NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) -- Politicians in Louisiana often use rhetorical questions to make their points. So for a carnival krewe that's fought its share of battles with elected leaders, it seems only appropriate that we tell you about the history of the Krewe of Tucks with a series of questions.
Did ya know that the Krewe of Tucks began as a bunch of Loyola University fraternity brothers who were regulars at the old bar Friar Tucks? Yeah, you probably knew that one. Well, it's perhaps the most widely known fact about the krewe. But there are many others.
Did ya know that the original Tucks members initially hoped to carry flambeaux in parades but their applications were denied? That's when they took matters into their own hands.
Did ya know that one of the krewe's members was a space tourist? Tucks co-founder Lloyd Frischhertz says Richard Garriott paid $20 million for his space ride. Also, Garriott built the krewe's Jolly Roger float. Frischhertz also says Garriott hasn't ridden with the krewe in a few year.
Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment
Did ya know that the krewe has a funky themed series of three floats that are pulled in tandem? They're called the Funky Tucks, Funky Fox, and Love Child.
Did ya know that the krewe has two floats that originally had hidden rooms for secret riders? Frischhertz says -- decades ago -- "perhaps" a Bourbon Street dancer or two may have been along for the ride... or maybe the rooms were just used to store food and refreshments. Since then, the hidden rooms on both floats have been opened up to allow for more riders to roll.
In the years following its formation in 1969, as the krewe began to grow, it faced a series of challenges getting a parade permit. By then Frischhertz had graduated law school and helped handle the krewe's legal challenges. He says the krewe used at least one friendly judge and a well-timed TRO to keep the parade permits coming.
Along the way to having its 1,300 riders, the krewe also had to change to a daytime start so the city could focus all its attention on the also growing Krewe of Endymion's parade which rolled on the same day.
"We got about 30 pages of violations after our first daytime parade; none at night," Frischhertz says. "So apparently, with the cloak of darkness, a lot was allowed to slide by."
Eventually, Frischhertz says the city asked to meet with the krewe's leaders to reach a compromise that would reduce the parade permitting problems. The solution included the uninviting of about 500 fraternity brothers who, according to Frischhertz, caused a majority of the krewe's problems along the way.
"We've been great partners with the city ever since," Frischhertz adds. "It's been a great marriage."
But the krewe has also seen less successful marriages. You'll find more details on that as well as the krewe's toilet paper battle by clicking on the video button at the top of this page, did ya know?
