entrepreneurs opened Shots and Giggles at the exact place where Frank met his final demise. You can't guess what happens next.
But before that, a reminder. Join Southern Most Ghosts on our Haunted Key West Pub Craw to find out the real lowdown on Frank and his odd relations with Shots and Giggles. So come along and let us introduce you to the Conch Republic’s most famous denizen of the dead.
Kind Of A Drag
Frank Fontis was quite the flamboyant character and a bit crazy, perfectly befitting the image of a party guy who never let the more responsible things in life get in the way of his fun. Though he considered himself somewhat of a businessman, he may have been best known for the time he spent as the gardener for legendary playwright Tennessee Williams. He even built the fence that still stands at Williams’ old house today.
Fontis was a noted drag queen and seducer of young men. While somewhat of a curiosity around town, he wasn’t necessarily all that well-liked. Williams once described his former gardener as a "malign" kind of person who had a"genuine demonic presence and evil powers.” But let's face it. He did know how to have a good time.
While the gardener turned would-be entrepreneur considered himself one of the town's leading "boosters,” he appeared rather shiftless.
That is until he had the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of opening a museum, the Coffee Mill and Florida Railroad Museum. Most of Key West’s residents figured he opened it because he simply had nothing better to do. But his ambition would be short-lived.
The Stuff Of Legend
Fontis’s mysterious murder is the stuff of legend. It’s still openly debated in bars all across Key West.
On January 5th, 1979, he was found murdered on his front porch, completely naked, in a pool of blood. He had been shot once in the head. There were dollar bills scattered all around his body. About $600 in cash was missing, along with assorted jewelry, including a gold necklace from which dangled a heart bearing the letter "F" engraved in diamonds.
Yet what most people recall is the racket his parrots and parakeets made that night, only in Key West. Two men were eventually charged with his murder. But the evidence was circumstantial, and they were acquitted.
This verdict did not sit well with Frank Fontis’ spirit.
Frank’s Revenge
Some say that Fontis’ ghost still haunts the bar and the area in front of 235 Ann Street because his murder was never solved. Now considered one of Key West’s most popular bars, it sits right on the exact spot where Frank Fontis drew his last breath. You can imagine what happened next. Fontis has found a way to take out his frustration after his murder turned into a “cold case.” He just hangs out in his old haunts, looking for his eternity of good times. That seems to include bothering the staff and patrons whenever he pleases, leaving the owners both amused and bemused.
Frank’s Partying Ways
About the time they were building out their new bar, they began to observe strange phenomena. It seemed that Key West’s police horses simply refused to walk past the building. As if that wasn't enough, a friend’s dog and baby weren’t particularly eager to enter the premises either.
So the owners went to the public library to do some research for themselves. There, a local historian told them all about Frank Fontis' sordid tale, a story they had never heard before opening the bar. Let the buyer beware!
But just as in life, Fontis’ spirit is the cantankerous sort. He likes things his own way, even in death. And when they’re not going his way, or he wakes up on the wrong side of his coffin, he takes matters into his own hands. As in life, everyone knows when Frank’s in one of his moods. He has a unique way of showing them just how displeased he is. Wine bottles fly off the shelves and shatter on the floor. The staff is forced to duck to avoid the flying bottles and wine glasses he seems to hurl at them, a childish temper tantrum if there ever was one.
There's a sense that Frank is overlooking everything in the bar, making sure it meets his “high” standards. People often report a feeling that some invisible presence is watching them.
Dancing Queen of Shots And Giggles
Years later, a cloaked character arrived, claiming he could communicate with the unliving (then again, would you expect anything less in Key West). Well, anyway, he said he managed to speak with Frank’s spirit.
The old man gleamed a most important fact: Frank was happiest when the bar played ABBA's “Dancing Queen.” It was his favorite song in life. In fact, he felt the 1970s pop sensation was all about him. The bar still plays the pop hit every weekend out of respect and to keep the peace.
Oh, and Frank’s last words to the erstwhile medium? “Just let ‘em know that if there’s any missing rum, just put it on my tab.”.
Haunted Key West
With its bizarre and storied past, it’s pretty apparent why Key West is haunted. And with its rather unusual present, it’s easy to see why even more ghosts will be running around like Frank Fontis.
So, let us add a little more zest to your trip to Key West with Southernmost Ghosts. We’re the perfect way to see haunted Key West on a walking ghost tour!
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Sources
https://www.keywesttravelguide.com/where-is-key-west/
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