Gary Scheer and his wife, Barbara, will be dressed to the nines, circa 1930s, when they head down to Hotel Congress Friday night.
The couple will literally be part of the scenery as part of the Friday Night Speakeasy that opens Dillinger Days, which commemorates the 81st anniversary of John Dillinger’s capture in Tucson.
“We’ll be in costume and just kind of floating around,” said Scheer, who is taking part as a member of the Model A Ford Club of Tucson. “It will be a lot of fun.”
Scheer, who owns Alvernon Optical, has acquired a double-breasted suit with a white tie, fedora, suspenders and — as befitting an optometrist — authentic 1930s spectacles. As of Tuesday he was still confident the black and white shoes he’d ordered would arrive in time.
He’ll also carry some Prohibition-era cred — a couple of his uncles were bootleggers who served time in Leavenworth, a federal penitentiary in Kansas.
Over the years Hotel Congress has honed the Speakeasy into a bootleggers’ paradise with live music, whiskey tastings, a turn-of-the-century magic show and more. Look for bites by Cup Café and craft beer by Borderlands Brewing Company.
There’s also a bit of exclusivity — guests will be asked the password (Dillinger’s famous catchphrase “I’ll be damned”) and only 200 will be admitted to this 21-and-over affair. Tickets are $25 and proceeds benefit The Greater Tucson Fire Foundation.
Fittingly, a fire that broke out in the hotel’s basement and spread to the third floor on Jan. 22, 1934, is what ultimately led to the capture of the infamous outlaw and his gang.
A firetruck present at the actual 1934 fire, along with another vintage firetruck, will be part of a vintage car show with more than 100 cars — many parked along Toole Avene — on Saturday.
One of those cars will be the ’31 Ford Model A Victoria that Scheer bought from a friend several years ago.
“I totally restored it,” Scheer said. “It’s all authentic except for a couple little things.”
Saturday’s events are free and include reenactments of the gang’s capture, along with guided historical walking tours, lectures and hotel tours.
