Pawnshop that held memories will close

The gorillas in costumes are gone, and residents say they'll miss the landmark store on Park Boulevard.

By ANNE LINDBERG

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2000

PINELLAS PARK -- Hank and Henrietta, the fashionably dressed gorillas that waved at passers-by, have disappeared from Park Boulevard. Their departure is a sign of worse things to come -- the closing of a Pinellas Park landmark.

Hank's Pawn Shop will shut its doors forever at the end of this month.

Peggy Kunda, who has owned the shop since her husband, Hank, died almost a year ago, said it's simply time to retire and spend more time on volunteer work. She is a member of city boards, including the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Mrs. Kunda said she plans to rent the premises, but will not sell the name to another pawnbroker in case the buyer did not live up to her husband's standards.

"I didn't want it associated with Hank if someone came in and they weren't the same," she said. "I'd rather close it up and let it die. Hank's reputation meant a lot to him."

The decision to close the pawnshop at 5700 Park Blvd. has saddened many around Pinellas Park. Mrs. Kunda said many people have dropped in to tell her they're going to miss having the shop there.

"It's a sadness," agreed Rita Bott, executive director of the Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce. "Hank and Peggy have always been people who were very interested in the community and the welfare of the community."

Bott said she still remembers when Mr. Kunda was president of the Pinellas Park Historical Society and wanted the City Council to provide a building for the group.

"He actually, literally got down on his hands and knees and begged them for a building for the historical society," Bott said. "That's the kind of colorful person he was. . . . It's the end of an era when that shop closes."

Pinellas Park council member Ed Taylor was also distressed by the news that Mrs. Kunda is closing the shop that's been there since the 1970s.

"It's certainly been an institution here in town," Taylor said.

Like many others, Taylor will miss Hank and Henrietta, the gorillas. For years, the two have stood outside the pawnshop, dressed for the season or the holiday. Some government leaders have condemned them as tacky and tried to get them removed. Tourists have stopped to have their picture taken with them.

"Some of us love the gorillas and will surely miss them," Taylor said. "I have always enjoyed them out there."

There's no chance to say goodbye. Mrs. Kunda has already taken them away.

"Hank and Henrietta are gone. They retired and went back to Africa," Mrs. Kunda said. "We've already had people say, "Where are the gorillas?' Or, "Where are the bears?' You'd be surprised how many people call them bears."

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