I was so excited. I was finally going to get to stay at the Claiborne Hotel. I had grown up in the San Francisco area, and the Clairborne Hotel had sat grandly on one of the highest hills in the city, looking out over the San Francisco Bay.
As a kid I had always dreamed about what it would be like to live in a place like that, or even stay there for a few nights. The Clairborne had a storied history. It was built as a resort spa back in the late 1800s. I'm not sure who built the hotel, but I do know that at one time it was a hangout for the mob. They would send some of their old cronies over from back East to check into the hotel. There was a lot of talk that a number of them never checked out; at least not in the traditional way that is.
Before I go on, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Tony DeMarco. I'm named for my great grandfather. He was a colorful character in old San Francisco, and was reported to have been part of the syndicate that owned this very same hotel! My grandma always said I looked exactly like him.
Find out what happens to Tony DeMarco when he spends a night in his grandfather's hotel!
Ages 9 and up.
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