Long before “drag” was a household word, San Francisco had Finocchio’s — a dazzling nightclub where gender, glamour, and illusion took center stage. Opening in 1936 on North Beach’s Broadway strip, Finocchio’s presented nightly revues of “female impersonators” who stunned audiences with wit, beauty, and showmanship decades ahead of their time.
Tourists came for novelty; locals came for awe. But for the queer performers who graced its stage, Finocchio’s was something greater — a rare and defiant platform to exist, perform, and thrive in an era that demanded disguise. Sequins, jokes, and jazz masks aside, it was one of America’s earliest and longest-running drag venues, shaping the art form as we know it.
