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1985 3

Club Bella Napoli was a LGBTQ bar at 2330 Telegraph, in the building that had previously been Bella Napoli Restaurant. It was open from 1983 until c.1992. Along with Town and Country (2022 Telegraph) and Cabal's Reef Bar and Disco (2272 Telegraph), it was one of the "Telegraph Three." 1

InDecember 1982, Julius Green, Jr. applied for a cabaret license for 2330. The first Tribune reference found is from August 1983, when they hosted a "Louisiana Gumbo Feast" dinner and disco dance. Regular listings started appearing a few months later.

1983

A 1985 article says:

Near Cabel's Reef is the Bella Napoli, a restaurant-bar, which has a dance floor and caters to a young Black crowd on disco nights. The sign on the outside here advertises: "True European Style Food to Take Out," so unless you've already heard about this place, you might have trouble finding the "disco on Telegraph." 3

The GLBT Historical Society archives have a lone flyer from the club for an event in 1990: 2

Dynasty Productions Presents
The Live -R- Memorex Review
$100 Talent Show
Starring Llarii
Featuring Jackie, Nicki, Anthony & Ebony
Produced by: Llarii Overshown
Managed by: Tracy Weathers
M.C.: Jackie Williams
Sunday February 25, 1990

The Live-R-Memorex Review did weekly shows at Bella Napoli.

Footage of poet Essex Hemphill used in Tongues Untied (1989), a documentary by Marlon Riggs, was shot in the club. Hemphill did a reading there from Brother to Brother in 1991.

1991

The last Tribune reference found is from 1992.

1992

Links and References

  1. Once Upon a Time in Oaktown FoundSF.org
  2. San Francisco LGBT Business Ephemera Collection, 1960-2010 GLBT Historical Society
  3. There Is a There There—Patches of Pink on Telegraph Bay Area Reporter February 7, 1985
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