Mac Klein: The Man Behind Miami Beach's Legendary Mac's Club Deuce

If you placed a wager in 1926 that the establishment at 222 14th Street in Miami Beach would still be thriving today, your legacy would be as legitimate as Mac's Club Deuce itself.

Originally named Club Deuce—an ode to the location's address—Mac Klein added his name upon purchasing the business on February 3, 1964. From that day to his last, Mac went to work at "The Deuce" seven days a week, becoming a Miami Beach legend in the process. Mac passed away at the age of 101 on March 25, 2016. His legacy, and that of Mac's Club Deuce, is now carried on by his beloved wife Mary.

This is the story of Mac and Club Deuce.

A Brooklyn Boy Older Than Miami Beach

Born on September 19, 1914, Mac Klein was actually older than the city of Miami Beach—if only by six months. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, by Russian immigrant parents, Mac grew up with seven siblings in a two-bedroom apartment.

In New York, Mac opened a card room without permission from the crime syndicate. He eventually ended up before a judge and was given a choice: jail or the Army. It wasn't until World War II that he left New York, discovering Miami Beach when he was sent here for basic training.

Shipped off to Europe, Mac served in the U.S. Army for five years until being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, where he served as a sergeant and interpreter, speaking both Russian and German. Mac was hit with shrapnel from a blast that killed his friend. He spent the following year in a hospital in Scotland, where doctors initially were uncertain he would survive. They replaced his ulna with a rib bone. Once recovered, doctors suggested warm weather would aid his continued healing.

With that recommendation, Mac headed back to Miami Beach in 1945.

From Regular to Owner

Once established in Miami Beach, Mac Klein became a regular at the 14th Street establishment, eventually calling owner Harold Schwartz both friend and business partner. Harold was a Colonel in the Air Force, and the two veterans hit it off. Mac came to own half of Club Deuce's liquor license while also working at the bar.

It was here that Mac went to celebrate the birth of his daughter in 1964, only to find the club closed. His friend and business partner Harold had died, and the bar would not reopen. Harold had left Club Deuce to Mac in his will. Mac contacted Harold's wife and bought the remaining half of the liquor license.

Adding his name to the business was one of the few changes Mac made. Beyond replacing the singer and pianist with a jukebox and building the curved bar we know today, Mac's renovations ended there—until a certain television show came to town.

Miami Vice and the Neon Transformation

Mac Klein saw it all during his years as a regular, partner, and owner of Mac's Club Deuce. He witnessed Miami Beach transform from a community of troops training for World War II, to an older Jewish community, to Cubans fleeing Castro, to the days of the Cocaine Cowboys. But nothing prepared locals for the phenomenon of Miami Vice.

The television show showcased the glitz, glamour, and darkness of Miami, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as Crockett and Tubbs, a crime-fighting duo on the Vice Squad. Miami Vice had people across the country staying home on Friday nights to tune in.

Truly marking the early years of Miami Beach's renaissance, the #1 show on television left its mark on Mac's Club Deuce. With the cast and crew frequenting The Deuce during their downtime, the bar was featured in the episode "Freefall" (Season 5, Episode 17), with Sonny Crockett sitting at the pink curved bar Mac built.

It was then that the bar's famous neon lights were added. Mac struck a deal with the producers: at the end of filming, it all stayed. These neon strips and images were installed by a local artist whose girlfriend modeled for the Beloved Lady of The Deuce neon sign.

Miami Vice also held its series finale wrap party at Mac's Club Deuce—an open bar affair with Johnson and Thomas themselves bartending the event.

A Celebrity Watering Hole

With Miami Beach's renaissance in full effect, celebrity sightings at Mac's Club Deuce became frequent and continue decades later. You never know who might pull up the stool next to you at The Deuce.

Actors, singers, musicians, models, artists, writers, and celebrity chefs have all found their way to Mac's: Cameron Diaz, DJ Paul, Quentin Tarantino, Matt Damon, Lauren Hutton, Anne Burrell, Bobby Cannavale, Pete Davidson, John Travolta, Matt Smith, Guy Fieri, and Kate Moss—who infamously didn't make it through the front door.

But our favorite remains Anthony Bourdain, who stopped by every time he was in town, not just for a drink but to visit with Mac. Bourdain gave Mac's Club Deuce the distinction of being one of his favorite bars in the world, writing about and featuring The Deuce multiple times in his books and television shows.

Everyone is welcome at Mac's Club Deuce and is a celebrity in their own right. But our more famous customers appreciate the bit of normalcy and anonymity our Shangri-La provides.

The Legacy Lives On

At the time of this writing, it's been a decade since Mac Klein passed away. While he is dearly missed by everyone, Mac's Club Deuce remains the same—sticking to his winning formula.

Open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., The Deuce offers a friendly staff serving cheap, stiff drinks, a jukebox at the ready, a pool table stacked and waiting, and a legendary 2-for-1 Happy Hour from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Dive bar, A to Z, all are welcome. Cash only.