History
MAFIA was founded in Chicago, Illinois in July 1978 by Glynn Sudbery, Glynn "Sudsy" Sudbery and Mid America Fists In Action#E. Gene Simonar, Gene Simonar, among others. Sudbery served as president. By July 1979, MAFIA counted members in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Ontario, Canada. The club initially met for "MAFIA night" on Wednesdays at Touché, a leather bar in Rogers Park, Chicago, Rogers Park. MAFIA night quickly caught the attention of gay magazines such as ''Club Scene'' and ''Drummer (magazine), Drummer''. In 1980, ''Drummer'' reported that "a Handkerchief code, red bandana and a clean ass are ''de rigueur.''" In 1983, ''Club Scene'' reported that the gatherings included drawings for "prizes and surprises," and added "You're never quite sure what that group will do." MAFIA initially held an annual "Summerfist" party to celebrate its anniversary. Events have been open to non-members since MAFIA's fifth anniversary Summerfist in 1983. In addition to two fisting parties, Summerfist 1983 featured biking events, brunch, cook-outs, sit-down dinners and a weekend-long beer bust. The celebration also featured "fisting games" and "people games" such as ''Find the Poppers, Popper Top'', ''"Oh My God! I'm Out of Crisco#Sexual use, Crisco,"'' and ''"Oops, My Douche Fell."'' Members in Colorado formally established a Denver chapter in 1984 that later disbanded. By 1986, the self-described "Men of MAFIA" included more than 100 members in 22 states and four countries. Since 1992, MAFIA has hosted an annual "Black Hole" party during International Mr. Leather. MAFIA's surviving records are spread across various institutions including The ArQuives, Australian Queer Archives, Cornell University Library, History Colorado, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, and Leather Archives & Museum.Founders
Glynn "Sudsy" Sudbery
Glynn Orville Sudbery was born on June 27, 1942 in Metairie, Louisiana. After moving to Chicago, he became active in the city's Leather subculture, leather and fisting scenes. He volunteered at Howard Brown Health, Howard Brown Health Center and served as press coordinator for International Mr. Leather in 1982. Sudbery died in 1984 from AIDS-related complications. He is interred at Garden of Memories cemetery in Metairie. Following Sudbery's death, MAFIA established an award in his honor.E. Gene Simonar
Emerson Gene Simonar—better known as Gene Simonar and Sir Gene—was born on August 22, 1927 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to Lawrence and Leah Simonar. He attended Bethel Academy in Arpin, Wisconsin, Arpin and later worked as a clerk for Economy Boys, Inc. in Green Bay. Simonar represented Cycle MC—a New York-based motorcycle club—on the Atlantic Motorcycle Coordinating Council (AMCC). He was a charter member of Second City MC, the first gay motorcycle club in the Midwest, founded in 1965. He later co-founded and served as president of Chicago Knight MC, Chicago's second motorcycle club, in addition to co-founding the Mid-America Conference and Chicago Conference of Clubs. Simonar died on March 14, 1980 in Chicago. He is buried at Fort Howard Cemetary in Green Bay.See also
* Fetish club * Sex clubNotes
In 1982, a fisting club calling itself the ''Knights of the Golden Eagle'' formed in Denver and announced plans to hold a "Winterfist" party in December; it is unclear whether this club bore any connection to MAFIA's Summerfist parties and Denver chapter or was simply coincidental.References