Author: Alfredo Casuso

From Builders to Bon Vivants: A Union Square Hotel Steeped in San Francisco History

San Francisco is a city that reinvents itself—but its most compelling places never forget where they began.

At the corner of Powell and O’Farrell, just steps from Union Square, stands a hotel whose walls have quietly witnessed more than a century of the city’s evolution. Long before it became the beloved Villa Florence, and long before its current life as The Barnes, this building was known as The Manx—and its story begins in the aftermath of catastrophe.

Built for a Reborn City (1908–1909):

The building opened its doors in 1908, just two years after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. In a city racing to rebuild itself, The Manx was originally designed to house bridge builders, engineers, and tradespeople—the men shaping the new San Francisco skyline.

By 1909, The Manx had transformed into a full-service hotel, quickly becoming a lively gathering place in the heart of Union Square. Its spacious lobby, modern comforts, and central location made it a favorite for travelers arriving by rail and streetcar, eager to experience a city very much alive again.

“Meet Me at the Manx”:

In the early 20th century, The Manx was more than a hotel—it was a landmark. Advertisements encouraged visitors to “Meet me at the Manx,” a phrase that captured its role as a social hub for locals and visitors alike.

During Prohibition, like many San Francisco institutions, the hotel gained a quieter, more clandestine reputation. Behind closed doors, a hidden speakeasy kept spirits—and spirits—high, offering refuge from the bustle of the streets outside.

War, Strategy, and Secrecy (1940s):

History took a dramatic turn during World War II, when The Manx served as the U.S. Navy’s West Coast headquarters. Decisions made within its rooms played a role in the Pacific theater, adding a layer of national significance to the building’s already rich story.

From roaring nightlife to wartime strategy, the hotel adapted—always remaining at the center of San Francisco’s unfolding narrative.

The Villa Florence Era (Late 1980s–2022):

In 1987, the hotel entered a new chapter when it became the Villa Florence Hotel, embracing an Italian-inspired elegance that would define it for more than three decades. With its European warmth, ornate interiors, and the beloved Kuleto’s Italian restaurant, Villa Florence became a favorite among visitors who wanted boutique charm with a deep sense of place.

For many San Franciscans and returning guests, Villa Florence wasn’t just a hotel—it was their hotel.

The Barnes: A New Chapter, Same Soul:

Today, the building lives on as The Barnes San Francisco, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection. While the name has changed, the spirit remains unmistakably tied to its past.

From builders and bridge men to wartime strategists, from Prohibition-era revelers to generations of travelers, this corner of Union Square has always been a place where stories converge.

The Barnes doesn’t erase that history—it inherits it.

January 30, 1847: The Naming of San Francisco 

Today in history: On January 30, 1847, the town of Yerba Buena was officially renamed San Francisco. This change was implemented to establish a distinct identity for the growing settlement and to prevent confusion with another nearby town that was to be named “Francisca.” That town is now known as Benicia and was named in honor of Francisca Benicia Carillo de Vallejo, the wife of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. 

The renaming of Yerba Buena marked a significant moment in San Francisco’s history, setting the stage for its development during the California Gold Rush and its emergence as a major urban center. In 1847, San Francisco had about 600 residents, which boomed to 60,000 a decade later during the Gold Rush.

Trump’s Lyin’ Eyes
By J.D. Murphy

In the United States of America, because of Republican control of congress withDonald J. Trump as our 47th president, it simply no longer matters where you live, or what you might happen to believe in, to become a victim of the transparently out-of-control executive and legislative branches of the federal government,manifested by the indiscriminate use—at the cost of billions of taxpayer dollars—of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency againstnot only non-citizen illegal aliens as intended, but all citizens exercising free speech rights in physical proximity to ICE agents.

If you think you are immune from ICE depredations, continue to drive your kids to school; jog; visit your gym; drop off your car for repairs; pick up your laundry; meet a friend for coffee; return a library book; walk to a park; attend mass; attend a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment; renew your driver’s license; pick up a prescription; visit a neighbor; drive to work; change a tire on your E-bike; stare at the moon; watch the news; let the dog out; or chew a gummy—but don’t dare forget for a second that if ICE agents are in physical proximity, your constitutional rights as an American citizen could and will be denied at gunpoint for unknown reasons.

