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| A HISTORY OF TOM BERGIN'S TAVERNFebrurary 12, 1936 Lawyer around town since 1922, Tom Bergin at the age of 46 opened the doors to the "Old Horseshoe Tavern and Thoroughbred Club," named after a Tavern his uncle had on the wharf in Boston. The Bergin family had been in the wholesale liquor business since the 1850's. The Tavern was located at 6110 Wilshire Boulevard., just west of Fairfax Avenue. on the south side. And W.J. ( Jake ) Ohlsen, a starter on the 1935 Minnesota football team who was voted # 1 in the nation was hired as a bartender. Within a year, he became the general manager. In 1937 Tom Bergin's Horseshoe Tavern and Thoroughbred Club had it's own private stock of 100% Blended Scotch Whiskey for sale.
1948 Tom Bergin started the Tom Bergin's LA
Rams softball team comprised of big name football players - Jim Hardy, Glenn
Davis, Tom Fears. The lease expired at the original location and Tom Bergin
starts building at a new location right around the corner.
1950 Jake
Ohlsen started the "Shamrock-Hanging"
tradition. Each Shamrock is handmade and painted with the customer's last name.
Today there are over 7,000 Shamrocks on the walls. 1962 Rudy Ochoa started as a busboy and quickly moved his way up to waiter. From then until he retired in 2000 after 38 years, served many families in Hancock Park, who kept coming back with their children, and then their grandchildren. He also served movie stars - everyone from Cary Grant, Chuck Conners, Adam West, and Kiefer Sutherland.
1980 Esquire
Magazine named Tom Bergin's as one of the "Top 100 Bars" in the United
States. 1992 "House
of Pain" did a photo shoot for their self-titled album at the backside of
Tom Bergin's Horseshoe Tavern Bar. 2000 In January Tom Bergin's Tavern celebrates 50 years at this location! Tom Bergin's Tavern is featured in the March issue of "In-Style" and "SOMA" magazines. Rudy Ochoa retires after 38 years at Tom Bergins. In July Tom Bergin's Tavern collection of Leprechauns is introduced according to the season and/or event. Tullamore Dew joins Tom Bergin's Tavern in their Logo Irish Coffee Glass gift packs and Guinness with the Pint Glass gift packs. |
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1947
Bergin's Football Buses ran to the LA Ram's games ( ended in 1981 )
On March 11, 1973 at
the age of 79 Tom Bergin passed his shillelagh on to T.K. Vodrey and Mike
Mandekic. On St. Patrick's Day the famous "I Was At Bergin's"
buttons where introduced, and customers can't wait to get the new ones each
year. The "Shamrock Logo" was introduced by T.K.Vodrey.
