Barrio Fino

Barrio Fino (; English: "Fine 'Hood") is the third studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee, released on July 13, 2004, in the United States by VI Music and El Cartel Records and internationally by Machete Music and Polydor Records. Released two years after his previous studio album, El Cangri.com (2002), the album was recorded in Puerto Rico between 2003 and 2004. It explores themes ranging from dance, sex, romance, introspection, and protest against political corruption and violence against women. Barrio Fino was instrumental in popularizing reggaeton in the mainstream market, enhancing Daddy Yankee's career, as well as cementing his status as one of the most successful Latin artists of the 2000s. [^1] The album is reported to have sold over 8 million copies in the world.

Daddy Yankee wrote all the tracks, with co-writing credits on seven, and is credited as executive producer. Four of the 21 songs were released as singles. The first single, "Gasolina", charted within the top 10 in Denmark, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria, while "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" peaked at number two on the US Hot Latin Songs chart. Barrio Fino reached number one on the US Tropical Albums and the Top Latin Albums charts. It became the first reggaeton recording to debut and peak atop the latter chart. It ranked within the top 30 in the United States, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain.

The album was Daddy Yankee's first international commercial success, and garnered a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album, while "Gasolina" became the first reggaeton song to receive a nomination for a Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Barrio Fino produced two Billboard Hot 100 entries, but despite the album's success, none of its four Billboard Hot Latin Songs entries reached number one. Barrio Fino was ranked number 44 in the "Top 50 Records of 2005" list by Rolling Stone and was included in Billboard's "50 Greatest Latin Albums of the Past 50 Years" in 2015. The album received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments of over one million copies in the United States, where it became the top-selling Latin album of 2005 and the 2000s decade and is the seventh best-selling Latin album of all time in the country. In 2020, Rolling Stone updated their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list placing Barrio Fino at number 473.

Daddy Yankee appeared at the Billboard Latin Music Awards performing the "Gasolina" with a guest appearance from Sean Combs in 2005; it was recognized by Billboard as one the best performances of the night.

## Background

In 1991, Daddy Yankee began his musical career on a collaborative project with Puerto Rican disc jockey and producer DJ Playero. Daddy Yankee was later featured on Playero's 37 and 38 studio albums, before releasing his first solo record titled No Mercy in 1995. At the age of 17, while taking a break from a recording session, Ayala was shot in the leg after being caught inadvertently in the middle of a shootout, ending his aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player. Following his injuries, Daddy Yankee continued working on underground reggaeton records, and released his first album as a producer, El Cartel de Yankee (1997). After the release of his 2001 independent album El Cartel II: Los Cangris, Daddy Yankee released his second studio album El Cangri.com (2002), which is cited as the record that made him well known outside his natal Puerto Rico. Prior to Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee released a compilation album titled Los Homerun-es, which became his first record to chart within the top 10 on the US Top Latin Albums, reaching number seven. Later that year, he was featured on Dominican duo Luny Tunes' debut studio album, Mas Flow, on the track "Cógela Que Van Sin Jockey", whose outro included Daddy Yankee promoting Barrio Fino. At first, the album was supposed to be titled El Cangri.com 2: Barrio Fino with a August 2003 release; however, those plans were scrapped. By 2004, Yankee caught on and established a steady career on his home island. His previous four albums had each sold more than 100,000 copies in Puerto Rico.

## Composition

The album's lyrics explore themes ranging from dance, sex, romance, introspection, and social issues, which are recurring themes in the rapper's repertoire. The intro, performed by ex-convict poet Gavilán, is a poetic piece focusing on the humble side of Puerto Rico's poor neighborhoods or barrios. On the next track, "King Daddy", the rapper describes his career and predicts how Barrio Fino will revolutionize reggaeton music and validate his stage name as a successful Latin artist in the United States. "Dale Caliente" is a reggaeton dance song inspired by dancehall and Jamaican music, featuring backing vocals by Puerto Rican singer Glory and Jamaican artist Blacka-Nice. "No Me Dejes Solo" features lead vocals by Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel and backing vocals by Glory. Its sexually suggestive lyrics are about the fears of losing a girlfriend.

"Gasolina", the album's lead single, was inspired by a Puerto Rican phrase about having a good time partying. Before the release of Barrio Fino, Daddy Yankee shared an apartment with his wife and three children in the Villa Kennedy housing project, where he occasionally heard people in the streets shouting "¡Cómo le gusta la gasolina!" ("How she likes gasoline!") at women who accepted rides from men with fancy cars. The hook "a mí me gusta la gasolina, dame más gasolina" ("I like gasoline, give me more gasoline") was born after he chanted rhythmically what he was hearing outside. He contacted his colleague and friend Eddie Dee to work with him on the song's lyrics.

"Like You" is Daddy Yankee's first Spanglish song. Musically, it is a fusion of reggaeton and rhythm and blues, featuring backing vocals by May-Be and Raymond Acosta and guitars by Puerto Rican producer Arnaldo "Naldo" Santos. Daddy Yankee decided to write a song with English-language lyrics, so he "could be understood by people who liked reggaeton but did not speak Spanish." "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", the album's second single, fuses reggaeton and merengue music, giving it "a Caribbean tropical sound", with lyrics about a man who breaks up with a girl he was seeing after finding out she has a boyfriend. "Tu Príncipe" is a romantic track that features Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox, with lyrics describing the dilemmas of falling in love with a best friend and the fears following a revelation of one's feelings. "Cuéntame" is another romantic reggaeton song recorded in order to "balance the production" by creating a similar track to "Tu Príncipe".

"Santifica tus Escapularios" is a rap recording that allowed Daddy Yankee to "vent against all spiritual evil." "Sabor a Melao" fuses reggaeton and salsa music and features Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Andy Montañez, using a chorus from his Batacumbele orchestra. "El Muro" and "El Empuje" are "classic hardcore reggaeton" tracks that were recorded in order to balance the variety of the recording's offerings. The reggaeton and R&B-blended track, "¿Qué Vas a Hacer?", features vocals from May-Be and guitars by Jeorge Salgado and focuses on violence against women. The song was written as a conversation between a man and a woman. "Salud y Vida" is a hip hop track with Mexican banda influences with lyrics that suggest that people value materialistic objects more than their own well-being. Latin music journalist Ramiro Burr wrote that on this track, Daddy Yankee reflected on his neighborhood questioning "society's endless pursuit of material things." The song features backing vocals by American artist Norman "Notch" Howell and Marcelo Castro performing trumpet.

The interlude, performed by Gavilán, is another poem about the roughness of the barrio, serving as a prelude to the next track. "Corazones" is a socially conscious rap song that "describes how every heart in the world is different and feels different things. So intentions, emotions and even the most similar of situations are always unique to each individual." Daddy Yankee wrote the lyrics because he believes that the mass media focuses more on reporting negative news rather than positive ones. He also took notice about the needs of poor people and barrios. The track mentions politics, crime, hope and Christian spirituality. "Golpe de Estado" is a personal song featuring novice rapper Tommy Viera whose lyrics are about Daddy Yankee's, and Barrio Fino's role in the reggaeton music movement. "Dos Mujeres", performed humorously, takes the point of view of a man who secretly maintains a relationship with two women. "Saber Su Nombre" fuses reggaeton and dancehall music, and tells the story of a man who shows interest in a woman he met at a nightclub. The album's outro, titled "Historia", was written to represent the people of Puerto Rican neighborhoods. Daddy Yankee stated that he wanted to "bring them to life in a story that's very humble but full of pride."

## Production and packaging

Luny Tunes produced nine of the 21 tracks on Barrio Fino, including the singles "Gasolina", "Like You", and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó". Puerto Rican production duo Monserrate & DJ Urba produced three songs, including the single "No Me Dejes Solo". Puerto Rican singer and producer Fido, one half of Alexis & Fido, and Puerto Rican pianist Eliel each produced two tracks. Puerto Rican producers Naldo, DJ Nelson, Echo, Diesel, Nely, Edgardo Matta, and Salvadoran production duo Crooked Stilo produced or co-produced one track on the album. The intro, interlude and outro were produced by Ramsis.

Barrio Fino was recorded between 2003 and 2004 at Daddy Yankee's El Cartel Studios in Villa Kennedy, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Luny Tunes' Mas Flow Studios in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The album was mixed by Luny Tunes, Paul "Echo" Irizarry and Jose "Hyde" Cotto at Mas Flow Studios and The Lab Studios. The mastering by Nestor Salomon at Digital Recording Services. The cover art features Daddy Yankee in a black-and-white aesthetic. He hired Elastic People music video director and designer Carlos Perez, who wanted to "position him as one of the founders of the movement and portray him on a sophisticated note." Daddy Yankee suggested a "monumental" black-and-white cover inspired from historical photographs involving American professional boxer and activist Muhammad Ali.

