Angelina “Angie” Colacucio (Calicura) Amato Alexander: A Life of Hospitality, Enterprise and Reinvention; From Martinez Girlhood to Wyoming Madame to Tahoe Restaurateur
- Michael Dykhorst
- 3 days ago
- 27 min read
*****This is Part One of a larger, ongoing exploration of the world’s oldest profession and the quiet, complicated ways it intersected with the history of Sheridan, Wyoming. Rather than attempting to tell the full, sweeping story at once, this series focuses on the lives behind the records—individual women whose names appear in city directories, court dockets, council minutes, and whispered local memory.*****
Please look for the other future parts that will include other famous madams and girls, including Pearl Logan, Missoula Jane, Lizzie Lane, and Etta Feely.
My deepest thanks to Judy Armstrong, who has walked this road with me from the very beginning of Angie’s story. Judy and I started this journey together years ago, trading clippings, documents, and late-night theories as new pieces of Angie’s life surfaced. We still update each other whenever one of us uncovers something new, and our shared curiosity—and shared fascination with Angie—has kept this research alive and evolving. This piece would not exist in its present form without Judy’s generosity, persistence, and friendship.
So, who remembers Angie, the notorious madam of the Ideal Hotel?
You may have heard the long-circulating rumor that baseball legend Joe DiMaggio once visited his “Aunt Angie” while passing through Sheridan. In truth, Angie was not his aunt at all—Joe was nearly three years older than she was. What they did share was a common hometown: Martinez, California, a coincidence that likely gave the story just enough plausibility to endure for decades. It is entirely possible that the two never even met. Angie’s documented connection, in fact, runs instead through Joe’s cousin—a far more complex and verifiable tie that continues deeper into her story.
Angelina Jean Colacucio, also later spelled Calicura, was born on July 21, 1917, in Martinez, California. Her parents were Saverio “Sam” Calicura and Angiolina “Angelina” Rodia Calicura, Italian immigrants raising seventeen children in one of Contra Costa County’s largest families.
From an early age, her life was intertwined with creativity and persistence. She was the niece of Sam “Simon” Rodia, the Italian immigrant artist who created the world-famous Watts Towers in Los Angeles. Construction on the Towers began in 1921, when Angelina was only four years old. While Rodia represents just one thread in Angie’s extraordinary life, his story of obsessive dedication, isolation, public ridicule, and ultimate cultural recognition mirrors many of the themes that would later define her own journey. He is an important piece in understanding the wider world that shaped her.
One of the first records Angie appears in is the 1920 US Census, listing her as age 1 ( Her age was recorded wrong - as often happened) and living in Martinez, California.
Angelina’s presence in the public record begins early in Martinez's society columns. In 1926, the Martinez Daily Standard listed her among the children attending a seventh birthday party for a local friend. In 1929, she again appeared at a fifth birthday celebration, confirming the family’s long-term roots in the community.
On June 11, 1930, the Martinez Daily Standard reported that Angelina Calicura had advanced from grammar school into junior high, documenting her formal education.
Later that same year, tragedy and mystery entered her young life. On December 8, 1930, the Martinez News-Gazette reported:
“Miss Angelina Calicura underwent a major operation at the Martinez Community Hospital today.”
The nature of the surgery was never disclosed. She was only thirteen years old.
By 1937, Angie’s independence was already evident. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin arrivals column (September 20, 1937) lists “Miss Angie Calicura”, confirming that by age twenty she was traveling independently across the Pacific.
On July 5, 1938, the Los Angeles Daily News announced:
“Edna Lee’s Beauty Salon No. 2 announces its new owner — Angie Calicura, 1309½ W. 6th St., expert hair stylist.”
This marks Angie’s earliest confirmed business ownership. The 1939 Los Angeles City Directory also lists Angie at this location.
On April 5, 1940, Angie, is listed under the name Jean Calicura on a manifest showing she is traveling from Honolulu, Hawaii, to California, where she arrived by ship on April 12, 1940. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, April 5, 1940, listed her departure.
The 1940 U.S. Census which was taken on April 30, 1940 shows her residence at 596 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, and lists that she was the owner of a beauty shop employing one assistant. At just 23 years old, Angie was already a self-made businesswoman.
Also in 1940 the Los Angeles City directory lists Jean Calicura at this address, again going by her middle name, at least for what is reported in the directory. But by 1942 she disappears and does not show up again until the 1950s.
Despite extensive searching, no 1950 US Census record has yet been found for Angie, creating a curious silence in an otherwise well-documented life. It makes you wonder where she was, or what name she was going by for the last 8 years.
