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Articles by Pat Murphy
Growing Up Downtown: Piazza Brothers Barber Shop
In 1909, 17-year-old Tony Piazza, along with Peter Dichiara and Joseph Mandala, opened a barber shop in Bay St. Louis at the head of Main Street on Beach Boulevard. For the next 60 years, this barber shop would be a mainstay in the downtown area of Bay St. Louis. The barber shop, along with everything else on the water side of Beach Boulevard, was destroyed during Hurricane Camille in August of 1969.
Growing Up Downtown: A Family Affair
Mardi Gras has always been about pageantry, spectacle and family fun. Our home here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, located midway between the originators (New Orleans and Mobile) has literally always been right in the middle of it! As time goes on, Mardi Gras has become more about spectacle, especially with the advent of the huge super parades like Muses in New Orleans. I have to say that, for the most part, the celebration continues to be a family event.
Growing Up Downtown: Coleman Ave. Gulf Theater
This photo is of the Gulf Theater, which was located on Coleman Avenue in Waveland. There was an earlier Waveland theater — the Nicholson — located on Nicholson Avenue just over the railroad tracks to the right, but the Gulf on Coleman was located just east of where Rickey’s stands today. This photo of the Gulf Theater dates back to 1937. There doesn’t seem to be a wealth of information concerning this Coleman Avenue theater. I know that it was owned and operated by businessman Mr. Ed Ortte.
The frontiersman you’ve probably never heard of
Putting fiction aside, who was the real Thomas Fitzpatrick? Born circa 1799 in County Cavan, Ireland, Fitzpatrick immigrated to America as a teenager, and then wandered westward to St. Louis, Missouri. Situated a little south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, St. Louis was an expanding town on a navigable waterway, a location that made it a focal point of the western fur trade. Gravitating towards that business was a natural thing for a young man to do.
Growing Up Downtown -- The Claudettes Combo
Growing up in Bay St. Louis, I saw Pass Christian’s The Claudettes Combo, led by drummer James “Bro” Baker many times, playing at teen dances, house parties and wedding receptions all around the area. The band performed a great deal up and down the Coast in the 1960s. My lifelong friend Isaak “Bo” Darensbourg was the young guitarist for The Claudettes Combo. This was in the days before Bo met Miss Dee, who was still in Biloxi, working as a member of The Blue Flames.
Opinion: How Hollywood keeps reinventing Robin Hood
Video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/tlSDDuWxO_0?si=utMIDI2urMyOBvqH Since the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks silent version got the ball rolling, Robin Hood has been a cinematic staple. Most renderings have hewn to some flavour of the heroic model, but not so with the latest outing. The Death of Robin Hood is apparently a different beast altogether.
How Harold Godwinson Gambled for England and Lost
Godwinson’s calculated rise brought him the crown, but defeat at the Battle of Hastings opened the way for a conquest that transformed England. Commentary October 1066 was a profoundly consequential month for England. Historian Robert Tombs pithily summarizes what transpired as a result of Duke William of Normandy’s victory at the Battle of Hastings: “The Conquest annihilated England’s ruling class, physically and genetically.” This, of course, applied only to the male line.
Hallucination-laced court order raises alarm bells
In Brief AI-generated errors in a federal judge’s temporary restraining order included incorrect parties, nonexistent declarations and language not found in the challenged law. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the AI controversy warrants assigning the Mississippi civil rights case to a different judge. Massachusetts and Rhode Island have taken cautious approaches to generative AI use by judges, law clerks and other court personnel.
Growing Up Downtown — Struttin’ Their stuff
As a veteran of the St. Stanislaus Rockachaws marching band for seven years, I can still remember the thrill of marching down Beach Boulevard into downtown Bay St. Louis. There was just nothing like the excitement of a parade. This photo of the Krewe of Chicapoula Mardi Gras parade dates to about 1964 and shows the Bay High marching band with the majorettes coming down North Beach Blvd. into Bay St. Louis’ downtown area.
