Gato Que Ri Bar - Photo taken in 1965 "It was owned/run from 1963 to 1974 by a Paraguayan couple that ran from Strossner. They ran a high class (for Campo Grande) joint, Mayors and Governors were installed there, Ministers of State made it a meeting place in the 60s and 70s. They pulled in a lot of class entertainment, especially from Paraguay.
Things were going a little too smoothly. I remember he went into business about the time of the military takeover in
Brazil, Eventually he went to jail.....some Paraguayan exiled officer was using a chácara of his near Aquidauana to train guerillas to invade Paraguay. He claimed he didn't know his friend was using the chácara for that purpose. He spent some time in jail and narrowly escaped deportation back to Paraguay which is what Strossner was demanding. The Father of the guy that owned the Gato for about a decade owned the Americano Hotel for a couple of years, it was located very near the Gato and some volunteers stayed there.
Their family name was Granda, from Concepcion, Paraguay. They were on the losing side of the revolution of 1947, thus their exit to Ponta Porã and Campo Grande. Relatives of these people still own and run THE oldest, most traditional hotel in Concepcion,,,,the hotel Frances." submitted by Rich Bartels Sept 11 |
