These days, few Iowans recognize the name Ruthie Bisignano, but in the 1950’s, the Des Moines bar owner was famous. People would come from all across the United States to see Ruthie and have one of her special beers. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had his photo taken with Ruthie once at the Iowa State Fair. Cecil B. De Mille, the most successful film maker in Hollywood and director of the epic movie The Ten Commandments came to Des Moines to see Ruthie. Twice. She even claimed to have been granted a private audience with Pope Pius XXIII.
So, what was so special about her?
It turns out the beautiful, buxom barmaid had a special talent. She could fill two pint glasses of beer, balanced on her chest and serve them without using her hands. Okay, that sounds sexist, degrading and politically incorrect. I get it. But this was the 50’s. Plus, Ruthie was a highly successful business owner—one of the very few female bar owners in Des Moines. Even then, she was more of a feminist icon than a pin-up girl. Mr. DeMille, who once observed that Americans are only curious about two things: sex and money, was so impressed with Ruthie that he told her she was selling herself short. He advised her to capitalize on her fame by raising her prices. From that day on, Ruthie began charging three times more for a beer than her competitors, inviting customers to ask for her unique “well-balanced beer”. Ruthie was also famous for her quick wit and sassy personality. Customers loved her, especially men (she was married 16 times).
The 1950’s were known for being socially conservative and not everybody was charmed by Ruthie’s gimmick. In May 1953, police raided Ruthie’s Lounge, with two vice cops and a police captain named Louis Volz, who arrested her on charges of indecency. However, municipal judge Harry Grund tossed out the charges, citing lack of evidence, explaining people see worse things than that on TV.
Ruthie Bisignano spent her final years battling illness and looking after her husband, Frank. She died in 1993, leaving behind little more than a memory of happier times. But 19 years later, Ruthie’s story was revived by Bob Tursi, co-owner of Des Moines’ Exile Brewery. Using her name and likeness to market a new brew, the company eventually made “Ruthie” the best-selling Iowa-made beer in the state, with an annual production of over 7,000 barrels.
Two years ago, Ruthie’s heirs sued Exile for using Ruthie’s identity without permission or compensation. In a recent deposition, Ruthie’s nephew, Iowa State Senator Tony Bisignano, claims that Tursi followed him into a parking lot in the south side of Des Moines and shouted, “You are getting nothing,” adding, “I ought to get out and beat your ——- —” (insert bad words).
The whole matter has now degenerated into calls for restraining orders and charges of bribery and political pressure with mounting legal fees and hard feelings all around. One imagines that Ruthie would have found all this fuss to be ridiculous. She said once when visiting Rome, she told Pope Pius XXIII that what she tried to do in her life was to make people happy (leaving out the part about her beer-balancing trick). The pontiff replied, “That is good.”