Agostino Giuntoli

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Agostino “Bimbo” Giuntoli (September 22, 1903 – July 25, 1992) was an Italian-born American nightclub owner and entrepreneur. He was born in Chiesina Uzzanese, Tuscany, Italy, and moved to San Francisco in 1922 at age 19 with only $2. He first worked as a janitor at the Palace Hotel, then as a cook. His boss, Monk Young, couldn’t pronounce his name and called him “bimbo,” Italian for boy, and the nickname stuck.

In 1931, Giuntoli helped open the 365 Club at 365 Market Street. It started as a speakeasy and after-hours gambling club owned by Young and managed by Giuntoli, and it soon became a very popular spot. The club featured musical acts and dancers, including a young Rita Hayworth in the chorus line. An optical illusion using mirrors in a large fish tank created the impression of a nude woman swimming, known as Dolfina, the Girl in the Fishbowl.

In 1936, he employed Victor Rosellini, his wife Emilia’s younger brother, in front of house. Rosellini later ran several Seattle restaurants and became president of the National Restaurant Association. Giuntoli became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943.

Around 1950 or 1951, Giuntoli, by then the sole owner, bought 1025 Columbus Avenue and moved the club there. The club remained in the family for years; his grandson Michael Cerchiai later owned it and hosted Smokey Robinson there.

Giuntoli married Emilia Rosellini in 1928, and they had two daughters. He died in San Francisco on July 25, 1992, and was survived by his two daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.