[1][2] Finocchio's night club opened June 15, 1936 and was located in San Francisco, California, above Enrico's Cafe at 506 Broadway Street in North Beach.

[4] In New York City, the Italian word finocchio was common derogatory slang for homosexual men, equivalent to fairy or faggot.

[1][2] In the days before gay liberation, female impersonator clubs provided semi-public social spaces for sexual minorities to congregate.

[8] Finocchio's was "off limits" during World War II, not due to the entertainment, but rather for selling liquor to the military outside the authorized hours of sales.

On December 31, 1943 the ban was lifted after Joe Finocchio and other bar owners signed an agreement to limit liquor sales to military personnel between 5 pm and midnight.

[10] Eve Finocchio, Joe's widow, decided to close the club on November 27, 1999 because of a significant increase in the monthly rent and dwindling audience attendance.

[14] In 1972, an article in Lee Brewster's Drag magazine mentions the practical aspects of prostitution found there, and $50 for sex with an attractive female impersonator:[15] The 'stars' of the show are paid about $60 per week, half of which is in cash.

And so the performer soon learns how to make a living, and the act on stage becomes little more than a showcase, a parade of what's available.A 14-page program, "Finocchio's: America's Most Unusual Nightclub", was published by Zevin-Present, circa 1947.

[17][16] Celebrities who attended shows at Finocchio's throughout their many years of operation included Frank Sinatra,[17] Howard Hughes,[17] Ava Gardner,[17] Tallulah Bankhead,[17] David Niven,[17] Errol Flynn,[17] Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Lena Horne, Joan Crawford, Barbra Streisand, Mae West, Carol Channing, William Haines, Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Roddy McDowall, Liza Minnelli, Cher and Bette Midler among others.