Excerpt 4

Gene Gene Gene The Dancing Machine

“A Federal Judge's role must be an unwavering duty to the law and the Constitution. This judicial duty stands paramount, even when it requires judge’s to diverge from the wishes or interests of acquaintances, friends, or past colleagues.

The sanctity of the judiciary depends on its unyielding impartiality. It is this impartiality that forms the nucleus of justice, and a judge's commitment to it cannot waver. Regardless of how it might impact personal ties, this dedication must remain beyond reproach.

There has been no truer gentleman who's owns a Gentlemen's club in Tampa Bay than Eugene 'Gene' O'Steen.  
Gene passed away in 2022 at the age of 83 and his funeral was a tip of the top-hat, for a life well lived.  It was like the final scene of movie Big Fish where the myriad of colourful characters he always talked about showed up: Judges, thugs, politicians, strippers, beureaucrats, club owners, shady friends and ex-wives were all in attendance.  It was Le Cirque du Gene, the Ring Leaders final performance...Gene, Gene the dancing machine.  Gene was a friend to every man, including me.


South Tampa was a small town in the 1960’s and 1970s. Gene's  family knew the Peek family very well and the  Peek boys, were constant fixtures at the O’Steen home.
The small town grew up and so did these South Tampa residents.  Gene, ever the raconteur prided himself on having a bureaucrats and judges in his back pocket. One of those judges was The Honorable Judge Cathy Peek McEwen. Billy Peek, ever the subtle one would delight in saying: “ Need a favor?  My sissy, Judge McEwen can help."  This was music (and money) to Gene's opportunistic ears.

Gene was a money lender on property and commercial bars and many of the buyers were financed through Gene. They would inevitably file bankruptcy and Gene became a creditor. Billy Peek was the intermediary if Gene or anyone close to him needed a favor in bankruptcy court. This compensation street to Davis Island, ran two ways smoothly…”