Interview 4/6/01with Mr. Eduardo E. Malapit; PO Box 757, at 5873 Wailaau Road, Koloa, HI 96756 . Interviewer: Carol Bain - Notes taken from interview.
Eduardo Malapit is also known as “Eddie”by his family and “Mala” by his friends. 742-0041
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After the war (WWII) business was still good so his mother, Leonila Malapit, decided to manage the business and took over when his sister Connie told them she was leaving Kaua’i (about 1966 or 1967). There were lots of soldiers still and pool hall had customers. It was a good business and made money. Lots of local people coming into the pool from morning to night. There were lots of military in town. They would shoot pool and then to to the movies, like the Hanapepe Theatre across the street. Some would stay in the pool hall. It cost 10 cents a game. There were nine pool tables maximum. His father, Eusebio Malapit, bought two; the others were already there. You had to be 18 years old to shoot pool then. In the 1950’s they bought slot machines. They had 9 slot machines at one time. These made good money and were legal then. Later had to get rid of them. There was enough money made to put Eduardo through college. He went to University of Hawaii and later to Notre Dame. He got a degree in law. He played football back then, and was “pretty good at it.”
When living at the pool hall property, the Malapit family lived in the back part of the building. There was a living area and bedroom area, showers; bath was a separate building. A cesspool was in the middle of the property. The river caused problems with the water interfering with the cesspool. His older sister, Felisa O. Cuizon, lived in a house built in the back of the property. At one time there was a travel agent office in the back area at one time. An old Chinese man lived way in the back too but cannot remember the name. Next door (KC Kai) was the U.S.O. (he drew a rough map. Suzie’s Cafe was next to the bowling alley on the other side of the street past the theater.
Eduardo Malapit was born in 1933 and grew up in Hanapepe and on plantation when young. Eduardo did not live on this 3865 Hanapepe Road property all the time he was growing up. His father worked at Grove Farm Company plantation in personnel. They lived in other plantation housing too. It was a good experience. He remembers everything was separate; segregated. That was OK. The houli’s were bosses. All got along good, all cultures; but did not mix. That was fine. Schools were segregated too. He remembers one section for the houli’s; they weren’t any smarter than anyone else. Life was good. Plantations provided homes, water, doctor, transportation. There was football sponsored. Later there were neighborhood centers;
His sister Connie ran the business during the war and then his mother ran it for almost 20 years (from 1946 to 1966). When his mother ran the pool hall Eduardo (Eddie) would help clean the place sometimes. There were benches in front of the building and lots of people would sit there. When he was a boy, he had a shoeshine stand “Eddies Shoeshine” in front and also sold newspapers. Military men would get their shoes shined for 10 cents. The Star Bulletin would come in from the port on barge and be 2 days old, but people bought them...5 cents back then for a paper maybe. Mr. E Ping had a taxi stand & shoeshine too right next to the building. E Ping was good friends with Victor Aquino, Eddies brother-in-law. Victor was a good magician too and his sister (Connie) taught dancing. They played music too.
Eddie’s first paid job was at the bowling alley just up Hanapepe road from the pool hall. He got 10 cents a game for setting up the pins. There were only two alleys.
Flood was good fun when he was a growing up. Good memories of Hanapepe. “You would never starve in Hanapepe.” He may have old photos of the pool hall but will have to look. There is a photo of his model A Ford in front of the pool hall. Hanapepe was a big town. He remembers lots of lights. The first neon light came in the 1950’s and he would sit in front of the pool hall and look at it glowing in the night; “the color was something to see”. He recalls this is when he first thought about how he wanted Hanapepe to be bigger still; and it was later when he became Mayor he remembered Hanapepe and these memories influenced him to rebuild the town. When he returned from college everything was gone. He built up the county again as Mayor 1974-1982. He supported the neighborhood centers; built the parks too. Mr. Leong was the County engineer (His son’s name is Arnold). Others who lived in Hanapepe and Eleele included: Toore Kawakami; Hashisaki (Kauai Cookies); Nonaka (owned Wong’s restaurant) Mr. Leleihu (Le) Naumu. They did not live at the property but would be good resources about Hanapepe life. Mitsuo Nozaki - father was a master carpenter who use to fix and repair the pool tables; He may know where old pool table might be. (### End.)
Project: A Place Remembered -- The Old Hanapepe Pool Hall
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