Just read John Saltas’ column [“Happy Facebook,” Private Eye, Dec. 2, City Weekly]. Nice to see the old Crows Nest mentioned. It was a historic beer bar in those days.
The reason Saltas got into the Crows Nest was probably because I was working the door. Back then, it was the bar and dance club to go to—only beer but nobody cared—lots of girls and lots of action
I started working the door just before I turned 21 (fake ID). Sam and Tom, the owners, didn’t know. Little did I know (until he showed his badge) that one of the first guys I carded was with the vice squad. We became friends, and he was surprised when I had my 21st birthday party at the Nest.
Tom and Sam were from Price and got another famous bar and club owner started: Lumpy (Al Santi). Lumpy was from Price and needed a job while going to the U of U, so they let him work there. He was younger than I was, and when the cops would show up, he was banished under the bar in the cellar, more like a dungeon.
One time, some motorcycle guys were there and thought they were tough, but got into it with the wrong guys: players from the U of U football team. It was all we could do to get it out to the parking lot where the Utes kicked some ass.
Terry Pantuso
Salt Lake City