## Release

Barrio Fino was released on July 13, 2004. In the week ending on July 31, the record debuted at number one on the US Top Latin Albums, becoming the first reggaeton album to peak and debut at the top of that chart. It also debuted at number one on the US Tropical Albums and at number 67 on the Billboard 200, selling almost 18,000 copies in it first week. The release of "Gasolina" as the album's lead single enhanced its chart performance and it topped the Top Latin Albums chart for a second week in 2005, remaining there for another 22 non-consecutive weeks, for a total of 24 weeks at number one. It also re-entered the Billboard 200 in the week ending on December 18, 2004, and peaked at number 26 on the April 16, 2005, issue. It topped the Tropical Albums chart for 28 non-consecutive weeks. It also charted for 54 weeks on the Billboard 200, and 42 weeks on Tropical Albums. A bonus track version of Barrio Fino, which includes a salsa remix of "Sabor a Melao" and a bachata remix for "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", was released on May 23, 2005.

In 2005, the album became the first reggaeton record to chart in Europe, peaking at number 26 in Portugal and Spain, at number 28 in Switzerland, at number 46 in Italy, at number 51 in Austria, and at number 67 in France. On May 17, 2005, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Barrio Fino platinum for having shipped one million copies in the United States. On March 3, 2006, it was also certified platinum by the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms (AMPROFON) for sales of 100,000 units in Mexico. The album also received a platinum certification by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers (CAPIF) on March 22, 2005, for sales of over 40,000 units. Barrio Fino was the fourth and 10th best selling album of 2005 in Venezuela and Chile, respectively, and was certified gold for selling 10,000 units across Central America.

In Canada, sales for Barrio Fino were considerably lower. Despite Daddy Yankee being one of the first reggaeton artists to receive airplay there, the album had sold only 9,300 units as of September 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan. According to The Record, Barrio Fino shipped five million copies worldwide as of June 2006. In the United States, Barrio Fino became the best-selling reggaeton album of 2004, the best- selling tropical recording of 2004, and the best-selling Latin album of 2005 and the 2000s decade. As of October 2017, the record has sold 1,083,000 copies in the United States, making it the seventh best-selling Latin album in the country according to Nielsen SoundScan. As of August 2005, Barrio Fino has sold three million of copies.

The bonus track version was re-released for digital stores and streaming platforms on July 21, 2017, under El Cartel Records and The Orchard, celebrating the album's 13th anniversary. It subsequently re-entered the US Top Latin Albums chart at number 13 on August 12, 2017. On the US Top Latin Albums chart, Barrio Fino charted for 262 non-consecutive weeks from July 31, 2004, to July 22, 2006, and from August 12, 2017, onwards.

### Singles

"Gasolina" became the first of the album's singles to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 32 on the week ending January 29, 2005. It also reached number 10 and 17 on the US Hot Rap Songs and Hot Latin Songs charts, respectively. Leila Cobo of Billboard stated that it could not pass its number 17 peak on the Hot Latin Songs chart because of the lack of urban music played on US Spanish-language radio stations at the time. Internationally, the song ranked within the top five in Denmark, Italy, Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom. "Gasolina" did not chart in Japan, despite the track having shipped 100,000 units in the country as of September 2005.

The album's second single, "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", peaked at number two on Hot Latin Songs and number six on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles list, where it charted for 18 weeks without entering the Hot 100. It also became Daddy Yankee's first number one on the US Tropical Airplay chart on March 12, 2005. Internationally, "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" peaked at number 35 in Switzerland. The third single, "No Me Dejes Solo", peaked at number 32 on Hot Latin Songs and at number eight on Tropical Airplay. The fourth and final single from Barrio Fino, "Like You", peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tu Príncipe" peaked at number 35 on the US Hot Latin Songs chart on the issue dated April 8, 2006. Daddy Yankee stated in October 2014 that "Tu Príncipe" was not released as a single nor a promotional song, and that it charted "on its own, because of the fans."

## Critical reception

Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 score, praising its first half as "remarkably solid" but commenting that its final quarter "begins to grow tiresome" because of the record's length. He states that Daddy Yankee "deserves a lot of credit for the success of Barrio Fino, for his charisma, energy level, and command of the proceedings are well evident and often infectious." Birchmeier selected "Gasolina" and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" as the album's highlights, with minor highlights including "Dale Caliente," "No Me Dejes Solo," "Tu Príncipe," and "¿Qué Vas a Hacer?". He ended the review by saying that Barrio Fino is "a milestone reggaetón release for its time" alongside Don Omar's The Last Don.

Rolling Stone magazine's Christian Hoard gave it a 3.5 out of 5, stating that Barrio Fino is "the blingiest and most modern disc in current reggaeton" and highlighted the track "Gasolina" for its "slinky hook." The album was later ranked by the magazine as the 44th best record of 2005. On the 2005 year-end ranking of Rolling Stone Argentina, the album was ranked as the 47th best record of 2005, with the comment that "Daddy Yankee exploits a boricua version of 50 Cent's style." The magazine praised the album for its "elegant and fabulous rhythms" and ended the review by adding that "Barrio Fino is an agitated excursion to reggaeton's most rough pleasures."

Adam Webb of the BBC stated in his review that Daddy Yankee's "sheer energy" is where he "reigns supreme over the majority of his hip hop peers." He felt that the fusion of salsa, dancehall and hip hop on "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó", "Sabor a Melao" and "Gasolina" "is like being strapped to a particularly lascivious booty." Journalist Ramiro Burr gave a positive review of the album. He said that "Gasolina" is "the engine driving this collection," describing the song as a basic reggae beat with a catchy chorus, and highlighted the dance tracks "No Me Dejes Solo" and "Like You". He also gave credit to Andy Montañez's vocals on "Sabor a Melao", which added "a soulful flavor to the track."

Kitty Empire of The Guardian wrote about "Gasolina" as a song that has "a spendidly infectious lurch." She also stated that the rest of the album "doesn't let up" by "updating the subgenre of Spanish-language hip-hop with a new swagger." An editor of the Indian music magazine The Record wrote a mixed review of Barrio Fino, stating that anyone who is not intimidated by the Spanish language barrier "will find this to be a good album," praising his "strong rhyming skills." The reviewer criticized the record because it "is not nearly as catchy or accessible as you might have expected it to be" but says that Daddy Yankee almost "lives up to the promise of the hype surrounding him." The album received a score of 3 out of 5.

### Accolades

Barrio Fino received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Music Album at the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The lead single, "Gasolina", was nominated for Record of the Year, becoming the first reggaeton song to be so honored. The album also received a Billboard Music Award for Latin Album of the Year at the 16th Billboard Music Awards, ceremony where "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" was nominated for Top Latin Song and Daddy Yankee was awarded Latin Albums Artist of the Year. Barrio Fino also received a Billboard Latin Music Award for Reggaeton Album of the Year, a Lo Nuestro Award for Urban Album of the Year, and a Latin Music Fan Award for Album of the Year.

"Gasolina" also received the Catchiest Tune award at the 2nd Premios Juventud. Its music video received a Latin Music Fan Award for Music Video of the Year and was nominated for a MTV2 Award at the 22nd MTV Video Music Awards and a MTV Video Music Awards Japan for Best Reggae Video. "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" won an Urban Song of the Year award at the 18th Lo Nuestro Awards.

In 2006, Daddy Yankee received an ASCAP Award for Latin Songwriter of the Year for his work on "Gasolina", "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" and "No Me Dejes Solo", among other songs. He was also awarded Artist of the Year at the 13th Billboard Latin Music Awards, and Urban Artist of the Year at the 18th Lo Nuestro Awards. He received the Premios Juventud award for Voice of the Moment and Favorite Urban Artist at the 2nd Premios Juventud awards show, and was also nominated for a Favorite Latin Artist award at the 33rd American Music Awards.

In 2015, Billboard included Barrio Fino on their unranked "50 Greatest Latin Albums of the Past 50 Years" list and, in 2017, named "Gasolina" the 10th best Latin song of all-time and the eighth best reggaeton chorus of the 21st century. On September 22, 2020, Rolling Stone updated their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list placing Barrio Fino on the 473rd position. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "Gasolina" as the greatest reggaeton song of all time, while "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" was placed at number 16.

## Legacy

The success of the album brought wealth to Daddy Yankee, who became the "messiah of reggaeton" according to Billboard, and inked a multi-year deal with the global athletic footwear company Reebok, launching a signature sport collection called DY in 2006. In August 2005, he signed a five-year contract with American record label Interscope Records, which distributed his subsequent albums Barrio Fino en Directo (2005), El Cartel: The Big Boss (2007) and Talento de Barrio (2008). That year, he produced and starred in his own semi-autobiographical feature film, Talento de Barrio, distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film, released in 2008, grossed \$1.6 million at the box office in the United States as of November 2008.