By the early 1950s, Angelina was in Montana. A key article from the Martinez News-Gazette titled “Calicuras Return From Montana” reported that:
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Calicura returned from a two-week vacation in Billings, where they visited their daughter Angelina Calicura, owner of the Ideal Hotel. The article confirms that Angie already controlled the Ideal Hotel by 1951, well before her formal licensing battles in Sheridan.
Was the reference meant for the Ideal Hotel in Billings, or the one in Sheridan? At this point in her life, Angie was not yet documented as operating the Ideal in Sheridan, yet no record has surfaced placing her in control of the Billings Ideal either. With two hotels sharing the same name and newspapers often prone to mistakes, the truth may never be fully known.
During the early 1950s, Angie's life intersected with Eugene “Jack” Amato, a bartender also from Martinez, California.
On March 10, 1952, Jack was mentioned in the Billings Gazette in Montana for trap shooting. Although no marriage license has ever been located, court and mortuary records prove that Angelina was involved with Eugene “Jack” Amato.
Jack Amato's obituary from 2002 has no mention of Angie, but here it shows he is a cousin of Joe DiMaggio..... here is the probable source of the rumor!!!!
Tragedy struck in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1954. Baby Amato was born and died the same day, only four hours old. Funeral records list the mother as Jean, the father as Eugene Amato, and the residence as Martinez, California. This confirms that Angelina “Jean” Calicura was the child’s mother.
Even before Baby Amato’s birth and death, it seems Angie was already established in Sheridan. It is unknown when she came to Sheridan or if she came directly from Billings to Sheridan.
Angelina’s career in Sheridan was both complex and multifaceted.
On August 3, 1953, The Sheridan Press reported that a hotel license was granted to Angelina Jean Calicura for the Rex Hotel, marking the beginning of her documented presence in Wyoming’s hospitality and vice scene. The "Council Proceedings" also appeared in the Sheridan Press later that week, showing that the vote was carried unanimously. It remains unclear whether she initially worked for the well-known madam Pearl Logan or operated in some form of partnership with her, as no definitive record has yet surfaced. Regardless of that uncertainty, Angie quickly became a familiar and influential figure on North Main Street, signaling the start of her most notorious chapter in Sheridan.
The 1954 Sheridan City Directory lists:
Calicura, Angelina J., Mrs. – Rex Hotel – 358½ N. Main
By the mid-1950s, Angelina's hold on the Ideal Hotel had grown beyond rumor and reputation into a fully visible, and increasingly contested, presence in Sheridan’s civic life. What had begun as a rooming-house operation on North Main Street was now drawing the full attention of city officials, law enforcement, and county prosecutors. Angie was operating what became famously known as “Angie’s Place”. According to the book, "Whore Houses of Wyoming", the Ideal Hotel was located on the southeast corner of Grinnell and Main streets. Hotel rooms were on the second floor, above a barbershop and an electric shop.
Photos of the building housing the Ideal Hotel at 171 North Main Street, Sheridan, Wyoming.
Various sources
By 1955, Angie applied for and received a rooming house license for the Ideal Hotel at 173 North Main Street. Sheridan council minutes from March 21, 1955, formally approved the application of Angelina Calicura Amato for a Rooming House License for the Ideal Hotel. Another Sheridan Press article from March 30, 1955, states the rooming house is located over the Bullard Hardware on Main Street.
However, her control over the Ideal would soon place her squarely in the crosshairs of law enforcement.
Historian George Gilgorea wrote:
“From 1956 to 1960, Angelina Calicura managed the Ideal Hotel. Unlike the Rex, the Ideal was reputed to have ties to the Mob, and the story is told that a small airplane arrived weekly from Billings, Montana, to pick up the receipts.”
The Ideal quickly earned a reputation as a discreet “pleasure palace.” According to the book "Whore Houses of Wyoming", "Angie secured a five-year lease before the owner realized what the hotel would become. She maintained a charge account at one of Sheridan’s finest clothing stores, outfitting herself and her working women with “special clothing,” paid for through bartered services. The standardized rate at the time reportedly ranged from $5 to $10 per encounter. When a disagreement arose over unpaid credits, the store owner saw to it that her lease would not be renewed."
In February 1956, Angelina’s legal troubles intensified in Casper:
February 9, 1956 – Casper Star-Tribune: “Man held after $460 taken in tavern here. Mrs. A. J. Calicura Amato reported the theft of cash and jewelry, including a $350 diamond-studded cross.”
February 14, 1956 – Casper Star-Tribune:
“Mrs. Angelina J. Calicura was arrested on a charge of vagrancy and released on $100 bail.”
Rather than retreat into the shadows as scrutiny increased, Angie formalized her operation even further.
