Last Sunday’s “06880” lead story described a mystery. Whatever happened, reader Scott Smith wondered, to the photo of 2 bikini-clad young women, that hung for years in the Black Duck’s men’s room?
Readers filled the Comments section with theories, guesses and “facts.”
Pete Aitkin knows for sure.
The longtime owner of the Duck now lives in Lake Luzerne, New York.
But he still reads “06880” regularly. Yesterday, he checked in from that Adirondacks town with this definitive answer:
Indeed, the picture features 2 of the Black Duck’s original waitresses/ bartenders.
The blonde is Mary Scully. The brunette is Joyce Pettit.
Mary was the first girl I ever hired at the Duck — around February 1978, 2 months before we opened on April 4. Joyce came aboard a little while later.
One of our early bartenders was Staples wrestling legend Phil Kopp (Class of 1972). Mary and Phil began dating.
They left the Duck to open their own bar, the Rainbow Beach Club, on Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas. That’s where the picture was taken, about 1981.
Sadly, the Rainbow Bar was destroyed by a hurricane around 1983.
Their picture (my favorite) was one of several featuring pretty girls I hung in the men’s room. While I did my best to deter theft by nailing and/or screwing them to the walls, several were stolen. I suspect they ended up on the walls of a college dorm somewhere.
However, Mary and Joyce’s picture was not stolen — unless you want to call me a thief.
Upon my “retirement” from the Black Duck last November, I moved to upstate New York. I couldn’t bear to leave Mary and Joyce behind.
So I brought the picture with me. My wife (Lynda Pianka, Staples Class of 1970) will not let me hang it in our living room. I hope to build a “man cave” soon, so I can once again display it.
Mary returned to Westport, and married lucky fellow Westporter Brad French. I believe she now lives in the Detroit area. Joyce lives in Pennsylvania with her dog, Charleigh Grace.
They were 2 wonderful and popular girls who held the Black Duck get started on its 45-year run.
Thanks, Pete! Generations of Westport males can now rest easy.
The Black Duck was named for Pete Aitkin’s boat. Here he is, at the helm.
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