PELLIUS, I just got as far as your first post of this subject on the first page and have a correction to offer on your behalf.
ONCE UPON A TIME ....
The gym that you mentioned that was Tommy Kono's was actually owned by my good friend TIMMY LEONG and most likely at that time was across the street from Mits'.
I knew Timmy and Tommy most of my life and have to stat that each of them were among the finest individuals I've had the opportunity to meet.
The same with John Kaiser.
Tommy worked for the Department of Parks and Recreation and trained at the NUUANU YMCA. Timmy's Gym was in two locations over the years and Rex Ravelle had a small 'gym' in the basement of some store in the mall downtown. The name of that mall I have forgotten.
And Donald and Cathy Chang had a small but well equipped place just mauka of the Ala Moana Center.
I've been involved within the business part of the bodybuilding game since long before Arnold (SHIT! Even before Reeves became a household name with a bodybuilder's kitchen) and have met, trained with, or worked with the majority (over 90%) of the individuals who have been named above (plus the major photographers and magazine owners since the days of Perry and Mabel) and have to state that the 'game' was a hell of a lot different way back then.
Back in them good old days it was more of a small, family type atmosphere with minor squabbles between the very few gyms that existed and did heir best to stay in business when lifting heavy things and sweating lots was for the very few.
No such thing as gym chains nor Personal Trainers! You just had to ask for any help you felt you needed and someone would pop up and offer the advise you were looking for.
Or simply jump in and 'spot' for any of the pros dong heavy benches and then do your own while he rested between sets.
I've personally witnessed some bad shit and have personally heard of even 'badder'..... but I honestly doubt that the bodybuilding game/world has been as bad as some GetBiggers seem to wish it was.
And when someone says " ..... they are good for the finishing touch." .... you can be assured that that individual is or was an old-timer who used a substance intelligently and never over did it.
And got that 'finishing touch' which 99% of the worldwide population never knew existed.
I could spend all day long writing this historical bodybuilding stuff (some bad shit but mostly very good shit) .... but other less important stuff/shit requires my attention.
Pellius ... Do you know Allison Brundage? (Kahuku Nurse). Or Paula Suzuki. And numerous others who started this lifting heavy stuff on a remote island in the Pacific way back when.
Peter George, Harold Sakada, Mike Scott, Gary Watanabe, Judy Miller, yada, yada, yada.....?
The memories that I would like to forget but that are somehow still stuck in my mind are the bad occurrences within the bodybuilding world lithe I have personally witnessed or have been remotely associated with.
But they have been few and far between and all is well in Muscle-Town,
But I can't HONESTLY end this with a .. "Happily ever After"