Rest In Peace Ram 1933-2005

Miguel & Ram
Originally uploaded by H. Michael karshis.

My friend of 20+ years, owner of world famous Tacoland and favorite bartender was shot and killed early this morning, June 24, 2005.

Here's the latest:

 
Taco Land Owner Fatally Shot
Web Posted: 06/24/2005 05:38 AM CDT

Vianna Davila
Express-News Staff Writer

The owner of Taco Land, a landmark San Antonio night club once immortalized in song, was fatally shot at the bar around 1:21 this morning in an incident that sent two other people to the hospital in critical condition, police said.

Ramiro Albert Ayala, 72, was pronounced dead at 2:25 a.m., according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office. Ayala is listed as the bar's owner, the medical examiner said.

Details of the shooting were sketchy, but San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Matt Podwika said two men were inside the bar when words were exchanged and at least one of the men opened fire.

"We don't know exactly what was said between (the victims) and the suspects," he said.

Ayala was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center with a wound to the left side of the chest. A 40-year-old woman who was shot in her abdomen, and a 54-year-old man shot in the side, were taken to University Hospital, according to Podwika.

It appears the two suspects fled in an unknown vehicle with the money in the bar's cash register, the sergeant said.

A Dec. 12, 2000, article in the San Antonio Express-News said Ayala opened his business, at 103 W. Grayson, in 1965, selling food to workers from the soda bottling plants that once operated in the area. He turned the business into a bar in 1969.





Lyrics to The Dead Milkmen song they wrote after playing Taco Land on February 19, 1986


TACOLAND

There's a place
In San Antone
Where I can go
And not feel alone!

Tacoland
It's a panacea
Tacoland
They're always glad to see ya

You'll understand
When you go
On Down to Tacoland

When I feel
My world is lost
I go to Tacoland
And I get really tossed!

I wish my band would always pla-a-ay
Tacoland, I want to sta-a-ay

You'll understand
When you go
On Down to Tacoland

There's a girl with dirty hair
She's got her dress up in the air
She tells a lot of jokes
Hell, she's got a lot to share

Tacoland
We ate a lot of figs
They passed around a bottle
And we took a lot of swigs

It's nature's plan
To go On
Down to Tacoland

That's Right.

We miss you already Ram!