In March of 1957, Ideal Hotel, Inc. was officially incorporated in Sheridan County, with articles of incorporation filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State in Cheyenne. The paperwork granted sweeping authority to operate in all phases of the hotel business—including buying and selling property, leasing and mortgaging real estate, operating rooms and suites for public accommodation, and conducting retail trade on the premises. The corporation was capitalized at $50,000, divided into 500 shares at $100 each, and established with a projected lifespan of 50 years.
Angelina J. Calicura was listed as both a director and the registered agent, formally placing her in charge of operations at 173 North Main Street. Other directors listed are Dr. L.G. Booth and John D. Henry.
For a woman operating in the gray margins of legality in the 1950s, incorporation was not symbolic—it was strategic. It separated personal identity from business liability, created legal buffers, protected revenue, and established the Ideal not as a back-alley operation but as a legitimate corporate enterprise on paper. In one calculated move, Angie blurred the boundaries between vice and commerce so thoroughly that unwinding them would require law, council action, and courtrooms—not whispered accusations.
That confrontation came swiftly.
On March 27, 1957 just 20 days after the articles of incorporation were first published, the Sheridan Press published FBI references regarding Angie and her known aliases. The County Attorney, Edward J. Redle, cited FBI reports showing that between 1937 and 1956, Calicura had been arrested six times across multiple states for vagrancy and prostitution-related offenses, including arrests in Honolulu, Salinas, Casper, and Sheridan, under these names:
Jean Riley
Jean Toby Riley
Toby Riley
Angelina Amato
Angeline Gene Brown
On April 1, 1957, The Sheridan Press reported that the Sheridan City Council would formally consider the renewal of the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license later that day, setting the stage for what would become the most public and consequential chapter of Angelina Calicura’s career in Sheridan. The article revealed that County Attorney Edward J. Redle had officially protested the reissuance of the license, directly questioning the moral character of those associated with the hotel’s operation. Mayor Carl Crawford confirmed that both Redle and City Attorney Kenneth Chetwood were actively involved, signaling that this was no routine licensing matter. What had once operated quietly behind closed doors was now under intense public scrutiny, and for the first time, Angie’s business at the Ideal Hotel was being challenged openly at the highest levels of city government.
Later that afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., the council reconvened in regular session with all members present to take up the matter formally. Also present were City Attorney Kenneth Chetwood, City Engineer Johnson, County Attorney Edward J. Redle, Sheridan County Sheriff Willard H. Marshall, Joseph Minnehahn of Casper, attorney for the Ideal Hotel interests, and local attorney Jack Wolfe. Redle and Sheriff Marshall appeared in direct opposition to the renewal, while Minnehahn and Wolfe spoke on behalf of Ideal Hotel, Inc.
By this point, the Ideal Hotel’s license had expired on March 21, 1957, leaving the operation in a legal gray area as the council debated its future. After more than an hour and a half of discussion, Mayor Crawford and Commissioner Tony Pelesky initially felt the decision should be delayed until further review. Commissioner C. Harold Campbell, however, argued that the council should take immediate action. Pelesky moved that the matter be postponed, and Mayor Crawford seconded the motion. Campbell then reminded the council that the license was already expired, prompting both Pelesky and Crawford to withdraw their motion and second, effectively collapsing the attempt at delay.
Mayor Crawford then made a new motion that the license be granted to Ideal Hotel, Inc., subject to later revocation should sufficient proof be presented against it. No commissioner seconded the motion, and the mayor was forced to declare it lost for want of a second—a procedural failure that, in effect, denied the renewal at that moment.
What had begun that morning as a scheduled licensing review had by evening escalated into a full-scale legal and political confrontation. The door was now open for continued challenges, appeals, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that would dominate the first half of April 1957. The fate of Angie’s operation at the Ideal Hotel now rested in a volatile balance between city authority, county law enforcement, and public pressure.
The very next day, on April 2, 1957, the Sheridan Press reported a dramatic turn in the Ideal Hotel controversy under the bold headline: “City Council Fails to Renew Ideal Hotel Rooming License.” During the city council meeting, Mayor Carl Crawford moved that the rooming-house license be renewed, but the motion died for lack of a second, an outcome that legally constituted a denial. With no councilman willing to support the mayor’s motion, the fate of the Ideal was effectively sealed in that moment.
County Attorney Edward J. Redle again took center stage, arguing that the moral character of Angelina Calicura, president of the Ideal Hotel corporation, was grounds for denial under city ordinance. Redle contended that the ordinance required proof of “good moral character” for license renewal and asserted that the city should not approve the application unless substantial evidence to the contrary could be produced. He referenced arrests connected to Calicura but also acknowledged the legal gray area—admitting that an arrest alone did not constitute guilt. Nonetheless, he maintained that the city had sufficient cause to proceed with denial.