Barrio Fino made history as the first reggaeton record to peak at number one on the US Top Latin Albums chart, as well as becoming the best-selling Latin album in the United States in 2005 and the 2000s decade. According to Billboard magazine, the commercial success of Barrio Fino "introduced Daddy Yankee to the mainstream market and made reggaeton an international [music] genre." In 2015, the magazine included the recording on its list of "50 Essential Latin Albums of the Last 50 years" (1965–2015). That same year, "Gasolina" was ranked ninth on Billboard's 50 Greatest Latin Songs of All Time, described as "the track that internationalized reggaeton" by making the genre a global phenomenon. Billboard included Daddy Yankee on its list of "The 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time", citing "Gasolina" as the song that "brought the underground urban sound of the [Puerto Rican hoods] to the world."

In the United States, Latin album sales grew a startling 17.6% in the first half of 2005 in comparison to the previous year. Billboard's Leila Cobo cited that one of the reasons for this was the emergence of reggaeton and the commercial success of Barrio Fino. The commercial success of "Gasolina" in the country led to the creation of a new radio format and a Billboard chart, Latin Rhythm Airplay, in which Daddy Yankee eventually became the artist with the most total entries.

The album also enhanced Luny Tunes' production career. They were later recognized as the genre's hit-makers following the release of their studio albums Mas Flow 2 in 2005 and Mas Flow: Los Benjamins in 2006. Daddy Yankee credited Wisin & Yandel's collaboration on the track "No Me Dejes Solo" as the boost they needed to be internationally recognized. He considers "No Me Dejes Solo" as a "nightclub anthem" and "Lo Que Pasó, Pasó" a "Latin anthem" saying that both are contemporary and well received by fans. According to Leila Cobo of Billboard, the success of Barrio Fino "detonated a global reggaeton explosion that irrevocably altered the business, sound and aesthetic of Latin music."

According to Nestor Casonu, CEO of Casonu Strategic Management, "Daddy Yankee and 'Gasolina' triggered the explosion of urban Latin music worldwide." Daddy Yankee has claimed that the album's success gave impoverished children from barrios the hope of fame through a music career. Rachel Grace Amelda of Vice stated that "Daddy Yankee transcended being reduced to a one-hit wonder and started a movement that sent one resounding message to barrio kids: if Yankee can, I can too." On "I'm the Boss", a track from his 2013 mixtape King Daddy, Daddy Yankee revealed that "he is still spending his Barrio Fino'' money." In 2019, he celebrated the 15th anniversary of the album by posting on social media that it "changed the culture around the world, broke frontiers, and opened the doors for reggaeton music and the [urban movement around the globe".

## Track listing

## Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic and Discogs.

- Raymond Acosta – back vocals (6)
- Mark Allen – typography
- James Begera – design
- Martin Betz – photography
- Marcelo Castro – trumpet (15)
- Eddie Dee – songwriting (5)
- Diesel – producer (17)
- Echo – producer (17), mixing (all)
- Eliel – producer (8)
- Fido – producer (3, 4, 7, 14)
- Nestor Salomón - mastering
- Gavilán – lead vocals (1, 16)
- Glory – back vocals (3–5, 13)
- Hyde – mixing (all)
- Edgardo Matta – producer (20)
- May-Be – lead vocals (14), back vocals (6)
- Monserrate & DJ Urba – producer (3, 4, 7, 13, 14)
- Andy Montañez – lead vocals, songwriting (12)
- Naldo – producer (14), guitar (6)
- Notch – back vocals (15)
- DJ Nelson – producer (12)
- Nely – producer (18)
- Blacka-Nice – back vocals (3)
- Dino Olavarrias – songwriting (18)
- Joan Ortíz – songwriting (8)
- Carlos Perez – design, art direction
- Janice Quijano – wardrobe stylist
- Ramsis – producer (1, 16, 21)
- Jeorge Salgado – guitar (14)
- Sosa – producer (13)
- Crooked Stilo – producer (15)
- Luny Tunes – producer (2, 5, 6, 8–11, 19), mixing (all)
- Tommy Viera – lead vocals (18)
- Wisin & Yandel – lead vocals, songwriting (4)
- Daddy Yankee – lead vocals (all), songwriting (all), executive producer
- Zion & Lennox – lead vocals, songwriting (9)

## Charts

### Weekly charts

### Year-end charts

### Decade-end charts

## Certifications and sales

## See also

- 2004 in Latin music
- List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2004
- List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2005
- List of number-one Billboard Tropical Albums from the 2000s
- List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States
- List of best-selling Latin albums

[^1]: Carney Smith, Jessie. of African American Popular Culture] . ABC-CLIO, 2010, p. 1199.


Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)

The Waldorf-Astoria originated as two hotels, built side by side by feuding relatives, on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York, United States. Built in 1893 and expanded in 1897, the hotels were razed in 1929 to make way for construction of the Empire State Building. Their successor, the current Waldorf Astoria New York, was built on Park Avenue in 1931.

The original Waldorf Hotel opened on March 13, 1893, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street, on the site where millionaire developer William Waldorf Astor had previously built his mansion. Constructed in the German Renaissance style by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, it stood 225 feet (69 m) high, with fifteen public rooms and 450 guest rooms, and a further 100 rooms allocated to servants, with laundry facilities on the upper floors. It was heavily furnished with antiques purchased by founding manager and president George Boldt and his wife during an 1892 visit to Europe. The Empire Room was the largest and most lavishly adorned room in the Waldorf, and soon after opening it became one of the best restaurants in New York, rivaling Delmonico's and Sherry's.

The Astoria Hotel opened in 1897 on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, next door to the Waldorf. It was also designed in the German Renaissance style by Hardenbergh, at a height of about 270 feet (82 m), with sixteen stories, twenty-five public rooms and 550 guest rooms. The ballroom, in the Louis XIV style, has been described as the "pièce de résistance" of the hotel, with a capacity to seat 700 at banquets and 1,200 at concerts. The Astor Dining Room was faithfully reproduced from the original dining room of the mansion which once stood on the site.

Connected by the 300 metres (980 ft) long corridor, known as "Peacock Alley" after the merger in 1897, the hotel had 1,300 bedrooms, making it the largest hotel in the world at the time. It was designed specifically to cater to the needs of socially prominent "wealthy upper crust" of New York and distinguished foreign visitors to the city. It was the first hotel to offer electricity and private bathrooms throughout. The Waldorf gained world renown for its fundraising dinners and balls, as did its celebrity maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, known as "Oscar of the Waldorf". Tschirky authored The Cookbook by Oscar of The Waldorf (1896), a 900-page book featuring recipes that remain popular worldwide today.

## Background

### Opening and early years of the Waldorf

In 1799, John Thompson bought a 20-acre (8 ha) tract of land roughly bounded by Madison Avenue, 36th Street, Sixth Avenue, and 33rd Street, immediately north of the Caspar Samler farm, for (US\$2400) £482 10s. In 1826, John Jacob Astor purchased Thompson's parcel, as well as one from Mary and John Murray who owned a farm on Murray Hill, in the area which is now Madison Avenue to Lexington Avenue, between 34th and 38th streets. In 1827, William B. Astor, Sr. bought a half interest, including Fifth Avenue from 32nd to 35th streets, for \$20,500. He built an unpretentious square red brick house on the southwest corner of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, while John Jacob Astor erected a home at the northwest corner of 33rd Street.

William Waldorf Astor, motivated in part by a dispute with his aunt Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor, built the Waldorf Hotel next door to her house, on the site of his father's mansion at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. After Astor's decision to leave the United States, he also decided to demolish his father's home and build a hotel on the property. When the 1870 Astor home was demolished, there was no idea that Astor would build a hotel on the property. Astor did not stay in his own hotel when visiting the U.S., preferring to stay elsewhere; he is known to have visited the Waldorf-Astoria only once.

The hotel was built to the specifications of the founding proprietor George Boldt, who owned and operated the elite Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia with his wife, Louisa Augusta Kehrer Boldt (1860–1904). The original plans for the Waldorf were for a hotel with eleven stories; Louise believed that thirteen was a lucky number and persuaded her husband to add two floors to the construction. William Astor's construction of a hotel next to his aunt's house worsened his feud with her, but, with Boldt's assistance, John Astor persuaded his mother to move uptown. The Waldorf Hotel, named after the Astor family's ancestral hometown of Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was opened for business March 13, 1893.

