On The Rocks bar, no Palagi mafia haunt

by Afamasaga Toleafoa
11 April 2003

"This is not a Palagi Mafia haunt," Peter Blain, owner of 'On The Rocks Bar' in town said to me, as we sat down in the bar area during the middle of the day. I declined Mr Blain's offer of a drink, but I couldn't help noticing the dark and stale smell of alcohol that seems to inhabit all bars and drinking places in the daytime.

I was also reminded how the staleness and the atmosphere change miraculously it seems, once the sun goes down and the lights and music go up.

But I went there because Mr Blain was upset at allegations made against his bar, although it had not been identified by name by Mr Baukes when he came to our office last week to complain about the appointment of a Mr Roy Aylloff as the engineer for the new government T$5 million dredge.

Mr Baukes told the Samoa Observer that a certain bar in Apia was the home of a Palagi mafia group who used their contacts and network of mates to obtain business for themselves at the expense of Samoans.

And he gave as an example the case of the recently appointed engineer for the brand new government owned dredge.

"What Mr Baukes has said is defamatory," said Mr Peter Blain. "And I simply want to have the right of reply to correct the misconception people will get from these allegations."

Mr Baukes had not named the bar, On The Rocks, but its clear to anyone reading what he said which bar he was referring to," Mr Blain continued.

"Mr Baukes never sought any comment from me before he made these allegations to the paper. It is true I recently warned Mr Baukes about his behaviour and threatened to bar him from coming here again if there was any repetition. But this is the fifth time I have spoken to Mr Baukes about abusive and aggressive behaviour.

The first time was when he was very loud and abusive particularly about Jews, and repeatedly threatened to kill a certain Melbourne solicitor. The second was when he threatened a local Swiss man over the Second World War. The third time also involved abuse being shouted at another Swiss man. The fifth time involved an actual physical attack on a customer. Each of these involved shouted abuse and swearing.

The latest occasion once again involved abusing and swearing at a customer. This time I issued Mr Baukes with a written warning that if repeated, will be asked not to return. A few days later, the Samoa Observer article appeared making allegations about me being a member of a palagi Mafia.

There is no palagi mafia except in the imagination of bitter and aggressive man who cannot control his temper. My bar is a peaceful and congenial establishment. It is open to all kinds of people with all kinds of opinions. I only ask that they behave in a reasonable way. If they do not, I have a responsibility to the public to deal with the situation."

On The Rocks Bar is among a group of drinking places and restaurants that has become quite a feature of Beach Road day and night. In fact only last week, we had someone, a respectable local resident comment on the danger the area was beginning to pose to the public and passers-by especially later in the evenings.

Apparently, a lot of the drinking starts spilling onto the footpath and the road, and could be quite threatening for people, especially visitors.

Mr Blain agreed that this was getting to be the case, and is something that the Police should look at.

" Its true the place is getting very rowdy at night. A lot of people are seen out there in the public area with bottles of beer in the hand, Mr Blain agreed. " That is why I close the Rocks at ten o'clock in the evening to avoid that kind of behaviour. My place is for a quiet and convivial evening. We have a pool table and people can buy food from the restaurants next door and have it here."

Mr Roy Aylloff the man Mr Baukes had accused of incompetence was also there. He too had been put out by the allegations.

"At no time did I approach Mr Baukes for a job. But I offered to help him with his machine as a friend, which was not an $80,000 machine as claimed, but a Chinese 'Hobby' that can be had in Australia for $5000". Mr Aylloff said. "I told him I had no experience on milling machines. But once the machine was damaged, Mr Baukes lost his temper and started yelling abuse and telling me to get off the premises. So I did."

Asked about his employment at Samoa Ports Authority, Mr Aylloff said he had not been employed as engineer for the dredge as claimed.

Apparently, there is an engineer that comes with dredge. But there is a position or positions for someone to operate the dredge. And that was the position Mr Aylloff was interested in.

But he said that he was no longer interested after what appeared in the paper. The Samoa Observer had however received word Mr Aylloff "had lost his job." And had been seeking confirmation for two days from the Samoa Ports Authority of whether Mr Aylloff had been laid off and why. The Samoa Observer did finally get the truth from the Minister himself, Hon. Palusalue Faapo II.

In any case, I concluded that On the Rocks Bar looked harmless enough, at least during the daytime. It's hard to imagine this being associated with any kind of mafia. But it's clear from the feuding among some of the patrons that old and forgotten wars are still being fought over in there.

That was it, I thought. This may not be a palagi mafia haunt, but much more like a place for old soldiers to meet and reminisce about old battles fought, and mostly lost.