Testimony during the meeting revealed tensions between rumor, reputation, and legal proof. City Marshal Jack Wolfe described an attempt to serve legal papers at the hotel, stating that the door was locked and that entry was delayed. Wolfe interpreted the incident as unusual, while defense attorney Joseph Minnehahn countered that such actions did not amount to criminal conduct and warned the council against relying on innuendo rather than admissible evidence. Minnehahn argued that much of the county attorney’s case rested on “a bundle of rumors” rather than verifiable violations.
Despite heated debate, confusion over legal standards, and disagreement among city officials, the council allowed the denial to stand. With no second offered to revive the motion, the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license was officially refused—marking a historic turning point in Angelina Calicura’s Sheridan operation and signaling the beginning of the end for her control of the Ideal.
Just one week later, on April 8, 1957, the situation surrounding the Ideal Hotel took a surprising and dramatic turn in Angelina Calicura’s favor. When the Sheridan City Council reconvened at 10:00 a.m. on April 8, 1957, the matter of the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license again took center stage.
During the meeting, City Attorney Kenneth Chetwood clarified a critical legal distinction—the earlier failure of the council to secure a second to Mayor Crawford’s motion on April 1 did not actually constitute a formal denial of the license, but merely a procedural failure to act. This interpretation reframed the entire controversy. Mayor Carl Crawford acknowledged this clarification and asked council members whether they believed the matter had effectively been “settled” at the previous session or whether further action was required.
At the urging of local attorney Jack Wolfe, who again appeared on behalf of Ideal Hotel, Inc., the issue was formally returned to the floor. Wolfe requested that the renewal be put to a direct vote rather than left suspended in legal uncertainty. This time, Mayor Crawford stated plainly that since the prior motion had not been seconded, no official denial had occurred, and the council therefore retained full authority to act.
A motion was made to approve the renewal of the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license, and this time it did receive a second. The vote was recorded as 2–1 in favor of renewal, with Mayor Carl Crawford and Commissioner Tony Pelesky voting “aye,” and Commissioner C. Harold Campbell casting the sole “no” vote. With that, the motion carried, and the Ideal Hotel’s license was officially restored.
The political undercurrents beneath the vote were unmistakable. Mayor Crawford reiterated that the city council was not a court and should not be expected to adjudicate moral character without formal legal evidence. He emphasized that formal complaints and investigations belonged properly with the county attorney and law enforcement, not the city legislature. With County Attorney Edward J. Redle still out of town, no formal opposition was present to challenge the arguments made in favor of reinstatement.
For Angelina Calicura, the April 8 vote marked a dramatic and unexpected reversal. After days of uncertainty, public controversy, and legal ambiguity, the Ideal Hotel was once again officially authorized to operate. Yet the debate had exposed deep fractures between city leadership, county officials, and law enforcement—fractures that would not heal quietly. While Angie had secured a critical reprieve, the political forces surrounding her business had been fully awakened, and the struggle over the Ideal Hotel was far from finished.
The very next day, on April 9, 1957, the political storm surrounding Angelina Calicura and the Ideal Hotel intensified once again. In a sharply worded response published in The Sheridan Press under the headline “Redle Assails Council Action,” County Attorney Edward J. Redle publicly criticized the Sheridan City Council for renewing the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license only a day earlier.
Redle stated he was “very surprised” by the council’s decision, emphasizing that he had formally objected to the renewal and had personally appeared before the council the week prior to present his concerns. He made it clear that, in his view, the council was focusing on “very minor issues” while ignoring what he believed were more serious matters of public concern surrounding the operation of the Ideal Hotel.
In a pointed rebuke of city leadership, Redle stressed that it was not solely the county attorney’s responsibility to “keep the city clean,” and that meaningful cooperation between the city and his office was essential. He further stated that he did not feel such cooperation was coming from the mayor’s office, revealing deep fractures between city and county authorities over how the situation was being handled.
The article also reiterated the turbulent timeline of events—how a week earlier a motion to renew the license had failed due to the lack of a second, only to be taken up again at the request of a local attorney and successfully approved the previous day. Redle’s public condemnation made it clear that the political and legal battle over Angie and the Ideal Hotel was far from settled, and that the approval would likely remain under heavy scrutiny.
After nearly a full year with no mentions of Angelina Calicura in the Sheridan Press, her name abruptly resurfaced in the spring of 1958—this time with decisive and irreversible consequences for the Ideal Hotel.
