A couple years back, while doing some work for the reopening of the storied Brooklyn, NY restaurant Gage & Tollner, we had the honor and pleasure of meeting Wade Siler Sr. and we asked if he'd be willing to share a little of his story with us. Wade recently passed away at the age of 96 and while it was never quite finished, we felt compelled to release what we do have in tribute to him. Known to many as “Wade Sinclair” or the “singing maitre’ d,” Wade was beloved for his effervescent charm, sincere hospitality, and absolutely killer baritone voice. He was as much a fixture of Gage & Tollner as the gas chandeliers for the latter third of the 20th century; he started as the restaurant’s head bartender in 1969, and in two short years moved up to assistant general manager, then maitre’ d. For over 30 years, Wade served as the face, and the heart, of Gage & Tollner, up to the day the restaurant closed in 2004. Wade is survived by his loving children and grandchildren, and his legacy will live on at Gage & Tollner for as long as the restaurant stays standing.