The Hungry I Club
Launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in 1951, the original hungry i ("the hungry intellectual" — note all lowercase) was located at Kearny and Columbus. In 1954 it was moved to the basement of the International Hotel on Kearny St. The venue launched the careers of many renowned entertainers — Lenny Bruce, Bill Cosby, Barbara Streisand, Woody Allen, and The Kingston Trio who recorded their first albums here and their version of the popular folk song, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