Early on, the Waldorf was regarded with mockery over its large number of bathrooms and was known briefly as "Boldt's Folly" after Boldt, or "Astor's Folly", with the general perception of the palatial hotel being that it had no place in New York. It appeared destined for failure. Wealthy New Yorkers were angry because they viewed the construction of the hotel as the ruination of a good neighborhood. Business travelers found it too expensive and too far uptown for their needs. In the face of all of this, Boldt decided that the hotel would host a benefit concert for St. Mary's Hospital for Children the day after its opening. The hospital was the favorite charity of those on the Social Register. Despite the rain the night of the ball, the ballroom filled with many of New York's First Families, who had paid \$5.00 (\$ in ) for the concert and dinner. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt donated the services of the New York Symphony Orchestra led by Walter Damrosch to provide the music for the event. Even with a proper escort, women of the times generally did not venture into hotels, but those attending also toured the facilities. While Boldt made news by insisting the Waldorf's waiters be clean-shaven even though he wore a beard, his decision to hire young Oscar Tschirky was one of the key factors in the hotel's success. Oscar was personable, humble and very willing to tend to patrons' needs on an individual basis. More than thirty years later, Tschirky was able to recall the Waldorf's opening day and the names of many of the Social Register guests who made the hotel successful when it hosted the charity concert and dinner. Business soon picked up and the hotel earned \$4.5 million (\$ in ) in its first year, exorbitant for that period. By 1895, the Waldorf added a five-story addition. This brought the hotel's ballroom down to the main floor; the move brought many parties and dinners which were formerly held in private homes, into the Waldorf. Adjacent to the new ballroom was the Oak Room, where one could sit by large fireplaces where there were always logs on the hearth. In winter, waiters would offer patrons complimentary baked potatoes with butter.

### Opening of the Astoria and consolidation

When a decision was made to build a second hotel next to the Waldorf, truce provisions were developed between the Astors which reserved some proprietary rights. The plan design used corridors to join the two buildings and there was even a bond provision for bricking up the corridors should the need arise. On November 1, 1897, Waldorf's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV, opened the 16 story Astoria Hotel on an adjacent site. The Astoria, named after Astoria, Oregon which was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1811, stood on the site of William B. Astor's house, and was leased to Boldt.

The two hotels, under one management, were renamed the Waldorf-Astoria. Situated on Fifth Avenue in what is now Midtown Manhattan, it was surrounded by streets on all sides. The Waldorf-Astoria had a frontage of 200 feet (61 m) on Fifth Avenue, 350 feet (110 m) on 33rd Street, 350 feet (110 m) on 34th Street, and 200 feet (61 m) on Astor Court, with 13 entrances opening directly from these thoroughfares. Below, extending to a depth 42 feet (13 m) beneath the sidewalk, and occupying an additional area of 75 by 242 feet (23 m × 74 m) running toward Broadway, were the basements, which contained the engine room, laundries, and kitchens. From the sidewalk to the observatory roof was a height of 250 feet (76 m). It was the largest hotel in the world at the time. The cost of the two buildings, exclusive of the furnishings but including the land, was about \$15 million (\$ in ). The assessed value in 1897 was \$12.125 million (\$ in ) making it the next most valuable parcel on Fifth Avenue, after the B. Altman and Company Building site immediately northeast. The hotel became, according to author Sean Dennis Cashman, "a successful symbol of the opulence and achievement of the Astor family".

The hotel faced stiff competition from the early 20th century, with a range of new hotels springing up in New York City such as the Hotel Astor (1904), perceived as a successor to the Waldorf-Astoria; The St. Regis (1904), built by John Jacob Astor IV as a companion to the Waldorf-Astoria; The Knickerbocker (1906); and the Savoy-Plaza Hotel (1927). By the 1920s, the hotel was becoming dated, and the elegant social life of New York had moved much farther north than 34th Street. The Astor family sold the hotel to the developers of the Empire State Building and closed the hotel on May 3, 1929; it was demolished soon afterward. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel records of 1893–1929 are held by the New York Public Library's Archives & Manuscripts division.

## Society

From its inception, the Waldorf was always a "must stay" hotel for foreign dignitaries. The viceroy of China, Li Hung-Chang stayed at the hotel in 1896 and feasted on 100-year-old eggs which he brought with him. Li also brought his own stoves, chefs and servants with him to prepare and serve his meals. Upon his departure from the Waldorf, he ordered a basket of roses to be sent to every female guest at the hotel, and was very generous in the gifts and gratuities he provided for the hotel's staff. In 1902, a lavish dinner was organized for Prince Henry of Prussia; in addition, the hotel built a private door on its 33rd Street side and installed a private elevator. The staff was also called upon to form a "bucket brigade" for the prince's bath when there was a problem with the plumbing in the royal suite. One early wealthy resident was Chicago businessman J. W. Gates who would gamble on stocks on Wall Street and play poker at the hotel. He paid up to \$50,000 a year to hire suites at the hotel, where he had his own private entrance and elevator. Grand Duchess Viktoria Feodorovna of Russia was invited by Waldorf president Lucius Bloomer to stay at the hotel in the 1920s.

The Waldorf-Astoria gained significant renown for its fundraising dinners and balls, regularly attracting notables of the day such as Andrew Carnegie who became a fixture. Banquets were often held in the ballroom for esteemed figures and international royalty. On February 11, 1899, Oscar of the Waldorf hosted a lavish dinner reception which the New York Herald Tribune cited as the city's costliest dinner at the time. Some \$250 (\$ in ) was spent per guest, with bluepoint oysters, green turtle soup, lobster, ruddy duck and blue raspberries. Two months later, 120 sailors of the cruiser Raleigh were given a banquet, during which the gallery was decorated with silk banners and flags. One article that year claimed that at any one time the hotel had \$7 million (\$ in ) worth of valuables locked in the safe, testament to the wealth of its guests. In 1909, banquets, attended by hundreds, were organized for Arctic explorer Frederick Cook in September and Elbert Henry Gary, a founder of US Steel, the following month.

The hotel was also influential in advancing the status of women, who were admitted singly without escorts. Boldt's wife, Louise, was influential in evolving the idea of the grand urban hotel as a social center, particularly in making it appealing to women as a venue for social events, or just to be seen in the Peacock Alley. The combined hotel was the first to do away with a ladies-only parlor and provided women with a place to play billiards and ping-pong. It was the first New York hotel to allocate an entire room for afternoon tea. The teas began in the Waldorf Garden with attendance eventually being so large, both the Empire Room and at times, the Rose Room, had to be opened during the hours of four and six pm to accommodate the number of guests. Men were admitted to the teas only if they were in the company of a woman.

The United States Senate inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic was opened at the hotel on April 19, 1912, and continued there for some time in the Myrtle Room, before moving on to Washington, D.C. John Jacob Astor IV was one of the people who perished on its ill-fated journey.

The Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra included several conductors over the years. In the early 1900s, it was under the direction of Carlo Curti, who spent his career between the United States and Mexico. Later he was replaced by Joseph Knecht, who was formerly assistant concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera House. Consisting of fifty musicians, it was maintained by Boldt at an annual expense of \$100,000. The orchestra performed regular Sunday night concerts in the grand ballroom.

The Waldorf-Astoria Bar was a favorite haunt of many of the financial elite of the city from the hotel's inception in 1893, and colorful characters who adopted the venue such as Diamond Jim Brady, Buffalo Bill Cody and Bat Masterson. A number of cocktails were invented at the bar, including the Rob Roy (1894) and the Bobbie Burns.

## Architecture

On the exterior, the two and three lower stories in the respective buildings were of red sandstone, while the balance of the work to the roof-line was red brick and red terracotta. The building rested on solid rock and contained a fireproof steel frame. The first and second floors contained public spaces.

The combined hotel, after merging in 1897, had 1,300 bedrooms and 178 bathrooms, making it the largest hotel in the world at the time. With a telephone in every room and first-class room service, the hotel featured numerous Turkish and Russian baths for the gentlemen of the day to relax in. Many of the floors were arranged as separate hotels to further the comfort of the guests. Each of these floors had its own team of assistants—clerks, maids, page boys, waiters—as well as telephone and dumbwaiter service, and refrigerators. The bedrooms and corridors were heated by direct radiation. The family included a stained glass picture of the town of Walldorf in the design of the hotel; it was located on the 33rd Street side over the main entrance to the South Palm Garden.

### Waldorf Hotel

The Waldorf Hotel, built at a reported cost of about \$5 million (\$ in ), opened on March 13, 1893, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street, on the site where millionaire developer William Waldorf Astor had previously built his mansion. The hotel stood 225 feet (69 m) high, about 50 feet (15 m) lower than the Astoria, with a frontage of about 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue, and a total area of 69,475 square feet (6,454.4 m2). It was a German Renaissance structure, designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, with 15 public rooms and 450 guest rooms, and a further 100 rooms allocated to servants, with laundry facilities on the upper floors. The New York Times proclaimed the hotel a palace after it opened in 1893.

The exterior featured loggias, balconies, gables, groups of chimneys, and tiled roofs. One of the chief features was the interior garden court, with fountains and flowers, walls of white terracotta, frescoes and stained glass. The main entrance to the hotel was "sheltered by an elaborate frosted-glass-and-wrought-iron marquee", and the entrance hall was built in Sienna marble, with a mosaic title floor and a coffered ceiling. The original reception desk of the Waldorf Hotel became a registration desk when it merged with the Astoria Hotel in 1897.