On March 11, 1958, the Sheridan Press reported under the stark headline “City Council Votes to Revoke License of Ideal Hotel Here” that the Sheridan City Council had officially revoked the rooming-house license of the Ideal Hotel at 173 North Main Street, effective at midnight on March 21, 1958. The article stated that the revocation was based on Angie’s prior criminal convictions under Wyoming law, citing renewed formal objections submitted by County Attorney Edward J. Redle and Sheriff Willard H. Marshall. The council moved swiftly; the matter was raised near the end of the meeting and disposed of in only a few minutes.
City ordinance authority was cited as the legal basis for the revocation. Though the license had been at issue the year before, it had nevertheless been renewed—temporarily preserving Angie’s operation. Now, however, the political and legal climate had hardened against her.
Council proceedings published on March 20, 1958, confirmed the finality of the decision. The formal motion to revoke the Ideal Hotel’s rooming-house license was made by Commissioner Walt Harris, seconded by Commissioner Walt Harker, and carried unanimously. The revocation was ordered to take effect the very next day—March 21, 1958—bringing Angie’s years of legal maneuvering, public controversy, and intermittent victories in Sheridan to an abrupt end.
Yet even as the city stripped away her licenses, Angie continued to appear in court records and police blotters, reflecting the ongoing tension between her persistence and the city’s enforcement efforts. On April 15, 1958, a disorderly conduct charge filed against a patron at the Ideal Hotel lists Angelina Calicura as the complainant, demonstrating that she was still very much exercising control over the premises despite the formal revocation of her license. Also on April 15, 1958, the Sheridan Press reported on the formation of a new 21-member City Planning Commission, created to guide future development in Sheridan. Within the article, the Ideal Hotel was mentioned again—this time only in passing—as a property whose license had already been revoked for criminal violations. The tone had shifted completely: what had once been a headline-dominating political battle now became a closed chapter in the city’s regulatory history.
After April 15, 1958, the Ideal Hotel disappeared entirely from Sheridan city reporting. No further efforts to reinstate its rooming-house license were recorded. Angie herself vanished from the pages of the Sheridan Press, at least for a time.
Sometime after the collapse of her Sheridan operation, Angie established a house near Yellowtail Dam in Montana. Late Sheridan resident Hugh Bird later recalled delivering milk to a house operated by Calicura, underscoring that even after losing her foothold in Sheridan, Angie’s entrepreneurial footprint in the region continued.
By mid to late 1958, Angie had relocated to Billings, Montana, though the precise date of her move remains unknown. That same year, she appears in the 1958 Billings City Directory listed as:
Calicura, Angeline J., beauty operator, General Custer Hotel, R 1021 Princeton Ave.
This entry suggests a striking shift from madam to beauty operator, at least in public record, though her past clearly continued to follow her.
On August 28, 1958, Angelina married John Cameron “Jack” Alexander of Billings, Montana, a man fifteen years her junior. Although no formal marriage certificate has yet been located, the marriage date is confirmed, and it is strongly believed the ceremony took place in Elko, Nevada—a common destination at the time for quick and discreet marriages. Their relationship soon proved turbulent. A Carbon County News legal notice dated November 28, 1963, later confirmed court action involving the couple. Despite the instability, Angelina and John Alexander never divorced and stayed married until her death.
Angie’s name would continue to resurface periodically in newspapers throughout the years following the collapse of the Ideal Hotel, offering scattered glimpses into a life that never fully retreated from public view—only shifted locations and circumstances.
Her final appearance in the Sheridan Press while still living came not in connection with the Ideal Hotel, but through a crime report in which she was not the offender. On December 12, 1958, the paper reported that $1,600 had been stolen from the office safe of local attorney Kenneth Chetwood, and police records revealed that the money was reported to have belonged to Angie Calicura. It was a quiet, almost footnote-like reappearance—yet it served as a poignant epilogue to her turbulent and closely watched Sheridan chapter. Notably, Angie still appeared in the 1959 Sheridan City Directory listed as a resident of 173 North Main Street, yet for the first time the name “Ideal Hotel” was entirely absent, a subtle but telling marker that the once-infamous operation had fully vanished from public record.
By the early 1960s, Angelina Calicura Alexander had firmly reestablished herself in Billings, Montana, and, true to form, once again blended entrepreneurship, legal entanglements, and public visibility. On January 13, 1961, the Sheridan Press reported that “Angelina Calicura Alexander fined $50 for disorderly conduct.” Later that year, on November 30, 1961, the Billings Times recorded a default judgment of $971.34 entered against her, marking another financial and legal setback.