Harold Godwineson gambled for England and lost
His calculated rise brought him the crown, but defeat at the Battle of Hastings opened the way for a conquest that transformed England Title: Harold: Warrior KingAuthor: Tom Licence Publisher: Yale University Press Publication Year: 2026 (Available from Amazon) October 1066 was a profoundly consequential month for England.
Growing Up Downtown: The Stevenson Building
My grandfather was George Stevenson, a businessman in downtown Bay St. Louis for fifty years. He and his wife Odile, my mother’s parents, moved from New Orleans in 1922. Losing his job early in the Depression, Gramps and friend Townsend Wolfe began business at 349 Main supplying coal and firewood to the CCC camps that were operating in the area. By the spring of 1933, he and Wolfe opened Radio and Electric Service at 213 South Beach on the water side. Early on, Gramps became sole owner.
Perrotto: Will the Pirates EVER Win Another Division Title? Original
The Milwaukee Brewers celebrated their latest division title by taking a team photo on the PNC Park infield on Tuesday night. Of course, the latest National League Central division title would be decided on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home field. Just more salt to be poured into a Pirates’ wound that has festered for more than three decades. The Brewers wrapped up the division crown with a 5-1 victory over the Pirates, coupled with the second-place Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Chicago.
How Hollywood keeps reinventing Robin Hood
Is Hugh Jackman’s guilt-laden Robin a betrayal of the legend, or just the evolution of a myth? Since the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks silent version got the ball rolling, Robin Hood has been a cinematic staple. Most renderings have hewn to some flavour of the heroic model, but not so with the latest outing. The Death of Robin Hood is apparently a different beast altogether.
Three female aviators who defied their times
Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham and Hanna Reitsch had nerve to spare, but left very different legacies Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham and Hanna Reitsch were very different women. But they shared a taste for airplanes, an aversion to being told what women could or couldn’t do, and considerably more nerve than most people. Earhart became the most famous of the three, and almost 90 years after she disappeared somewhere over the Pacific, people are still looking for her.
Growing Up Downtown: Benigno's Bar
As barrooms go, the original Benigno’s by the train depot was a legendary Bay St. Louis drinking establishment for well over a half-century. Opening in 1935, the bar was co-owned by brothers Sam and Norman Benigno. Some time around 1943, Sam became the sole owner while Norman left to open Benigno’s Tavern (The Flamingo) and Littlele Fairgrounds horse racing track out on Hwy. 90 at Drinkwater. The two brothers owned the commercial strip across from the train depot.
Growing Up Downtown — 410 Ulman Avenue
This is a photo of a building that stood at 410 Ulman Avenue. Mr. George Di Benedetto operated a radio and television repair business in the building located directly behind his home at 411 Caroll Avenue beginning in the late 1940s until he moved onto south Beach Blvd. around 1960. aside from Mr. George’s shop, this building served several purposes over the years. The memory that comes to most residents’ minds is of the Greyhound Bus station operating there for almost 25 years.
AI ruling out of Brazil court a cautionary tale
Summary: Labor Court Judge Luiz Carlos de Araujo Santos Jr sanctions lawyers Sanction equals 10% of plaintiff’s $165,000 claim value Referral made to Brazil’s bar association and inspector general A judge in Brazil recently set legal blogs across the globe atwitter when he imposed harsh sanctions in what is believed to be the first reported case of lawyers caught embedding in a pleading a hidden prompt aimed at an AI tool used to screen filings for the court’s docket.
Opinion: Once upon a time, singing cowboys were a real thing
I came across Douglas B. Green’s Singing in the Saddle while sorting through my bookshelves the other day. Published in 2002, it’s a comprehensive history of what was once a robust popular culture phenomenon. However quaint or incongruous the concept may sound to us now, “singing cowboy” movies were once a viable feature of the entertainment landscape. Green distinguishes between Westerns that contain a song or two and those in which the music is a central part of the premise.
Growing Up Downtown: The Pirate House
During my youth, The Pirate House was one of the grandest old southern/Creole homes on the shores of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As a child, I thought it to be a permanent local fixture, but it was not to be so. Located in Waveland at 649 North Beach Boulevard and built on a slight rise in elevation, the home stood on a large piece of property just south of Whispering Pines Drive. Constructed around 1802, this landmark was completely destroyed by Hurricane Camille in August of 1969.
