Longtime Musso & Frank Waiter Sergio Gonzalez Dies at 66
Sergio Gonzalez, a beloved waiter at Hollywood’s Musso & Frank Grill for 47 years, died Tuesday of a heart attack in Sylmar, Calif. He was 66.
Musso & Frank proprietor Mark Echeverria announced Gonzalez’s death, which occurred just one day after a memorial service for Ruben Rueda, a bartender at the iconic restaurant for 52 years who died in April.
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“Musso & Frank has lost another beloved family member with the passing of Sergio Gonzales,” said Echeverria. “He was a truly wonderful man who was loved and respected by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Kind, generous, warm, dignified, caring and thoughtful, he had a gift for treating everyone like a guest of honor, whether they were internationally-famous celebrities, Musso & Frank regulars, or first-time patrons. For almost half of our 100 years, Sergio helped make Musso & Frank a home away from home for his valued patrons and colleagues alike.”
Starting out at Musso’s as a busboy at 19 years old, Gonzalez was a favorite of the Rolling Stones, Johnny Depp, and Steve McQueen. The Stones famously flew Gonzalez to Mexico City in 2006 to see them perform.
Gonzalez’s son-in-law Alex has been a server at the restaurant for 15 years, while Rueda’s son Leonard also works as a server.
Gonzalez remembered one of his early customers, gangster: Mickey Cohen. “I used to put two hot towels on his knees. He was kind of crippled because I think he was beat up in jail. He used to come with two bodyguards, and he used to give me 10 bucks — back then it was a lot of money.”
In addition to his son-in-law, he is survived by his wife, Sandra, a daughter, and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be planned in the near future.
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