According to President Trump and his Republican confirmed cabinet heads, if you are detained or arrested by ICE, you are now—ipso facto—a legitimate candidate for treatment as a “domestic terrorist.” This highly charged rubric is routinely employed to falsely justify the sometimes-brutal physical violation of the constitutional rights of actual American citizens by ICE.

There are reportedly 3,000 ICE agents presently in the City of Minneapolis,outnumbering local police approximately five-to-one. Local law enforcement is excluded from the ICE efforts to find illegal aliens, thus establishing ICE as an alien force itself. Local citizens of all colors, religions, and partisan political values are on the streets day and night exercising their free speech rights by demanding that ICE to leave their city and state.

President Trump and his lock-step Republican supporters now tiresomely declarethat the exercise of free speech by Minneapolis citizens constitutes insurrection, and therefore can justify the use of the United States military.

President Trump’s perception of ordinary citizens exercising their right to protest the presence of thousands of ICE agents as insurrectionists, unashamedlycontradicts his willful refusal—while observing the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. capitol on T.V safely inside the White House—for more than three hours before he sent a message to the estimated 10,000 “Save America” “patriots” he invited to target the U.S. capitol building, to get on with their day elsewhere.

Trump’s “Save America” invitees were provided inspiration for a threatened outcome of their attack on the U.S. Capitol by the erection of gallows on capitol grounds that symbolized what could happen to Vice-President Pence if he endorsed Joe Biden as the 47^th President of the United States. The instant “Save America” invitees entered U.S. capitol grounds—because their presence and subsequent actions had the imprimatur of the President of the United States—although by the sheer ferocity and viciousness of the attacks on the capitol building and those who protect it, by definition, became insurrectionists—remain lauded as “patriots” by President Trump.

President Trump’s “Save America” ‘patriots” attacked the U.S. capitol with “rocks and bricks; large batteries; unopened canned goods; bats and batons; and flagpoles. Bike racks, and ballistic shields were used to strike the police, as was at least one fire extinguisher. Professional grade fireworks were also used against the police. Human excrement was used… . Green lasers were used against the eyes of law enforcement, and at least one Capitol Police Officer was assaulted with an electroshock “stun gun” weapon. Commercially available defensive “pepper spray,” and its much more long-range and potent variant “bear spray,” was used on January 6^th against the Capitol Police. Fire was used as a weapon to destroy property. There were “five associated deaths, and 140 police officers injured.” There were nine arrests on firearm charges and some 3,071 rounds of ammunition recovered.” The U.S. capitol also suffered $2.7 million in property damage. (Source: Annals of Emergency Medicine.)

Minneapolis “Domestic Terrorists,” citizens remain armed solely with whistles, balloons, phones used video cameras, loud voices, and maybe an occasional snowball.

In response to such pacifist armor, Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress now define Minneapolis citizens engaged in their exercise of free speechagainst the ICE occupation as “insurrectionists.” The literally mind-boggling use of such a volatile term mirrors President Trump’s hallucinogenic characterization ofthe attack on the U.S. capitol as a “Day of Love,” and Republican members of congress who continue to describe January 6^th as a “tour,” and the falsely labeledinsurrectionists as solely exhibiting “orderly behavior.”

No American citizen can allow such a travesty and material threat to our democracy to remain unchallenged to the Trump administration. Regardless of partisan beliefs, all will suffer the same deadly consequences to our nation and ourselves in perpetuity arising from such attacks on our constitutional rights. Let’s support each other to come to our senses.

J.D. Murphy is an American businessman, author, and filmmaker best known for co-founding the University of Phoenix. Born in Portland, Oregon in 1946, Murphy studied at San Jose State University and later taught there while running a community mental health program early in his career. In 1976 he helped launch the University of Phoenix with John Sperling, serving in senior administrative roles focused on government affairs and accreditation before resigning in 1997. As a filmmaker and writer, Murphy produced and wrote Valley of the Heart’s Delight (2006) and has authored books including Jury Rigging in the Court of Public Opinion, Mission Forsaken: The University of Phoenix Affair with Wall Street, and American Incendiary Populism.