Beyond the lobby was the main corridor leading to the Empire Room, with an alcove containing elevators and a grand staircase. Near this was the Marie Antoinette parlor, which was used as a reception room for women. It contained 18th century antiques brought back by Boldt and his wife from an 1892 visit to Europe, including a bust of Marie Antoinette, and an antique clock which was once owned by the queen. The ceiling featured frescoes by Will Hicok Low, the central of which was called The Birth of Venus. The Gentleman's Cafe was furnished with "robust black oak paneling, hunting murals, and stag-horn chandaliers".

The Empire Room was the largest and most lavishly adorned room in the Waldorf, and soon after opening it became one of the best restaurants in New York City, rivaling Delmonico's and Sherry's. It was modelled after the grand salon in King Ludwig's palace at Munich, with satin hangings, upholstery and marble pillars, all of pale green, and Crowninshield's frescoes. Empire in style, the Waldorf's restaurant featured feathered columns of dark-green marble, and the pilasters that were opposite were of mahogany, with ormolu work in the panels. The caps and bases of both columns and pilasters were gilded. This treatment occupied most of the wall space. The ceiling was divided by heavy beams running from column to column, and between these the flat space was divided into oval and other shaped panels with light mouldings. The color scheme was in tints of pale-green and cream. The panels of the ceiling were frescoed with figures in pinkish-red on a blue sky or field. The walls were principally mahogany and gold, with a little color in the comparatively small wall-spaces left between openings. Among the other rooms were the Turkish smoking room, with low divans and ancient Moorish armor, and the ballroom, in white and gold, with Louis XIV decorations.

The Waldorf State Apartments, consisting of nine suites, were located on the second floor. The apartments, including the Henry IV Drawing Room, featured 16th and 17th century French and Italian antiques which Boldt and his wife had brought back from Europe. Francois V Bedroom was a reproduction of the room at the Palais de Fontainebleau, and over the years was occupied by the likes of Li Hung-Chang of China, Chowfa Maha Rajiravuth, Prince of Siam, and Albert of Saxe-Coburg. The apartments had their own music room and a banquet hall to seat 20, with a handsome china collection including 48 Sevres plates with European portraits. There were about 6,000 lights in the hotel, with as many as 1,000 small candelabra lamps mounted in specially designed fixtures. The electric fixtures were all furnished by the Archer & Pancoast Manufacturing Company, of New York, while the contract for the general installation work was carried out by the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, of New York, the actual work of wiring being done by the Eastern District of the General Electric Company. The building was wired throughout on the system of the Interior Conduit and Insulation Company.

### Astoria Hotel

The Astoria Hotel, opened in 1897, was situated on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. Like the Waldorf, it was designed in the German Renaissance style by Henry J. Hardenbergh, the same architect who designed the Waldorf. With dimensions of 99 by 350 feet (30 m × 107 m), its height, from the floor of the sub-basement, which was 33 feet (10 m) below the street level, to the roof-line, was about 270 feet (82 m), or about 240 feet (73 m) above the street-level. It was 16 stories in height, including the four stories in the roof. The building was constructed of stone, marble and brick, with a steel skeleton frame and modern fireproof interior construction, and was embellished with "French Second Empire Mansard-roofed towers with iron-work cresting as well as Austrian Baroque onion-domes over corners turrets". There were 25 public rooms and 550 guest rooms, with miles of corridors, vestibules and balls. The entrance featured a double set of plate glass doors to give protection in cold weather, and a U-shaped driveway for horse and carriages.

The main corridor was nicknamed "Peacock Alley" by the New York press. The corridor and foyer were treated with pilasters and columns of Sienna marble and a color scheme on the walls and ceilings of salmon-pink, with cream-color and pale-green. The capitals of the columns and pilasters were gilded of solid brass or lacquered. The main corridor ran the entire length of the building from east to west. To the left of it was the Astor Dining Room, fronting on Fifth Avenue, which measured 50 by 92 feet (15 m × 28 m). Great care was taken with it to faithfully reproduce the original dining room of the mansion, three floors above where the original dining room had stood, including all of the original dining room's paneling, carpeting, drapery and fireplace mantel; Italian Renaissance pilasters and columns, carved of marble from northern Russia. The panels of silk hangings were of rose pompadour, and a series of Charles Yardley Turner mural paintings filled arches and panels at the south end of the room. On the right of the main corridor was the Garden Court of Palms, 88 by 57 feet (27 m × 17 m), rising three stories to a dome-like roof of amber glass 56 feet (17 m) above the floor. This, too, was used as a dining room. It was decorated in the Italian style, finished in gray, terracotta and Pavonazzo marble. On the 34th Street side of the corridor was the cafe, 40 by 95 feet (12 m × 29 m), finished in English oak in the style of the German Renaissance, with Flemish decoration. The bar formed another room 40 by 50 feet (12 m × 15 m).

On the first floor, at the head-of the east main staircase, was the Astor Gallery, 87 by 102 feet (27 m × 31 m), looking out on 34th Street. The gallery, with seven French windows reaching 26 feet (7.9 m) from floor to ceiling, opened onto a terrace over the entrance to the hotel. The interior was finished in the style of the Hôtel de Soubise, with a blue, gray and gold color scheme. There was a parquet floor, and on the south side, opposite the street windows, were other windows which opened into the main corridor on the second floor. The musicians' balcony, upheld by two caryatids, was at the east end. All the balcony railings were of gilded metal work. The mural paintings were notable: four panels, two at either end of the room, and twelve pendentive panels, six on either side and painted by Edward Simmons depicted the four seasons and the twelve months of the year. The "Colonial Room" was decorated in red, contrasting with white woodwork. The second floor contained a private suite of apartments at the northeast corner, with large drawing rooms, dining room, butler's pantry, hallway, three bedrooms, three maids' bedrooms and five bathrooms, all finished in old English oak. All the floors above the third were given up to suites and bedrooms up to the 14th floor. There was a bath for nearly every room, and every bathroom had windows opening to the air, not into shafts. In every room, there was a large trunk closet.

The ballroom, in the Louis XIV style, has been described as the "pièce de résistance" of the hotel, measuring 65 feet (20 m) by 95 feet (29 m) and 40 feet (12 m) (three stories) in height. It had a capacity to seat 700 at banquets and 1,200 at concerts, and featured tints of ivory-gray and cream in its design. Noted vocalists such as Enrico Caruso and Nellie Melba performed in the ballroom, with conductor Anton Seidl leading a series of concerts there in the year the combined hotels opened for business. It was possible to buy season tickets for the musical offerings; a box for a season was US\$350 and a seat for a season on the ballroom floor was priced at US\$60.

On the hotel's top floor was the roof-garden, enclosed on all sides by glass, with a glass roof over. It was furnished with rattan chairs and lounges in pale-green and pink, hung across with gauzy fabric. On the roof on the 34th Street side was the grand promenade, 90 by 200 feet (27 m × 61 m), on solid footing high in the air, with a band stand, fountains, and trellises of columns. The roof garden restaurant occupied a space 75 by 84 feet (23 m × 26 m), and was roofed in. The ceiling was 24 feet (7.3 m) high. At the northeast and northwest corners of the roof garden were towers, with spiral stairways within, leading up to the copper covered roofs of the pavilions, which were 250 feet (76 m) above the sidewalk. The palm gardens, used as cafes, rose to a height of two and three stories respectively and were roofed-over with domes of tinted glass. Balconies at the various floor levels opened on to these courts to overlook them. The materials used were cream-colored brick and terracotta, and were Italian Renaissance in style.

In the sub-basement were the Sprague screw machines for the electric elevators, the fire pumps, the house pumps, the ice plant, and the six Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers. The elevator system, which served the house from subbasement to roof, was electric, taking its power from the generating plant within the building. There were 18 elevators. The machinery was located in the sub-basement. The boilers aggregated about 3,000 horse power, the electric generators taking 2,200 horse-power of the total energy. The elevators were run by it, as were the 15,000 incandescent lamps, branching from 7,500 outlets. The system of heating and ventilating the public rooms was that of forced draught by means of powerful blowers situated in the sub-basement that forced the fresh air between steam-coils, where it became moderately heated before entering the ducts that lead it to the various rooms. This heat was further augmented by direct radiators placed behind screens in the recesses of the windows and elsewhere.

## Notable people

William Waldorf Astor (1848–1919) was a wealthy American attorney, politician, businessman, and newspaper publisher of the Astor family. He was the only child of financier/philanthropist John Jacob Astor III (1822–1890) and Charlotte Augusta Gibbes (1825–1887). Described as being a "very prickly sort of person", he had a background in Europe and earned wealth buying and selling country estates in England including Cliveden and Hever Castle. In his early adult years, Astor returned to the United States and began studies at Columbia Law School. He was called to the United States Bar in 1875. He worked for a short time in law practice and in the management of his father's estate of financial and real estate holdings. On his death in 1919, he was reputed to have been worth £200 million, which he left in trust for his two sons Waldorf and John Jacob. His half share of the Waldorf Astoria and the Astor Hotel at the time were reported to have been worth £10 million.

