A Sydney Kebab Shop Paid Tribute To A Late Flute-Playing Icon With A Huge Midnight Memorial

Mario Geklik at Manly Seaside Kebabs

Droves of Sydneysiders let loose at a midnight memorial over the weekend for Mario Geklik, the iconic flautist at Manly Seaside Kebabs, who passed away last Tuesday.

Mario was a local legend – a mainstay of The Corso – who played Turkish shepherds’ melodies on his flute for customers at all hours of the day. He died at age 61 after a long battle with cancer, 7 News reports.

Just past midnight on Sunday morning, dozens of dedicated kebab aficionados gathered at The Courso in Manly to pay their respects to the late flautist and kebab maker in a manner truly befitting of a man who was always there whenever you needed a late feed on a big night out.

@manlyseasidekebabsLast night we celebrated in honour of Mario, And as you can see the manly community did not disappoint ##manly ##manlyseasidekebabs♬ original sound – Manly seaside kebabs

Mario had been working at Manly Seaside Kebabs since the year 2000, and had been commuting from his home in Auburn to Manly for over 20 years.

At the gathering, people sung and danced to the beat of drums. Over at the kebab shop’s Instagram page, there are more clips from the unforgettable night saved in an Insta story entitled “Mario <3”.

“Saturday night will be the biggest event of this year in order to remember Mario,” the kebab shop said ahead of the memorial.

“We will be commencing the ceremony at 12am with a speech and the revealing of the framed photo and the framing of the iconic flute. Make sure to be there to not miss this iconic event to remember this spectacular man.”

Clearly, locals listened, and the turnout did not disappoint.

It didn’t take long for Mario to become a local legend, and it’s not hard to find photos and clips of him all over social media.

The shop has now framed Mario’s iconic flute, and it’s being put on display in a corner dedicated to the man himself.

He may be gone, but he definitely won’t be forgotten.

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