In Miami, Joseph Sonken opened the Mother Kelly's nightclub and became a public figure. The nightclub went out of business in 1948, and Joseph Sonken moved to Hollywood Florida to open the Gold Coast Restaurant and Lounge. According to police reports, the Gold Coast was heavily used as a meeting point for Mafia members. Joseph Sonken denied those allegations in front of a Kefauver committee in 1968. Among the famous guests were Mafia members John Gotti, Joseph Todaro Sr., and Edward Sciandra. Public stars such as Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant were also known as regular customers, and the restaurant is mentioned in the FBI's JFK assassination files and in Elmore Leonard's novel "Gold Coast".