George Boldt (1851–1916), the founding proprietor, was a Prussian-born American hotelier and self-made millionaire who influenced the development of the urban hotel as a civic social center and luxury destination. His motto was "the guest is always right", and he became a wealthy and prominent figure internationally. The hotel was built to his specifications. He served as president and director of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Company, as well as the Waldorf-Astoria Segar Company and the Waldorf Importation Company. He also owned and operated the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, an elite boutique hotel on Broad Street in Philadelphia, with his wife, Louise. Boldt was described as "Mild mannered, undignified, unassuming", resembling "a typical German professor with his close-cropped beard which he kept fastidiously trimmed... and his pince-nez glasses on a black silk cord". Boldt retained his contacts with the European elite and he and his wife made frequent trips to Europe, bringing back with them many antiques, a characteristic of the Waldorf Astoria. Boldt continued to own the Bellevue even after his relationship with the Astors blossomed.

Lucius M. Boomer (1878–1947) was an American hotelier and businessman, responsible for the general management of the hotel for many years. Physically impressive and brassy, he displayed total dedication to his job and great discipline and care towards his staff, becoming one of the most famous hoteliers of his time. Boomer became interested in the hotel after the death of Boldt in 1916 and purchased it, before buying the Bellevue-Stratford two years later. Following the retirement of Louis Sherry in 1920, he became directing head of the Louis Sherry Ice Cream and Chocolate Company, and was later president of restaurant chain Savarin, Inc. Boomer was primarily responsible for the decision to demolish the hotel and build the new one on Park Avenue in 1931. He continued to manage the hotel until his death in Norway in July 1947.

Henry J. Hardenbergh (1847–1918) was an American architect who designed both hotels in the German Renaissance style. Apprenticed in New York from 1865 to 1870 under Detlef Lienau, in 1870, opened his own practice there. He obtained his first contracts for three buildings at Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey—the expansion of Alexander Johnston Hall (1871), designing and building Geology Hall (1872) and the Kirkpatrick Chapel (1873)—through family connections. Hardenbergh designed the Dakota Apartments in 1884, and after building the Waldorf he went on to have an illustrious career as "America's premiere architect of grand hotels", designing the Manhattan Hotel (1896), the Plaza Hotel (1907), the Martinique Hotel (1911) and numerous other hotels in cities such as Boston and Washington, D.C.

Louis Sherry (1855–1926) was an American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner and hotelier during the Gilded Age and early 20th century, who was of considerable renown in the business. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and The Sherry-Netherland hotel in New York City. In 1919, Sherry announced an "alliance" with the Waldorf-Astoria that involved both his candies and catering services. Although it was not disclosed at that time, at some point ownership of Louis Sherry Inc. was significantly vested in "Boomer-duPont interests", a reference to Lucius M. Boomer, then chairman of the Waldorf-Astoria, and T. Coleman du Pont.

Oscar Tschirky (1866–1950), known as "Oscar of the Waldorf", was a Swiss chef, maître d'hôtel from the hotel's inauguration in 1893 until his retirement in 1943. Tschirky had arrived in the United States from Switzerland ten years prior to applying for the position at the new Waldorf and over the years grew to possess an encyclopedic-like knowledge of cuisine and the special trimmings and preferences that the regular diners desired. He authored The Cookbook by Oscar of The Waldorf (1896), a 900-page book featuring recipes such as Waldorf salad, which remain popular worldwide. James Remington McCarthy wrote in his book Peacock Alley that Oscar gained renown among the general public as an artist who "composed sonatas in soups, symphonies in salads, minuets in sauces, lyrics in entrees". In 1902 Tschirky published Serving a Course Dinner by Oscar of the Waldorf-Astoria, a booklet which explains the intricacies of being a caterer to the American and international elite. Tschirky continued to work for the Waldorf Astoria after the original hotel was demolished until his retirement in 1943.

Former hotel in Manhattan, New York

1929 disestablishments in New York (state)

Buildings and structures demolished in 1929

Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan


Sergio Romo

Sergio Francisco Romo (born March 4, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Toronto Blue Jays. A right-hander who served as a closer during his career, his main pitch was his slider.

Born in Brawley, California, Romo grew up a Dodgers fan. He attended four colleges, getting drafted in the 28th round of the 2005 draft by the Giants. He reached the major leagues in 2008 and appeared in 45 games for the Giants in 2009. In 2010, he became the setup man for Giants closer Brian Wilson as the Giants won the 2010 World Series. He posted a 1.50 earned run average (ERA) in 2011, then became the closer for the Giants in 2012, recording three saves during the 2012 World Series as the Giants won the title. He was an All-Star in 2013, and though he lost the closer role the next year, he won his third World Series ring as the Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series.

After two more seasons with the Giants, Romo signed with the Dodgers for 2017. He was designated for assignment in 2018 and traded to the Rays. In 2018, he was the first pitcher used by Rays manager Kevin Cash as part of Tampa's opener strategy. Later that year, he became Tampa Bay's closer. A free agent after the season, he signed with the Marlins and served as Miami's closer until getting traded to the Twins halfway through the year. He reached the playoffs with Minnesota in 2019 and 2020 before becoming a free agent once again.

## Early life

Romo was born in Brawley, California to parents of Mexican heritage. He grew up a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. His grandfather and father both played baseball; his grandfather was a member of the Mexico City Diablos Rojos. Work responsibilities kept Frank, a semipro player, from being able to play Minor League Baseball, and he wanted to make sure his son got the opportunity. He built Sergio a pitching mound in the backyard and taught him how to throw. Romo played shortstop and third base on the baseball team at Brawley Union High School, graduating in 2001. With no scholarship offers from four-year colleges, Romo nearly signed enlistment papers to follow his father in the United States Navy, but he opted to play baseball at junior college instead.

## College career

Romo went to Orange Coast College before transferring to Arizona Western College. Romo was named to the All-Region I second team of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference in 2002 and 2003. In 159 innings, Romo earned a 16-4 overall record with a 2.79 earned run average (ERA).

For his junior and senior years, Romo played NCAA Division II baseball at two colleges: the University of North Alabama (2004) and Mesa State College (2005). He was named First-Team All-Gulf South Conference in 2004 while playing for North Alabama and was 10–3 with a 3.69 ERA in 97.1 innings. In his senior year with Mesa State, he was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year.

## Professional career

### Draft and minor leagues

Romo was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 28th round (852nd overall) of the 2005 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. He began his professional career with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Single-A short season Northwest League. Used as a starter, he had a 7–1 record and a 2.75 ERA in 68+2⁄3 innings. His seven wins led the Northwest League, while his 65 strikeouts ranked ninth.

The following year, Romo was assigned to the Augusta GreenJackets of the Single-A South Atlantic League. In 31 games (10 starts) he had a 10–2 record, a 2.53 ERA, 95 strikeouts, and four saves in 103+1⁄3 innings. He made 41 relief appearances for the San Jose Giants of the Single-A advanced California League in 2007, compiling a 6–2 record, a 1.36 ERA, 106 strikeouts, and nine saves in 66+1⁄3 innings of work. Romo's 14.38 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched was the fourth-best mark in the minors, and milb.com named Romo the Class A Advanced Relief Pitcher of the Year. Aided by his contributions, San Jose won the California League championship.

Romo began the 2008 season with the Double-A Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League. Used as the closer, he had 11 saves in 27 games, and his ERA was 4.00.

### San Francisco Giants (2008–2016)

#### 2008

Romo had his contract purchased by the San Francisco Giants on June 24, 2008, when Vinnie Chulk was designated for assignment. He made his big league debut on June 26, 2008, in a 4–1 loss to the Cleveland Indians, striking out two in an inning pitched. Romo posted a 2.35 ERA in his first 15 games but was designated for assignment on August 6, because the Giants were adding up two relief pitchers. Romo was on trade waivers at the time and thus could not be optioned to the minors. He was eventually sent to the minors, but was recalled on August 16, when Jonathan Sánchez was placed on the disabled list. Romo replaced Matt Palmer in the bullpen as Palmer took Sánchez's rotation spot. In 29 games as a rookie, Romo had a 3–1 record, a 2.12 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and eight walks in 34 innings. He played winter baseball with the Águilas de Mexicali of the Mexican Pacific League. In 15 relief appearances, Romo made six saves and posted a 2.70 ERA.

#### 2009

A right elbow sprain caused Romo to start the 2009 season on the disabled list, but he was activated on May 30, 2009. From June 5 through June 20, he threw 7+2⁄3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He picked up wins on both June 19 and 20, against the Texas Rangers. He completed his first major league save on July 7 against the Florida Marlins. He got the last two outs of the game, both of which were via the strikeout. Romo had a 2.31 ERA through July 11, but in four games between July 11 and 20, he gave up seven runs in two innings, raising his ERA to 6.59. He then had a 2.21 ERA in his final 27 games, which brought his ERA down to 3.97 at the end of the year. In 45 games, he had a 5–2 record, 41 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 34 innings. He was one of eight NL relievers to allow one or fewer home runs. Romo also stranded 92.9% of inherited runners, second in the NL to Juan Rincón's 95%.

