Danny Acosta
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At the end of the 20th century, 100 Cargo Way at Pier 96 in San Francisco was a truck stop diner. When chef and entrepreneur Tony Carracci visited Hunter’s Point to look at the building, he had dreams of being the next Bill Graham. So he took over the remote spot — which came a coveted liquor license — and invested $20,000 dollars into gutting it, building a stage and installing a professional concert sound system.
Around the same time, A.J. Cardinal was a punk who appreciated metal, and shared a desire with friend Cip Cipriano to bring Cradle of Filth to San Francisco. Cipriano also had dreams of being the next Bill Graham, and saw an opportunity (he called it “legalized gambling”) in the rocky, boom-and-bust business of promoting metal, hardcore and punk shows. They struck up a business relationship, booking shows at venues in the city, only to find that established venues didn’t want to scare the neighbors by putting names like Cradle of Filth on the marquee…