The Sahara Connection

Many years ago I remember a conversation I had with a gentlemen who was family, though not blood related- my brothers and I considered him like an uncle, in fact we called him uncle John. He was involved with real estate in NJ where we lived at the time, he also dabbled in places like South Florida and Los Angeles – although never spoken about, we knew there might have been a “Wiseguy” connection; gulp!

He knowing that my father and mother wanted to move to South Florida, offered my parents a wonderful deal in the purchase of a motel that needed much work in the South Florida area known as Hollywood. In taking a leap of faith my parents took the chance and in time with a lot of hard work we made it happen.

Soon after we moved into that south Florida motel, uncle John made one of his visits. He and I were having a conversation when he brought up a real estate transaction he once was involved with in what I believe was in the 1950’s. In it he mentioned one of the players in this deal was none other than our man Flynn, himself! He asked if ever I had heard of him? To his surprise he learned very quickly how EF was my film idol. He proceeded to tell me a story of that transaction real estate that also involved EF; a partnership of a South Florida (North Miami Beach) area resort hotel called the “Sahara”.

In his telling of the story he told me how Errol loved the beaches there and spear fishing, which I knew that this would have been very true, for growing up in those same south Florida beaches, I and most of other teenagers, etc. would also spear fish while either snorkeling or scuba diving. Soon thereafter I followed up with becoming a lifeguard on those same beaches, in fact at another beach resort hotel right down the street from the Sahara. Everyday going to and fro work I would always slow down and look at the Sahara, and think how cool it would have been hanging out there with Errol spear fishing; to have been born a few years earlier, maybe I too could have had the opportunity to have joined him on his yacht, the Zaca, wow! that would have been something.

In any case, uncle John told me stories of how he, Errol and others would hang out while he was at the Sahara indulging in Errol’s pastime, a few drinks. They would pick Errol’s head about his days of Robin Hood or Captain Blood, etc., which according to uncle John, Errol would talk about them yet not with great pleasure. What a shame I used to think, to be so big in life to so many and yet for Errol to regret them in such a way. A few short years later, I in some way too got to understand this; prancing around on Rock and Roll stages, and not really being appreciated for what my real musical capabilities were, for you sort of feel like a cartoon freak as appose to the real hard studies you put in your craft. In saying this, we all know how Errol knew it himself to be better than that of what he was so looked upon; a character in tights and a sword.

I believe the Sahara is still up, but since I have not ventured that way in a good few years, I cant say for sure, nor to what capacity it resembles of old (see pics) – I also remember reading somewhere in one of my many books I have on Errol, maybe it was in “My Wicked Wicked Ways” or some other literature, which makes its mention of his association with that Sahara. Also if I remember correctly, he did not fare well with it soon there after – sounds like another of Errol’s later years in bad investment choices.

To me in some way feel blessed to have someone known close to me who actually knew the king of cinema, Errol Flynn, himself!  and to have heard some very cool stories first hand, and although I would have preferred to have been there myself, I guess this is a second best….

— Sergio