100-years at the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre: How history and entertainment keep the theatre alive abcactionnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abcactionnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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On the night of any given show, Big Mike could be found smiling and eating sunflower seeds outside of music venues in St. Petersburg, his biceps bulging out of his sleeves.
Touring bands loved when he was working because he always knew where to point them, whether they needed a tailor or a cell phone repair shop. Folks from around town would pull over when they saw him working at the door, just to give him a hug.
âNo matter what the situation was, he had a big smile that oozed confidence. There wasnât anything that he couldnât handle,â said Tony Rifuigatio, the owner of Daddy Kool Records who used to run the State Theatre. âI think people used to pay the entrance fee to go to the State Theatre just to see him.â