Yet Angie was also rebuilding. On December 27, 1963, the Billings Gazette carried a striking advertisement announcing a new chapter in her life:“The Hub Beauty Salon,” owned by Angie Alexander, now affiliated with the Wagon Wheel Trailer Court at 6025 Hardin Road in the Lockwood Flats area of Billings. The announcement promoted professional beauty services and invited the public to “stop in and get acquainted with our staff.” The ad marked a dramatic reinvention of Angie’s public identity, from the embattled operator of the Ideal Hotel in Sheridan to a fully legitimate small-business owner in Montana’s growing east-side community. By the early 1960s, she had once again established herself as a woman in control of her own enterprise—this time operating squarely within the bounds of respectability.
Real estate records from the mid-1960s show that Angie was also actively buying and selling property. On April 1, 1965, the Billings Times recorded a quitclaim deed transferring land from John C. Alexander to Angelina Alexander, followed shortly by another transaction in which Angelina transferred property to G. E. and Verna Messinger. A second listing in the Billings Gazette later that month confirms additional land transfers within the same township and range, revealing that Angie continued maneuvering assets and investing despite her controversial past.
Court records from Billings also continued to follow her. On June 18, 1964, the Billings Times reported a civil judgment against “Angelina J. Alexander, dba Wagon Wheel Trailer Court,” totaling $645.37 plus interest and costs, further confirming her ownership or control of the trailer court enterprise. Police blotters likewise continued to document her presence. On September 15, 1964, the Billings Gazette recorded a traffic fine issued to Angelina Calicura Alexander, age 46, of 2315 Grand Avenue, Billings, for passing a loading school bus. On January 14, 1965, she appeared again in Billings police court reporting for careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving without a license, resulting in multiple fines.
After January 1965, Angelina Calicura Alexander abruptly disappears from Billings newspapers altogether. No further court notices, property transfers, police citations, or business advertisements bearing her name have yet been found in Montana records after that point. This sudden silence strongly suggests a relocation, although no definitive document of that move has yet surfaced. The timing closely mirrors her earlier disappearance from Sheridan’s public record—another quiet exit following years of persistent visibility.
On June 21, 1965, the Sheridan Press published a striking photographic feature under the headline “Down Comes History,” marking the physical end of the building that once housed the Ideal Hotel. The images show demolition underway at the long-standing stone structure on North Main Street—its massive walls partially standing as a crane tears into what remained of one of Sheridan’s earliest public buildings. Long before it carried the name Ideal, the structure had been constructed in 1888 by Peter Demple as Sheridan County’s first courthouse, later serving as both a bank and a commercial block. Over the decades, it evolved with the city itself, eventually becoming home to a jewelry store, a radio supply company, and finally the Ideal Hotel.
By 1965, the paper noted, the hotel had not been in operation for several years, standing as a silent reminder of a very different chapter in Sheridan’s past. Its demolition symbolized more than just urban renewal—it represented the erasure of a structure that had stood through the town’s earliest legal, financial, and vice-era histories alike. With the fall of its stone walls came the final physical disappearance of the building most closely associated with Angelina Calicura’s turbulent years in Sheridan. Though her name had long vanished from the city’s official records by then, the destruction of the Ideal Hotel itself served as a quiet, visual coda to one of the most controversial addresses ever to operate on North Main Street.
The couple relocated to South Lake Tahoe, California, in the mid 1960s, probably after her last report in the Billings Papers. At a time when the region was rapidly transforming into one of the West’s most dynamic tourist destinations. Ski resorts, casino development, and booming year-round visitation were redefining the local economy. Once again, Angelina’s instincts for hospitality, organization, and business allowed her to adapt quickly. In California, Angie completely reinvented herself emerging not as a controversial figure, but as a legitimate, respected hospitality professional, known for her discipline, warmth, and sharp management skills.
Angelina’s Tahoe career would ultimately span several notable establishments:
Tarantino’s Restaurant (1970s)
Tahoe Inn, 4110 Lake Tahoe Boulevard (late 1970s)
Timber Cove Lodge, on the shores of Lake Tahoe (early–mid 1980s)
Photo from Historic Images. It is unknown what newspaper this was published in. It says "Returned to Chronicle Files." The caption according to the back of the photo shows, "Angelina and Jack Alexander enjoy dinner in their new restaurant, South Lake Tahoe, June 5, 1972."
At each of these locations, Angie developed a reputation for impeccable operations, fiercely loyal staff, and intensely personal customer hospitality—the same hands-on management style that had once defined her Sheridan years, now refined into respectable business leadership.
