This clever Marine cheated his way into WWII, then spent 22 years rebuilding Honolulu

Frank Fasi’s 22-Year Transformation of Modern Honolulu

Frank Fasi came to Honolulu in 1946 as a young Marine and stayed to build a city. The son of Sicilian immigrants rose from small businessman to mayor, holding office for 22 years between 1969 and 1994.

When bus strikes left locals stranded, Fasi flew to Dallas, bought 50 used buses, and created TheBus – soon known as “Uncle Fasi’s Limousine Service.”

He then tore down parking lots to build green spaces, opened the Neal Blaisdell Center, and even made the shaka hand gesture Honolulu’s official logo.

The Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building stands today as a testament to how one stubborn mayor reshaped an entire island city.

From Sicily to Hawaii: The Colorful Beginnings of Mayor Fasi

Frank Fasi was born August 27, 1920, in Hartford, Connecticut to Sicilian immigrants Carmelo and Josephine. He started working at just 11 in his father’s ice business and ranked seventh in his high school class of 476.

The Marines almost rejected Fasi for color blindness. After failing his first eye test, he got a friend to take it for him the second time.

The trick worked, and Frank joined the Marines, serving in the Pacific during World War II. After leaving in 1946, he moved to Honolulu.

The Surplus King Built His Fortune on Military Leftovers

Frank quickly set up shop in post-war Hawaii. He opened the Frank F. Fasi Supply Company in 1946, selling military surplus goods that flooded the islands after the war.

He bought entire wartime buildings from military bases across Oahu.

The company sold lumber, metal barrels, telephone poles, mess tables, and other equipment. Fasi turned these leftovers into a successful construction and salvage business.

His fights with city officials over zoning rules pushed him toward politics, where he could make the rules instead of just following them.

A Political Firebrand Took Honolulu By Storm

Fasi won his first race for Territorial Senate in 1958. Hawaii becoming a state in 1959 cut his term short.

By 1965, he got a seat on the Honolulu City Council and stayed until 1968. Local papers called him a “firebrand,” “trailblazer,” and “maverick” by the late 1960s.

His habit of speaking his mind made him stand out. Fasi won the 1968 mayoral race as a Democrat and took office in 1969.

His campaign slogan, “Fasi gets it done,” fit the take-charge style that would mark his time as mayor.

Bus Strikes Sparked a Public Transit Revolution

Honolulu faced a transport crisis in the late 1960s.

The private Honolulu Rapid Transit company went through a 67-day strike in 1967, then another 60-day walkout in 1971. City folks had no bus service for months, and the private owners offered no fix.

Fasi grabbed the chance when the federal government offered to pay two-thirds of the cost to buy three private bus lines. He quickly set up Mass Transit Lines on September 14, 1970.

By March 1, 1971, HRT got a new name, TheBus, and the city took over.

The Mayor Flew to Texas to Buy Buses Himself

Fasi didn’t just sign papers for TheBus, he jumped in to make it happen. The city bought HRT and its rivals for $2 million down plus another $1 million for new buses.

But Honolulu needed vehicles fast. Frank flew to Dallas, Texas, and picked out 50 used buses from their transit system.

He also bought 17 new GM buses from Michigan. The ex-Dallas buses kept colors like the old HRT vehicles to help riders adjust.

Locals started calling it “Uncle Fasi’s Limousine Service,” showing who made it all happen.

Parking Lots Vanished Overnight to Create Green Spaces

Frank Fasi changed downtown Honolulu with bold moves that shocked workers and pleased green space fans.

He ordered crews to tear down big parking lots near the Hawaii State Capitol, Iolani Palace, and Kawaiaha’o Church to make the large Honolulu Civic Center grounds.

A popular story says Fasi took a bulldozer one weekend and personally ripped up the Hotel Street parking area. City Council members came to work Monday to find no place to park.

True or not, the story fits his take-charge style. The mayor turned the Capitol District into a connected civic area with plenty of green space.

The Shaka Became Honolulu’s Official Greeting

Fasi knew symbols matter. In 1976, he made the shaka hand sign the official logo of Honolulu.

The friendly thumb-and-pinky-out gesture started showing up on all city signs and papers during his time in office. His staff voted 19 to 1 against using the shaka in his 1976 campaign, but Fasi ignored them.

He felt the gesture stood for “the little guy” no matter their background.

When the City Council stopped him from putting his name on public works signs, he cleverly used the shaka instead. The gesture stuck with both the mayor and his city.

A Party Switch Revived His Political Career

After 12 years as mayor, Fasi lost to Eileen Anderson in the 1981 Democratic primary. Many politicians would have quit, but not Frank.

On advice from D. G. Anderson, he switched from Democrat to Republican in 1984. The change worked. Fasi beat Anderson in the 1984 election and won back the mayor’s office.

He served 10 more years as a Republican mayor from 1984 to 1994, becoming Honolulu’s longest-serving mayor. Frank stepped down in 1994 to run for Hawaii governor, though he didn’t win that race.

Summer Fun and Winter Lights Brought Joy to Residents

Fasi started programs that brought communities together across Honolulu. His Summer Fun program gave kids safe, cheap activities during school breaks.

The program still runs today, helping thousands of children each year. In 1985, he launched the yearly Honolulu City Lights winter festival.

The first one had a 50-foot Norfolk Pine with wooden white doves and gold balls. They turned on the lights December 12, 1985, with flood lights showing off the display.

The free event included the lit tree, decorated displays, and holiday concerts. This winter tradition still draws crowds downtown each December.

Concrete and Steel Built a Modern City

Frank opened the Neal S. Blaisdell Center (first called the Honolulu International Center) in 1964, giving the city a proper venue for concerts, sporting events, and conventions.

This multipurpose facility became central to Honolulu’s cultural life.

He established the satellite city hall system, bringing government services closer to neighborhoods across Oahu. The elected neighborhood board systems he created gave communities more say in local decisions.

Fasi pushed for construction of the H-POWER waste-to-energy plant, an innovative solution to the island’s trash problems.

He created municipal greenbelt areas and senior citizen programs that improved quality of life for residents of all ages.

Visiting Honolulu Hale, Hawaii

You can explore Frank Fasi’s legacy at Honolulu Hale on 650 South King Street downtown. The Frank F. Fasi Civic Center grounds are open daily with free access to green spaces and public art.

The Municipal Building operates Monday through Friday 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM. Check out rotating exhibitions at the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts on the 3rd floor.

During winter, the annual Honolulu City Lights festival features a 21-foot Shaka Santa sculpture honoring Fasi’s contributions.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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