ICE Assassinates the 2nd Amendment
By J.D. Murphy

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Wall Street Journal published a frame-by frame analysis of Minnesotan Alex Pretti’s murder by an ICE agent: “Federal officers pulling a handgun away—a second later, an agent fires several times.” “Where’s the gun?” agents shouted in the chaotic aftermath. Pretti pinned to the ground…agents appear to discover a firearm. Less than a second later, one of the agents fires his weapon toward Pretti…the first of ten shots within five seconds.”

The New York Times also published an analysis of the Pretti killing in the context of claims made by President Trump, his representatives, and the Department of Homeland Security, that he was a “domestic terrorist,” despite the fact he waslicensed to carry a gun in open carry Minnesota.

“The Department of Homeland Security said…a man approached Border Patrol agents with a “9mm semi-automatic handgun,” and they tried to disarm him. But footage from the scene verified by the New York Times shows that the man was holding a phone in his hand when federal agents took him to the ground and shot him.”

“About eight seconds after he (Pretti) is pinned, agents yell that he has a gun, indicating that they may not have known he was armed until he hit the ground. The agents appear to have him under control, with his arms pinned near his head. As the gun emerges from the melee, another agent aims his own firearm at Mr. Pretti’s back and appears to fire one shot at close range. He then appears to continue firing at Mr. Pretti, who collapses. A third agent unholsters his weapon. Both agents appear to fire additional shots into Mr. Pretti as he lies motionless.”

“Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol official in charge of agents in Minnesota, claimed that the man was attempting to murder agents. “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff: “A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists.”

The January 25, 2026 New York Post published its analysis of the video footage of the killing of Alex Pretti: “Footage indicates that Pretti’s gun was taken away after officers pinned him to the ground. One video showed an officer holding a weapon. Officers were then opening fire on Pretti, shooting him multiple times.”

Minnesota’s open carry policy for citizen firearms fully acknowledges the right to bear arms as defined in the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, but if ICE agents deployed to seek out and deport illegal aliens, anyone licensed to carry a gun is taking their life into their hands with ICE’s quick on the trigger mentality both protected and promoted by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration asserts that local law enforcement is not cooperating with ICE in their alleged efforts to find and deport illegal aliens, but in dramatic contradiction, the Trump administration is blocking all independent inquiries into the ICE shootings and killings of Minnesota citizens.

Gun Owners of America: “Federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in shooting concealed carry licensees.”

The Gun Rights Advocacy Company ‘A Better Way 2A: “What happened in Minneapolis shows that ICW will treat the mere presence of a legal firearm as the justification for lethal force. Carrying a gun is not a crime, yet it was readily used as proof of dangerous intent once Alex Pritti was dead and unable to contribute to the narrative.

New York Times: “Shootings by federal agents are rare. Investigation seeks to answer a basic question: whether an agent had a “reasonable belief” that the person who was shot posed an “imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the agent or another person.”

The eight ICE agents who participated in the killing of Alex Pritti left the scene of the shooting, leaving the death scene unsecured. 

Gregory Bovino, the head of ICE, provided his interpretation of the killing of Alex Pritti: “The victims are the border patrol agents.” (New York Times.)

J.D. Murphy is an American businessman, author, and filmmaker best known for co-founding the University of Phoenix. Born in Portland, Oregon in 1946, Murphy studied at San Jose State University and later taught there while running a community mental health program early in his career. In 1976 he helped launch the University of Phoenix with John Sperling, serving in senior administrative roles focused on government affairs and accreditation before resigning in 1997. As a filmmaker and writer, Murphy produced and wrote Valley of the Heart’s Delight (2006) and has authored books including Jury Rigging in the Court of Public Opinion, Mission Forsaken: The University of Phoenix Affair with Wall Street, and American Incendiary Populism.