John worked as a high-voltage lineman for Sierra Pacific Power, and later assisted Angie with operations at Tarantino’s, making the business a true family enterprise.
In September 2020, I reached out to the El Dorado County Library in Placerville, California, at 345 Fair Lane, hoping to uncover more about Angelina and Jack Alexander’s later years in South Lake Tahoe. Librarian Bonnie Battaglia responded with extraordinary generosity, sending me two obituaries that I had never seen before—documents that finally illuminated the closing chapter of their lives. She also connected me with the Tahoe Branch of the El Dorado County Libraries, where the research gained new momentum.
At the South Lake Tahoe Library, Library Assistant II Gavin Furman took an active role in tracking down visual and historical references tied to Angie’s life there. Through his assistance, I learned that the Timber Cove Lodge—one of the key properties associated with Angelina—was sold in 2012 and is now known as the Beach Retreat & Lodge. However, the surrounding shoreline still carries its historic name: Timber Cove Beach. I located and purchased a postcard of the Timber Cove Lodge from around 1990, taken just a few years after Angelina’s passing. The postcard, now a collector’s item sold on eBay, provides a rare visual anchor for the period shortly after her tenure.
Gavin also uncovered an undated and likely outdated listing of the Timber Cove Lodge that included interior photographs of its dining areas. While it remains impossible to confirm how closely these reflect the lodge during Angelina’s management, they nonetheless provide a visual impression of the environment in which she likely worked during her later years.
In the course of the same search, Gavin discovered an image of a Tarantino’s matchbook posted by a collector on Flickr. Though it cannot be definitively tied to Angie and John’s ownership period, the matchbook lists an area code—95705—which remained in use until at least 1985, confirming that it pre-dates or coincides with their time in Tahoe. The Takela area connected to the matchbook lies roughly a block and a half from the modern library. While no surviving buildings clearly trace to the restaurant today, Gavin offered to contact longtime residents who might still recall Tarantino’s.
He also noted that John’s obituary listed surviving members of the Cefalu family, who remain active in the Tahoe community today. Chris Cefalu currently (2020) serves on the board of directors for the local Public Utility District. Gavin suggested they may possess photographs or personal memories connected to Angie and Jack’s years in Tahoe—an invaluable lead still being pursued.
The following week, Gavin sent another update. By then, it had become clear that the Tahoe Inn no longer exists. However, a 1978 advertisement linked the Tahoe Inn to other establishments Angelina had managed, strongly suggesting she likely operated this property as well. The original address, 4110 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, no longer exists, having been absorbed into redevelopment that created today’s Heavenly Village. Using an outdated MapQuest image, Gavin was able to pinpoint where the building once stood.
Over the years, at least three buildings occupied the site, all bearing the name Tahoe Inn at different stages. Thanks to a Swedish tourist’s blog, Gavin even located a photograph showing what the Tahoe Inn likely looked like, complete with its distinctive yellow roadside sign.
To further establish the setting, an aerial photograph from the 1980 Harvey’s bombing shows the former Tahoe Inn site clearly positioned between Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and what is now the Raley’s shopping center. In a small coincidence, Gavin noted that his ex-wife worked in a small gift shop in that same area around 1999, though by then the building no longer housed dining facilities.
As for Tarantino’s, documentation proved more elusive. The only definitive reference came from an obituary for the son of a previous owner, which identified the restaurant as “Joe Tarantino’s of Tahoe.” Gavin forwarded the obituary and contacted both the local historical society and longtime residents in hopes of uncovering additional memories, photographs, or documentation.
Every step of this research reinforced the quiet persistence of Angelina’s story. Even decades after the Ideal Hotel faded from Sheridan’s memory, traces of her life continued to surface, on postcards, in business listings, through matchbooks, and in the recollections of community members. The Tahoe chapter of Angie and Jack Alexander’s life remains incomplete, but thanks to the dedication of archivists, librarians, and historians, it is no longer lost to time.
Tarantino’s Restaurant (1970s): Angelina initially managed this Italian eatery near Takela. Later, she and John purchased it, with John gaining local renown for his empanadas and ravioli. The restaurant was a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike.
Tahoe Inn (Late 1970s – Early 1980s): Located at 4110 Lake Tahoe Blvd, now part of Heavenly Village. Managing the Tahoe Inn required overseeing hotel operations and dining services, a role Angelina handled with professionalism and warmth.
Timber Cove Lodge (Early–Mid 1980s): This lakeside lodge allowed Angelina to manage both dining and event operations. Timber Cove became known for weddings, holiday dinners, and community gatherings, reflecting her skill in creating welcoming and memorable experiences.
