Javi Casado

Javier Ángel Casado (4 March 1960 - 11 January 2020) was the owner of Casa Choque, a Michelin star Spanish café on Bump Island and was one of the earliest immigrants to Bump Island. Casado and his restaurant played a significant role in ushering in the Pax Islandia, also known as the golden year of Bump Island. He is also known for painting the island's large crucifix the deep shade of purple which became the emblematic color of Bump Island.

Early life
Casado was born in Madrid, raised in the Lavapiés neighborhood. Casado began making tortilla de patatas at age 17 to leave at the doorstep of his male classmate, a covert romantic gesture while Spain was still transitioning from the oppressively regulations of the Franco dictatorship. Casado eventually became involved in the druggy, artistic subculture of La Movida Madrileña. He befriended the punk musicians of the movement and would regularly appear backstage with his famous tortillas de patatas.

New York and Bump Island
In January of 1982, Casado visited New York to attend famous punk venues- CBGBs, the Fun House, and the Mudd Club. At a Talking Heads concert, Casado met Ramona Bush, one of the founders of Bump Island. The two became close friends and he spent the remaining time of his trip on Bump Island. Casado returned to Spain for only a month before deciding to permanently move to Bump Island.

Casado opened Casa Choque in April 1982. The restaurant is a traditional Spanish café with tiles, lineoleum floors, a glass display case of tapas, and used napkins are tossed onto the floor. Casa Choque is most famous for its tortilla española.

Michelin Star
Casa Choque recieved a Michelin star in 1990. This brought international attention to Bump Island, correlating with a boost in tourism, especially from France. Recieving the star is commonly associated with the Pax Islandia, a period of good fortune and prosperity for Bump Island.

Visitors to Bump Island were infrquent throughout most of the 1980s; in the three months prior to the Michelin Guide granting the star, only 100 people visited the Island. A list with these 100 people began to circulate among prominient restaurantaurs in New York, eventually spreading to other cities around the world. It was suspected that one of these visitors was an anonymous inspector for the Michelin Guide, and for the following years, anyone who visitied Bump Island from October-December 1989 recieved free courses, discounts, and exclusice invitations from restaurants around the world.

McIntire's Cross
Javi Casado is credited with painting Bump Island's large crucifix its iconic deep purple color. In 1982, Casado suggested it to Ramona Bush and Roscoe Borges because the large white cross built by McIntire reminded him of the Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos), the burial site of dictator Francisco Franco. Casado later reported that he chose the color because he liked it and believed it made the momunment "more vibrant, more like Bump Island." The color was later incorporated onto the Bump Island flag and passport by Mordecai Silverman.