Once Upon a Time, Singing Cowboys Were a Real Thing
Gene Autry and Roy Rogers helped turn low-budget westerns into a Hollywood money machine. Commentary I came across Douglas B. Green’s “Singing in the Saddle“ while sorting through my bookshelves the other day. Published in 2002, it’s a comprehensive history of what was once a robust popular culture phenomenon. However quaint or incongruous the concept may sound to us now, “singing cowboy” movies were once a viable feature of the entertainment landscape.
Thorny issues test bar amidst rising tide of ‘gray’ divorces
In brief Gray divorces now account for a significant share of some Massachusetts family lawyers’ practices. Retirement planning, health care costs and division of marital assets create unique challenges for older couples. Estate plans may need to be updated during divorce, particularly when a spouse dies during the proceedings. Alimony may extend beyond the presumptive retirement-age termination date under Massachusetts law.
Brazil court sanctions lawyers for hidden AI prompt in pleading
A judge in Brazil recently set legal blogs across the globe atwitter when he imposed harsh sanctions in what is believed to be the first reported case of lawyers caught embedding in a pleading a hidden prompt aimed at an AI tool used to screen filings for the court’s docket. Labor Court Judge Luiz Carlos de Araujo Santos Jr. found that two attorneys representing the plaintiff in De Barros v.
Growing Up Downtown: Horne's Restaurant
In the early 1960s, a couple of years after the Winn-Dixie had opened for business, a Horne’s Travel Store and Restaurant was constructed on Hwy. 90 in Bay St. Louis. This photo shows the Horne’s store operation shortly after it opened. Horne’s was a chain of stores across the south, much like the Stuckey’s further down on Hwy. 90 in Waveland, except larger.
Once upon a time, singing cowboys were a real thing
Gene Autry and Roy Rogers helped turn low-budget westerns into a Hollywood money machine I came across Douglas B. Green’s Singing in the Saddle while sorting through my bookshelves the other day. Published in 2002, it’s a comprehensive history of what was once a robust popular culture phenomenon. However quaint or incongruous the concept may sound to us now, “singing cowboy” movies were once a viable feature of the entertainment landscape.
Why Production May Become the Most Important Function in Marketing
OK, I like being controversial, but this is something I truly believe is happening, and no one is pointing it out. For years, production sat quietly downstream from creativity and upstream from media. Necessary. Important. Occasionally celebrated. But rarely viewed as strategic. That’s changing. Because the walls between creative, production, media, data, workflows, digital asset management (DAM) systems, commerce and performance are beginning to collapse into one connected ecosystem.
Growing Up Downtown: Winn Dixie comes to the Bay
The Winn Dixie Food Store chain opened in Bay St. Louis, building a new store in 1958. This photo shows the completed store just after its grand opening. This stare was the beginning of what we know today as Zuppardo’s Shopping Center. The current Bealls store is located in the original Winn Dixie space. Within a short time, a TG&Y Variety Store opened for business adjoining the Winn Dixie and, within a couple of years, an addition would double the size of this variety store.
DOJ fires salvo in battle over disparate impact liability
Highlights: The DOJ found EEOC guidelines on Title VII disparate impact liability unconstitutional, arguing they pressure employers toward race-based decision-making. Lawyers say the opinion could give employers a roadmap to challenge disparate impact claims and potentially prompt future Supreme Court litigation. The DOJ’s position conflicts with longstanding Supreme Court precedent, including the 1971 Griggs decision recognizing disparate impact liability.
Growing Up Downtown: Country Stars on the Courthouse Lawn
The front lawn of the Hancock County Courthouse has always served as a gathering place for lots of events and was the epicenter of downtown Bay St. Louis for man-years. It was a gathering place where people heard voting results on election night after the polls closed (what a party that was). Loudspeakers were placed on the front steps and the results announced as the precinct boxes arrived back at the courthouse.
