IF 14TH STREET BARS COULD TALK...REMEMBERING WILLIE

 By Juan Montoya

On 14th Street in Brownsville's strip of blue-collar beer joints, Guillermo “Willie” Garza Jr., and his Border Lounge were one of the best-known barkeeps and watering holes around.

Willie was a veteran of the United States army and the Border Lounge became a gathering point for veterans from the area.

People like Rey Solis – a retired cop and investigator - and Juan Torres who was a postman after the service and many others now deceased,  were regulars there.

A respectable guitar player, he specialized in traditional Mexican conjunto and bolero music. And the bar's jukebox, which he loaded with his favorite CDs, had a repertoire that included Brownsville's own Chelo Silva, Javier Solis, Pedro Infante and many other famous and little-known artists of the era.
Willie also was an avid history buff, with a deep knowledge of border heroes like Aniceto Pizana, Juan Cortina, Las Aguilas Negras, El Plan de San Diego, and Pancho Villa.

He used to recall his father and uncles tell the tales of local heroes who stood up to their enemies and the rinches and sang their corridos. 

But there was also a touch of nostalgia in the music of Chicano artists that he heard as a youth like Little Joe, Carlos Guzman, Joe Bravo, Sonny Ozuna, Agustin Ramirez, Snowball y Los Fabulosos Cuatro and many others.

Of course, the standard border fare like Los Alegres de Teran, Los Cadetes, Los Invasores, Ramon Ayala, Cornelio Reyna and Los Bravos del Norte were also there.

And his pool tournaments were well-attended with some of the city's best pool players vying for a shot at the prizes - at $10 per entrant and more than 20 participating - a $200 pot. If you didn't play, you could dance to Willie's Wonderful Jukebox. Everybody did.

Of course, 14th Street strip was much different than it is today. Javier Ruiz's 1,2,3 Bar was its northern limit (as was Joe Zayas original Texas Lounge with bartender Geronimo), and there was El Mante,

Chapa's, Willie's Border Lounge, Siete Mares, cross Roosevelt Street and there was La Changa Enedelia's Monkey Lounge, El Tenampa next door, La Catorce Bar right across 14th from Charlie's Bar (which was once owned by Tony Garza Sr.),  Juanita's Tejano Lounge, the late Juan Ybarra's JP Lounge, Cesar's Las Cabañitas Bar, El Dominos, and El Rincon de Pancho to end at Luis Lucio's Resaca Club on the north side frontage of the U.S.77-83 highway where Panchitas Restaurant used to be. Most of these and their owners are now gone.

When the shrimpers used to came in from the sea, they filled the bars blowing their advance money and left when angry wives appeared at the door with their arms akimbo. That group was followed by would-be drug lords in shiny new pickup trucks and diamond studded belt buckles who emerged in bunches from the bathroom with powdered noses. 

Willie was a good friend. Peace be with him and with us. His older brother Juan – a certified surveyor – was a right-of-way agent with Cameron County and served as interim county engineer until he retired. He and his wife – a U.S. Custom's inspector – raised birds of paradise they would buy from government contraband auctions in McAllen. You could see their large circular cage as you drove on Boca Chica directly across from the Brownsville airport.

Juan also had a sharp wit, confiding to his boss that the birds weren't breeding because he had made the mistake of buying them rubber inner tubes so they could perch, but that they had made  prophylactics (condoms) instead, so no little birds as a result. 

Willie was 80 when he died seven years ago December 20 (2018) in Harlingen, Texas at Solara Hospital. He was born November 20, 1938 in Brownsville, Texas to Guillermo and Dionicia Garza. After his wife Maria died, Willie's health faltered and he closed the bar. Maria didn't like people yelling or singing loud at the bar and patrons had slowly stopped coming when she shut it down.

Every time old friends pass by the corner of Taft and 14th Street, you can almost hear him playing his guitar to the accompaniment of another customer with an accordion. If the walls could talk.