Who are the Milwaukee icons that turned up in a viral internet collage?
If you were looking for the Most Milwaukee Thing on the internet Wednesday, you found a good one.
A poster featuring some of the citymore colorful characters circulated all over various social channels, leaving Milwaukeeans to discuss who else would belong in a portrait of Milwaukee's most unusual celebrities.
OnMilwaukee.com tracked down the artist, Shane Bakken, who said he put the image together simply using Google images.
For those who may not have decades of history in Milwaukee, who are these individuals, many of whom have left an impression particularly on the city's east side? Let's go clockwise from the upper left.
Freeway
Roosevelt "Mike" McCarter, known locally as Freeway because he could frequently be seen on the Wisconsin Avenue bridge over I-43 downtown, developed a reputation for his deep enthusiasm for local sports teams. He can be spotted showing off some very unusual dance moves at Bucks and Marquette University basketball games.
The National Bobblehead Museum produced a bobblehead of his likeness in 2016, and his sister once tried to produce a documentary on his life, looking to illustrate how an adult with autism can affect an entire city.
The Purple House
The south side eye curiosity at the corner of S. 43rd and W. Howard was foreclosed upon in 2010 and razed, but most everyone knew where "the purple house" was.
The house was built in 1941, and owner Florian G. Meler Jr (who bought the house in 1993) often clashed with city officials over code violations, including for a lack of paint. So, he painted it his favorite color, purple. He died in 2007.
Brother Ron
Ron Stanis, better known as "Brother Ron," has been sharing his interpretation of the gospel with Milwaukeeans for 40 years.
Particularly in the summer, his 1989 Chevy Caprice, plastered with religious posters, can be heard blaring sermons and gospel music out of speakers affixed to the car. It's not strictly legal, and he's racked up a fair amount of violations over the years.
More: Brother Ron's famous ministry car broke down in Milwaukee, so we found out what happened
He's cycled through many rides and many messages. So why does he do it?
"Because you don't," he told Jim Stingl in 2014. "Somebody's got to do it. Somebody's got to be a heavenly cop out there and tell the truth. I owe God so much, and everybody else does, too."
Stanis, a truck driver and diesel mechanic by trade, began preaching around the city in 1983.
Frank Pecoraro
A legend on the east side and downtown bars for two decades, Pecoraro filled a small cooler with pepperoni and cannoli and sold the treats to late-night bar goers. The native of Sicily had worked as a butcher before getting a job at Glorioso's Italian Market on Brady street. After 20 years working there, he began to sell on the street, choosing the tavern-hopping avenue that also helped him manage his blood pressure with the added walking.
The man who became known for his offerings of "Pepperoni! Cannoli!" died of cancer at age 76 in 2012.
From Jim Stingl's column on Pecoraro:
"People have dressed as 'the cannoli guy' for Halloween, and one even mashed it up with a Star Wars theme to become Obi-Wan Cannoli. Local musician Michael Drake wrote a song about Frank. A place that sells T-shirts devoted to local icons has one that shows a cooler with the words: 'Pepperoni, cannoli! You lika da spicey?' Frank also has earned a spot on local best-of lists."
Dick Bacon
The advocate for nude beaches became a legend on the city's Bradford Beach, spending four decades soaking up the sun — regardless of season. The former brewery worker died of a heart attack in 2000 at age 67.
Bacon — yes, that was his real name — won numerous trophies related to baring it all, including Mr. Nude America in 1973, Mr. Nude Galaxy in 1977 and Mr. Nude Apollo twice. The man with the tan didn't have a trace of skin cancer when he died, despite telling Jim Stingl once that he'd been tanned every day since the 1960s.
Bacon's beach communion didn't stop in the summer months, either. He tanned in the winter too, setting up a silver enclosure even in on the coldest of days, then roamed the beaches all summer in the smallest possible suit.
The Milverine
Often shirtless (and often walking his dog), John Hamann's purposeful strolls around Milwaukee have helped him achieve Milwaukee fanfare for his similarity in looks and vibe to the Marvel Comics character Wolverine.
He's often willing to stop for photos with passersby and he became the subject of a short VICE documentary in 2020.
David Gruber
At the heart of the post is David Gruber, the personal injury lawyer whose television ads have cemented the catchphrase "one call, that's all" into Milwaukee permanence.
Gruber often appears at local sporting events and even represented former UW-Milwaukee coach Bruce Pearl when he signed a contract with Auburn. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has appeared in Gruber ads.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These Milwaukee icons show up in viral internet collage
