A St. Valentine's Day Gangster Party

Valentine's Day is known throughout time as love and romance for the very young and the very old. For many it is a time of beginnings and a time of marriage. We celebrate the happiness of human kindness with kisses, cards of love and candy.

But there is another Valentine's Day in American history forever in our memories. Although tragic it is still immortalized through romance with hero's and villains and of course their ladies always standing beside the man with power. In the days of gangster's, Tommy guns and bathtub gin we'll never forget prohibition, dance clubs and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre when some of our best known bad guys were brought down ending their life and high times.

So why not celebrate the fantasy of that time with a party of fun and dreams. The bad times will become a party with fun, food and a little lighthearted dancing. This will be a party of a different kind your friends and family will love. No one will be able to top it and everyone will look forward to next years celebration and perhaps a traditions for years to come.

First set your time and inform everyone to be prepared for an invitation to the time of their lives. Send out invitations in plain black and white with your St. Valentine's Day theme and instructions. Everyone is to do their best imitations of the gangsters of old. Men can dress in Zoot Suits, black pants, black shirts and white tie's with a fedora to top it off. If it appears as a style of days gone by then it's acceptable. Women dress in pencil skirts, silky shirts, high heel and felt hats. Also they can choose loose black men's dress pants with white shirt and wide belts with high heels or anything fitting their own theme of the ladies and moles of gangster gone by. Have fun with your clothes and choose your style for fun.

Decorate your home with a large kitchen table covered in a white cloth ready to hold a magnificent dinner. You will serve spaghetti and meat balls with large portions of bread and red wine. Always salad and other finger foods with lots of conversations. Put on quiet background music from the big band era such as Benny Goodman or a great bad from later years such as Squirrel Nut Zippers. Once dinner is over everyone moves to the living room.

Be sure the furniture has been moved to provide a large clear area for a little dancing to warm everyone up. While couples are still dancing begin the entertainment of best shot with Nurf guns you can buy at any store that carries toys. As the dancing winds down and everyone begins to wear out it's time to bring out the couple of tables and start a poker game. Use poker chips only because you don't want one of your guest really ending up in a shooting and shouting match due to possible cheating and loss of life savings and favorite girls.

At this time you can serve dessert. Brew a good dark coffee and serve angel food cake topped with chocolate dipped strawberries for the good gone bad and serve devils food cake with cherries for those bad to the bones forever. While the poker games are going put in a good movie to relax and enjoy such as The Maltese Falcon, St. Valentine's Day Massacre or any good gangster movie from the time period.

By the time the party is over everyone has lived a little fantasy from the past, had a good time with lots of good food and played games they had forgotten about in their world of everyday living. You have given memories for months to come and a promise to top this party next year! You're the tops, Toots!