#### 2010

Romo got off to a tough start to the 2010 season, posting a 4.50 ERA through his first 14 games and losing three of them. Starting May 9, he posted a 1.50 ERA in his final 54 games of the year. In mid-June, Giants' manager Bruce Bochy removed the struggling Guillermo Mota from the setup role and replaced him with Romo, who held it for the rest of the regular season. Romo gained notoriety for being one of the team's relief pitchers with a prominent beard, along with LHP Jeremy Affeldt and closer Brian Wilson. In 68 games (second to Wilson on the Giants), Romo had a 5–3 record, a 2.18 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 62 innings. This year, he held right-handed batters to a .185 average. His 5.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked sixth among NL relievers, and his 2.18 ERA ranked 10th.

In Game 2 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Atlanta Braves, Romo gave up two hits without recording an out; both runners scored as the Giants went on to blow a three-run lead and lose 5–4 in 11 innings. Romo replaced Sánchez in the eighth inning of Game 3 and allowed a go-ahead two-run home run to Eric Hinske but was charged with the win as the Giants rallied in the ninth to win 3–2. The Giants won the series in four games. In Game 4 of the NL Championship Series (NLCS) against the Philadelphia Phillies, Romo gave up an RBI double to Jayson Werth and was charged with a blown save, but the Giants won 6–5. He held the Phillies scoreless in his other two outings of the series (losses in Games 2 and 5), and the Giants won the series in six games. Romo made one appearance in the World Series against the Texas Rangers, throwing 2⁄3 of a scoreless eighth inning in the Giants' 11–7 victory. Romo earned his first World Series ring as the Giants won the series in five games to win their first title since 1954.

#### 2011

In 2011, Romo became the fifth reliever in MLB history to throw nine or more consecutive perfect innings, retiring thirty straight batters in 10 innings over a span of fourteen games from July 4 through August 6. From August 16 through August 28, he was on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation. From June 30 through September 23, he had the longest scoreless streak of his career, throwing 21+2⁄3 scoreless innings. Romo appeared in 65 games in 2011; his stat line for the year was: 3–1 record, 1.50 ERA, 70 strikeouts, five walks, 13.1 K/9, and .9 BB/9 in 48 innings. His ERA was the third-lowest among NL relievers, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio of 14:1 was the best in MLB and the best ever since Dennis Eckersley's 18.25:1 ratio in 1990. He stranded 81.8% of runners (fifth in the NL) and trailed only Kris Medlen in strike percentage (71%) among NL pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched.

#### 2012

Romo performed very well to begin the 2012 season and did not allow an earned run until May 17, 2012. After Brian Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery in April, Santiago Casilla was given the closer role. Casilla converted 20 of his first 21 save opportunities but blew five of his next nine save situations, posting a 7.71 ERA from June 23 through August 7. Bochy announced on August 7 that the Giants would use a "bullpen by committee" strategy, with Romo, Javier López, and Jeremy Affeldt pitching the final two innings of close games, depending on which hitters they would be facing. Romo and López received most of the save opportunities; Affeldt only had one save after that point. From then through the end of the season, Romo converted nine out of nine save opportunities and posted a 1.33 ERA. Romo appeared in 69 games of the 2012 season, earning 14 saves with a 1.79 ERA, which was fourth among NL relievers and trailed only Craig Kimbrel (1.01), Aroldis Chapman (1.51) and Eric O'Flaherty (1.73). Though he had become the closer by the end of the year, he won the Gibby Award for being MLB's Setup Man of the Year. The Giants won the NL West; in the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, Romo appeared in three games, winning Game 3 and saving Game 5. He pitched in all four of the Giants' wins in the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals but did not get a single save opportunity. However, in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, he made three appearances and recorded the save in each of them. He pitched the final inning of the deciding Game 4 and struck out three straight, including Miguel Cabrera for the last out and the Giants' win. In the World Series, Romo pitched three perfect innings and had five strikeouts.

#### 2013

In February 2013, Romo and the Giants agreed to a two-year, \$9 million contract. Romo began the 2013 season as the Giants' closer. He had 10 saves in April, second in Giants' history for the month to Rod Beck (11). On July 14, he was added to the NL All Star Game roster after Jeff Locke and Jordan Zimmermann made starts on Sunday and became ineligible to pitch. It was the first All-Star selection of his career. However, Romo was not used in the All-Star Game. In August, Romo converted all nine of his save opportunities. Romo finished the 2013 season with a 2.54 earned run average and 38 saves in 43 chances, appearing in 65 games. He had a career-high five wins but also a career-high eight losses. His 38 saves made him the sixth Giant to achieve 30 saves in a season and tied him for third in the league with Chapman, behind Kimbrel's 50 and Rafael Soriano's 43.

#### 2014

Romo began the 2014 season well, with a 1.65 ERA and 12 saves through May 9. However, Romo struggled after that, recording five blown saves and a 9.00 ERA from May 9 to June 30. Romo was removed from the closer role on that date, with the Giants announcing their intention to go to a closer-by-committee. Used as the eighth inning setup man for the remainder of the season, Romo appeared 30 times after July 1 and had a 2.10 ERA over 25+2⁄3 innings with 32 strikeouts and 5 walks. He finished the year 6–4 with a 3.72 ERA, 59 strikeouts in 58 innings, and 12 walks over 64 games. In save opportunities, he was 23 for 28. In the 2014 NLDS against the Washington Nationals, Romo pitched three scoreless innings over three games. He took the loss in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cardinals after allowing a game-ending home run to Kolten Wong. He recovered to earn the win in Game 3 by retiring Matt Holliday as the Giants won in extra innings. In the 2014 World Series, Romo appeared in two games, pitching 21⁄3 innings with four strikeouts and no runs allowed, earning his third World Series championship with the Giants. On December 22, 2014, Romo and the Giants finalized a two-year contract worth \$15 million.

#### 2015

He spent the 2015 season serving as the eighth-inning setup man for Casilla, who had reclaimed the closer role. After posting a 5.19 ERA before the All-Star break, Romo posted a 1.15 ERA in the second half of the season. He did not allow a run over 14 innings between July 11 and August 21. On August 18, he struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning of a 2–0 win over the Cardinals. In 70 games, he had an 0–5 record, two saves, a 2.98 ERA, and 71 strikeouts in 57+1⁄3 innings pitched.

#### 2016

Romo pitched in a mere four games in 2016 before being placed on the disabled list on April 15 (retroactive to April 11) with a strained right flexor tendon. Though he went on a rehab assignment in late May, there were setbacks in his recovery, and he was not activated from the disabled list until July 4. On August 30, at AT&T Park, Romo pitched in his 500th career game, a 4–3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On September 19, Bochy removed the struggling Casilla from the closer role. Though he listed Hunter Strickland and Derek Law as the pitchers most likely to get save opportunities, Romo would be the one picking up the save in four of the Giants final 12 games. In 40 games, he had a 1–0 record, four saves, a 2.64 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 30+2⁄3 innings. The Giants reached the playoffs for the fourth time in Romo's tenure with them, winning the NL Wild Card Game against the New York Mets. With the Giants leading Game 3 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs by a score of 5–3, Romo was called on to get the save in the ninth inning. He walked Dexter Fowler to lead off the inning, then gave up a game-tying home run to Kris Bryant. However, the Giants ultimately won 6–5 in 13 innings. In Game 4, he relieved López with two runners on in the ninth and nobody out. Ben Zobrist had an RBI double against him, and Romo was replaced on the mound by Will Smith. Zobrist later scored, and the Cubs rallied from three runs down to win 6–5, eliminating the Giants from the playoffs. After the season, Romo became a free agent.

### Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)

Romo signed a one-year, \$3 million, contract with the Dodgers on February 15, 2017. "In talking to Sergio, last year we had one of best bullpens in baseball and that lends itself to unselfishness," manager Dave Roberts said of the signing. "Sergio definitely is up for that. A lot of times the eighth inning, but he's up for anything." In 30 games for the Dodgers, he posted a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings before getting designated for assignment on July 20.

### Tampa Bay Rays (2017–2018)

On July 22, 2017, the Dodgers traded Romo to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations or a player to be named later (PTBNL). He spent the rest of the season in Tampa Bay's bullpen, posting a 2–0 record and a 1.47 ERA in 25 games. In 55 games combined between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, he had a 3–1 record, no saves, a 3.56 ERA, and 59 strikeouts in 55+2⁄3 innings pitched. After the season, he became a free agent.