The road to disaster is often paved by experts
Economist Walt Rostow believed he could engineer history. History had other plans When I was studying economics in the early 1960s, the hot new star was an American named Walt Rostow. His book, The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto, had caused quite a stir when published in 1960. And now he’d gone to work for John F. Kennedy’s shiny new administration in Washington.
Experts foresee legal malpractice risk for those who eschew AI
In brief Boston attorney Christopher E. Hart on emerging AI malpractice risks Rhode Island’s Brian J.
Experts foresee legal malpractice risk for those who eschew AI
In brief Boston attorney Christopher E. Hart on emerging AI malpractice risks Rhode Island’s Brian J.
Experts foresee legal malpractice risk for those who eschew AI
In brief Boston attorney Christopher E. Hart on emerging AI malpractice risks Rhode Island’s Brian J.
Growing Up Downtown: The Promote Hall Brass Band
This is a photo of Bay St. Louis’ Promote Hall Brass Band marching in the 1916 Pass Christian Mardi Gras parade. The gentleman on the front left playing baritone horn is none other than Bay St. Louis’ very own Papa Joe Labat, a driving force in the community and the man who directed the construction of St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church, dedicated in 1926. Bay St. Louis’ Promote Benevolent Association is the earliest-documented African American mutual aid society in the Bay area.
Stop romanticizing pirates: They were just efficient thugs Original
Elected captains, clear rules and shared rewards kept their criminal enterprises running Although pirates have been around forever, most of us probably associate them with what’s known as the Golden Age of Piracy, an era running roughly from the 1650s to the 1720s. That’s the historical setting for movies like Blackbeard the Pirate and stories like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Many, if not most, of the tales may be fanciful, but some of the characters were very real people.
Growing Up Downtown: 1942 Bay High Tigers
My father was a talented high school basketball player. He went on to play basketball for the army all over the United States. My memory is filled with tales regaling his 1942 Bay High basketball team. They were crowned the Gul Coast Regional A & B Basketball Champions of 1942. The team members were, from left: Jack Garriga, Pat Murphy, Leo Seal, Lando Goldman and Milton “Bud” Phillips. Clay Boyd was their coach. Three of those five were my pop’s lifetime best friends.
Scorned lover gets scant relief in ex-boyfriend’s bankruptcy
In brief Bankruptcy judge ruled only a $3,800 motorcycle repair loan was obtained through fraud and cannot be discharged. The remaining balance of a $55,488 state court judgment was deemed dischargeable in the defendant’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The court found insufficient evidence that the debtor intended to deceive his former girlfriend when most loans were made. The ruling emphasizes that fraud must exist when a debt is incurred to qualify for an exception to discharge.
Growing Up Downtown: When Beatlemania Ruled
By September of 1964, the Beatle invasion has conquered the United States and was steamrolling across the Deep South. There was no place anywhere (including Bay-Waveland) that wasn’t immersed in Beatlemania. Our very own county was part of this mania complete with an officially sanctioned local Beatles fan club. On the night of September 16, 1964, The Fab Four were booked to perform at City Park Stadium in New Orleans.
Growing Up Downtown: When Beatlemania Rule
By September of 1964, the Beatle invasion has conquered the United States and was steamrolling across the Deep South. There was no place anywhere (including Bay-Waveland) that wasn’t immersed in Beatlemania. Our very own county was part of this mania complete with an officially sanctioned local Beatles fan club. On the night of September 16, 1964, The Fab Four were booked to perform at City Park Stadium in New Orleans.
Progress Isn’t Inevitable
Commentary If you think of human development as having moved in a smoothly linear fashion—from foraging to farming to villages to cities to modern states—Patrick Wyman’s new book will add a dollop of messy complexity to your perspective. “Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World” paints a picture that’s the opposite of orderly.
History is a lie: Progress isn’t inevitable Original
Patrick Wyman’s new book Lost Worlds shatters the myth that we were destined to succeed Title: Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World Author: Patrick Wyman Publisher: Harper Publication Year: 2026 Available from: Amazon If you think of human development as having moved in a smoothly linear fashion—from foraging to farming to villages to cities to modern states—Patrick Wyman’s new book will add a dollop of messy complexity to your perspective.
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