Throughout her time in Tahoe, Angelina was recognized not only for her professional acumen but also for her ability to create warmth and community in every establishment she managed.
Angelina passed away on December 28, 1986, in South Lake Tahoe, California, and was laid to rest at Happy Homestead Cemetery, Lake Tahoe (Find a Grave).
Angelina's two obituaries. The first is from the Martinez News-Gazette, Martinez, California, December 30, 1986, Page 2, and the second is from the Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, California, January 2, 1987, Page 2.
Three photos of Angie's Grave. The Flowers were sent by Michael Dykhorst in 2024 for the 38th anniversary of Angie's death. the card was signed, "Your two friends, Judy Armstrong and Michael Dykhorst." This next year on December 28, 2026 Angie will have been gone 40 years.
Angie's husband, John "Jack" Cameron Alexander died on April 20, 2003 in South Lake Tahoe, California.
Angelina "Angie" Calicura Alexander's legacy extends beyond hospitality. As the niece of Sam Rodia, she was connected to California’s iconic Watts Towers. The 2006 documentary I Build the Tower highlights Rodia’s vision, a creative spirit that echoed in Angelina’s own life. Angie is given special thanks in the documentary by her nephew Brad Byer (Mary Lou Calicura Byer's son), and filmmaker Edward Landler.
Today, Timber Cove Beach retains the name of one of the lodges she managed, and long-time residents still recall her warmth, entrepreneurial drive, and complex life, from beauty shop owner to hotel manager and proprietor of the legendary “Angie’s Place.”
Angie’s life spanned Independent business ownership in Depression-era Los Angeles, Wyoming’s underground economy at its peak, Documented FBI scrutiny, Mob-adjacent financial pipelines, and finally, peaceful legitimacy in South Lake Tahoe’s hospitality industry
Few women in Wyoming or California lived such a complete arc of survival, power, scandal, reinvention, and respectability.
Angelina “Angie” Calicura Alexander did.
Also In 2020, while I was pursuing this Tahoe chapter of Angie’s life with the help of Judy Armstrong, whose research uncovered an unexpected modern reference: Angelina’s name appeared in the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) connected to a small independent film project about her uncle Sam Rodia. Through the IMDb credits and linked profiles, I was able to trace two men associated with the production, Brad Byer, Angie’s nephew, and Edward Landler. Byer had passed away in 2012, closing one possible line of inquiry. Edward Landler, however, was still living, and after I made contact with him, he generously sent me a courtesy copy of the film, offering a rare and unexpected contemporary artifact tied indirectly to Angie’s family.
During this same period, at Edward’s encouragement, I attempted to contact Angie’s two living sisters in hopes of learning more about her later life in California. While I was never able to speak with them directly, I did make contact with Tim Sullivan, the son of Virginia, one of Angie’s sisters who had famously cared for Simon “Sam” Rodia, the creator of the Watts Towers. Tim wanted to understand why I was researching Angelina, why she mattered to Sheridan’s history, and what prompted such focused interest in her life. Out of respect for the family—and uncertainty over what they may or may not have known about her past—I avoided directly stating that Angie had once operated a house of prostitution. Yet I sensed that he already understood more than he was saying. Ultimately, Tim declined to share any family information, and that avenue of living memory came to a quiet end.
In 2025, I made one final attempt to trace living connections when I spoke with Donna Dyer, a woman mentioned in John “Jack” Alexander’s obituary. Unfortunately, she had never known Angelina and was unable to provide any insight into their life together in Tahoe. With that, the remaining personal history of Angie and Jack’s California years once again slipped beyond reach.
Today, despite extensive archival research, library assistance, and direct outreach to surviving connections, the full story of Angie and Jack Alexander’s life in South Lake Tahoe remains largely hidden—known only through fragments of business records, newspaper notices, postcards, matchbooks, and the dedication of those who helped search for her. What survives is a silhouette rather than a full portrait: a woman who repeatedly reinvented herself, built and lost businesses, and then vanished quietly from public record, leaving behind only the faint impressions of a once-formidable presence.
Through the life of Angelina “Angie” Calicura Alexander, we are offered a rare, deeply human window into an underground economy that shaped neighborhoods, politics, law enforcement, and social boundaries in ways both visible and obscured. Angie’s story is not presented as an isolated curiosity, but as one thread in a much wider historical fabric, one that challenges easy judgments and reveals the complexity of survival, power, and identity in mid-twentieth-century Sheridan and the world.
Thanks to:
Judy Armstrong
the Wyoming Room
The El Dorado County Library
The South Lake Tahoe Library
Edward Landler and Brad Byer
Andrew Calicura
The Cefalu Family
Donna Dryer
and many other sources.
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