TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Bern's Entertainer Remembered As 'True Professional'

ADVERTISEMENT

By NEIL JOHNSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 7, 2008

TAMPA - Manuel "Manny" Furia, who entertained diners at Bern's Steak House on accordion and piano from the time Lyndon Johnson was president, died Monday.

He was 77.

Furia started playing at the South Tampa restaurant in 1967 and developed a song list that ranged from old standards to an improbable accordion version of a heavy metal favorite.

When he started, Furia wore his dark hair slicked back and with his glasses and smoking jacket looked like a member of the 1960s-era Las Vegas "Rat Pack."

At least that's the vision Bern's owner David Laxer carries of the entertainer, who started playing there when Laxer was 2.

"That's the way I remember him. He was a true professional," Laxer said.

Furia stopped entertaining at the restaurant three weeks ago. He had shifted from carrying the accordion to playing piano as he grew sicker.

"He had health issues before and came back. We thought he'd fight through this again," Laxer said.

Though most of the requests from diners were for familiar standards, Furia was adept enough to coax Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" from the accordion.

"On request," Laxer said. "He could pretty much play anything."

Kenny Haelsig, who started playing piano at Bern's in 2000 at age 21, remembers the first time he saw Furia, who came in on a night off. It was as though a legend had walked through the door.

"I was thinking, 'This is the guy the staff is always talking about. Manny does this, and Manny does that,'" Haelsig said.

For the past three years, they split the week, with Furia playing the busier Thursdays through Saturdays and Haelsig playing the rest of the week.

Through the nearly eight years they worked together, Furia became a mentor to Haelsig, giving him pointers on how to entertain a restaurant crowd.

"He was a great mentor. He taught me how to interact with people. He helped me become a better entertainer for Bern's," Haelsig said.

The younger piano player also said he grew much closer to Furia when the older man was diagnosed with cancer about three years ago. Furia's energy never seemed to wane, Haelsig said.

"He was like a kid," Haelsig said. "He never showed his age. If he hadn't told me, I'd have never known anything was wrong."

Furia's usual shift was about 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

At one time, Furia was part of a group called The Foursome, and members of the group owned The Foursome Club in Tampa.

Survivors include a brother, two sisters and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Boza & Roel Funeral Home, 4730 N. Armenia Ave.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Myrtle Hill Memorial Park.

The family also will receive people at the funeral home immediately after the burial.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT