Joe Fine

Who was Joe Fine?

Joseph "Joe" Fine was a well known businessman and politician in Marquette, Michigan. Born in Lithuania, Fine became a citizen of the United States and lived most of his life in Marquette. In the 1960s he was active in city politics. Offices he held included mayor, city commissioner, and member of the Board of Light and Power. His legacy includes Marquette's Board of Light and Power, which operates a municipal power station for the city. Over a period of more than 40 years he ran a series of businesses in Marquette. The most notable was a popular but unusual tavern. One of the unusual aspects was that women were not welcome, which helped minimize disputes among patrons. At the time of his death, a local newspaper referred to him as "one of the city's best known merchants." He was also active in or supported a number of fraternal, religious, and other civic organizations.