Romo re-signed with the Rays on a one-year, \$2.5 million, contract on February 13, 2018. That season, Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to experiment with using an opener, a pitcher designated to pitch the first one to three innings at the beginning of a ballgame. The rationale for the move was that starting pitchers tend to be less effective the third time they face batters. Instead, having a relief pitcher start the game will allow the regular starter (or "bulk guy") to enter later and reach later innings without having to face as many hitters. After 588 major league relief appearances, Romo was the first pitcher utilized in this role, as he made his first career start on May 19, 2018. He pitched one scoreless inning against the Los Angeles Angels, striking out the side before getting replaced by Ryan Yarbrough in an eventual 5–3 victory. He started again the next day, pitching 11⁄3 scoreless innings in a 5–2 loss. This made Romo the first pitcher since Zack Greinke in 2012 to start on consecutive games. He went on to make three more starts on May 25, May 27, and June 1, reaching the second inning in only the last of those three. However, in June, the Rays began using him as their closer, as Álex Colomé, who had started the year in that role, had been traded on May 25. Romo would serve as the closer the rest of the year. On July 25, after he recorded the last two outs of the eighth inning, he was moved to third base to start the ninth so left-hander Jonny Venters could pitch to left-hander Greg Bird. After Venters retired Bird, Romo returned to the mound, retiring the last two hitters to record the save. During a 13-game stretch from August 9 through September 17, he converted nine consecutive save opportunities and posted a 1.54 ERA. In the midst of that stretch, on August 19, Romo recorded his 100th career save in a 2–0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. For the season, Romo appeared in a career-high 73 games, fourth in the American League (AL), while making a career-high five starts. He had a 3–4 record, a 4.14 ERA, and 25 saves over 33 opportunities. In 67+1⁄3 innings, he struck out 75. After the season, he became a free agent.

### Miami Marlins (2019)

On February 12, 2019, Romo signed a one-year, \$2.5 million deal with the Miami Marlins. He served as the closer up until late July, recording 17 saves in 38 appearances. Romo only blew one save for the Marlins all season, converting his first seven chances and his last 10 chances with the team. On May 17, he entered a game against the Mets with the bases loaded, no outs in the eighth, and the Marlins up 8–4. He allowed two inherited runners to score that inning but did not allow a run himself. Then, he pitched a scoreless ninth, earning the save in the 8–6 victory. Through July 27, he had a 2–0 record, a 3.58 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in 37+2⁄3 innings pitched for Miami. That day, the Marlins traded Romo, Chris Vallimont, and a PTBNL to the Minnesota Twins for Lewin Díaz.

### Minnesota Twins (2019–2020)

Upon joining the Twins, Romo became the setup man for Twins closer Taylor Rogers. On August 27, he struck out all three men he faced in the eighth inning of a 3–1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. In 27 games for Minnesota, he had an 0–1 record, three saves in five chances, a 3.18 ERA, and 27 strikeouts in 22+2⁄3 innings. He appeared in a total of 65 games between Miami and Minnesota, compiling a 2–1 record, a 3.43 ERA, 20 saves in 23 chances, and 60 strikeouts in 60+1⁄3 innings.

Romo helped the Twins reach the playoffs as they won the AL Central title in 2019. In Game 2 of the ALDS, he got the first two outs of the eighth inning without surrendering a run; however, the Twins lost to the New York Yankees by a score of 8–2. Entering Game 3 with the Twins down 3–1 in the eighth inning, he threw a scoreless eighth but allowed two runs in the ninth as the Yankees won 5–1, completing a series sweep of the Twins. After the season, Romo became a free agent.

On December 16, 2019, Romo elected to return to the Twins for the 2020 season, signing a 1-year, \$5 million deal with a team option for 2021. The 2020 MLB season did not start until July 24 due to the COVID-19 situation. He again served as the setup man for Rogers, though Twins manager Rocco Baldelli occasionally used him in the ninth instead, as Rogers struggled to repeat his success from 2019. In a 3–1 win over the Cleveland Indians on September 11, Romo retired Francisco Lindor on a fly ball to end the eighth inning. As he walked back towards his dugout, he and Lindor began yelling at each other. The benches cleared, though no punches were thrown, and Romo was suspended one game by MLB the next day for his role in the incident. "This is a situation that’s been brewing for a while," Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians manager, told reporters. "I mean, Romo likes to dish it. Our guys dish it back. The whole thing about this situation -- Romo’s been animated all his career and he’s been in the National League. We don’t know much about him. That’s all it is. If he’s gonna dish it, we dish it back and you have to take it. That’s the bottom line." In 2020, Romo appeared in 24 games, compiling a 1–2 record with 4.05 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. He recorded five saves in six opportunities.

For the second year in a row, Romo reached the playoffs as the Twins clinched the AL Central title. In Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros, he relieved Rogers to start the ninth inning with the game tied by a score of 1–1. He gave up two hits before retiring the next two batters. Then, George Springer hit into what should have been a force play at second base, but Jorge Polanco's throw to second base was too far off the bag, and the error allowed Springer to reach safely. Romo then walked José Altuve to force in a run before getting replaced on the mound by Caleb Thielbar, who gave up a two-run single to Michael Brantley. None of the runs were earned, but Romo was charged with the loss in the 4–1 defeat. The Astros eliminated the Twins with a win in Game 2. On October 28, the Twins declined to exercise their \$5 million option on Romo's contract for the 2021 season, giving him a \$250,000 buyout and making him a free agent.

### Oakland Athletics (2021)

On February 14, 2021, Romo signed a one-year, \$2.25 million contract with the Oakland Athletics. Romo made 66 appearances throughout the 2021 season for Oakland. Romo went 1–1 with a 4.67 ERA and 60 strikeouts. Romo elected free agency following the season.

### Seattle Mariners (2022)

On March 24, 2022, Romo signed a one-year, \$2 million contract with the Seattle Mariners. Romo made 17 appearances for Seattle, struggling to a 8.16 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched. He was designated for assignment on June 20, and released on June 22.

### Toronto Blue Jays (2022)

On June 29, 2022, Romo signed a one-year, \$700K contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Romo appeared in 6 games for Toronto, surrendering 3 runs (2 earned) on 1 hit and 2 walks in 3.2 innings pitched. He was designated for assignment on July 16. On July 20, Romo cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, but rejected the assignment and elected free agency that same day.

### Acereros de Monclova (2022)

On August 1, 2022, Romo signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He made two appearances for Monclova down the stretch, posting two scoreless innings of work.

### San Francisco Giants (second stint) (2023)

On March 16, 2023, Romo signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants organization, with the intention to retire as a Giant after pitching one final time in the March 27 Bay Bridge exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics.

## International play

By virtue of his Mexican heritage, Romo has represented Mexico in international play. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic, he posted a 9.00 ERA, losing a game but also earning a save. Mexico failed to advance past the first round. In 2017, Romo was excited about Mexico's chances in the classic. "This team is well put together. I do honestly believe that this is one of the strongest teams that Mexico has ever put forth in any kind of tournament and any kind of situation. Not just from a pitching standpoint, but our lineup has a lot of power and guys that can run a little bit. I see us playing a more well-rounded brand of baseball. With all due respect to all of the other teams, don't sleep on us." However, Mexico again failed to advance past the first round. Romo posted a 20.25 ERA in that tournament.

Romo also represented Mexico in the 2017 Caribbean Series, appearing in one game. Next season, he appeared in three games for Mexico in the 2018 Caribbean Series. Following the 2016, 2017, and 2018 MLB seasons, Romo played for the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican Pacific League.

## Pitches

With a low-three quarters delivery, Romo features four pitches: an unusual "No Dot" slider, a fastball, a sinkerball, and a changeup. Before 2011, the fastball was his main pitch, as is the case with most pitchers. However, ex-teammate Bengie Molina encouraged Romo to have more confidence in his slider after facing him in the 2010 World Series. Romo began to throw the slider a majority of the time, and since 2011, fastballs have been less than 40 percent of his pitches. The pitch is called a "No Dot" slider, because, unlike most pitchers' sliders, it does not spin on an axis centered on the seams. This means that it creates no red dot at its center for hitters to track as it comes to the plate. Its sweep motion makes it particularly tricky for right-handed hitters to hit. In 2017, he threw a slider 58.4% of the time, the most among major league pitchers. The fastball, never harder than 93 mph, averaged closer to 87 mph as of 2015. Meanwhile, the slider averages 78 mph.

For most of his career, Romo has struggled against left-handed batters. After experimenting with using his changeup on them in 2014, he decided to try throwing a harder, faster slider to them in 2015. Since then, he has returned to trying to get them out with the changeup.

## Personal life

Romo married his now ex-wife Chelsea before he reached the major leagues. The couple had their first child, a boy named Rilen, in January 2006. Their second son, Rex was born in September 2011 and their third son Rhys in August 2015.

Romo has a number of tattoos and estimates that he has spent approximately 60 hours in tattoo parlors in his life.

American baseball player (born 1983)

American baseball players of Mexican descent

American expatriate baseball players in Mexico

Arizona Western Matadors baseball players

Baseball players from Imperial County, California

Colorado Mesa Mavericks baseball players