Bum Farto

Joseph Anthony "Bum" Farto (July 3, 1919 – disappeared February 16, 1976, declared dead May 21, 1986) Farto was the youngest of three children, and his mother died when he was young. As a child, he often hung out at Key West's Fire Station No. 1, which was behind his house. He was nicknamed Bum because he fetched the firefighters' coffee and shined their shoes, and at 10 he first snuck onto a fire truck that was answering a call.

Farto quit school when his father died in 1937. Farto married his wife Esther Beiro in 1955.

Career

Farto became a fireman in 1942 In a Miami Herald profile, Farto was described as an excessively alert "man of motion" who did not plausibly sit behind desks and for whom being still "just doesn't look natural". was well known for his flamboyant style and ostentatious behavior. He was frequently seen smoking large cigars and wearing gold jewelry and rose-tinted glasses. but Farto's friend Charles Felton said Farto was dedicated to the worship of Saint Barbara as part of the Santería religion. Bum Farto drove a lime green Ford Galaxie 500 with mirrored tint, chrome hubcaps, an "El Jefe" license plate,

In 1968, the Key West Civil Service Board issued him a 30-day suspension from his fire chief role on eight charges, including forging another fireman's signature to cash a $90.73 check . In January 1971, Farto drove into a motorcycle patrolman and was charged for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. Later that month, he fell into an irrigation canal while on a fire call. Several nearby emergency responders had to rescue him since he could not swim. A crowd of 200 gathered to watch, including a wanted heroin dealer whom agents recognized and arrested from the crowd. Farto was convicted in 30 minutes in early February 1976.

Due to his drug conviction and the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance, conspiracy theories surrounding Bum Farto's disappearance and fate began to spread rapidly. In 1980, Bum Farto was supposedly sighted at the American embassy in Costa Rica, and six residents of Golfito stated that they recognized him. Farto's attorney, Manny James, reportedly once wore a shirt with the slogan "Bum is Alive and Well in Spain" written on it. Farto's life story was the subject of a seven-episode podcast titled The Bum Farto Story in 2020 and a musical by Pamela Stephenson called Bum Farto – The Musical in 2021.