CAMDEN BARS - Vasco's Cafe

From the late 1900s through 1920 the saloon at 713 South 3rd Street was the home and place of business of Antonio DiPaolo, who would in 1919 found the First Italian Bank in Camden. A Joseph Harris operated the establishment in 1931, according the the City Directory of that year. Frank Cipriani operated a speakeasy there in 1933. By the mid 1940s, the bar at South 3rd & Pine Streets was known as the Seven Brothers Cafe in the mid 1940s. The seven brothers belonged to the Canzanese family, who had operated the Seven Brothers Baking Company at 322 Pine from 1916 through the late 1930s. By 1950 Vasco Canzanese had renamed the business Vasco's Cafe. The bar traded under that name into the late 1970s. In 1967, 1968 and 1969 Armando and Kathryn Canzanese of 3217 Braxton Walk in Camden's Fairview section applied for and received renewal of the liquor license. A Benjamin F. Clark of 1748 South 8th Street in Camden aquired the bar inmArch of 1971. He applied for the liquor license in June of 1971. The Canzanese family reassumed control in November.

As Vasco's many banquets were held there. Vasco's was famous for its tomato pies, their own particular type of pizza. Another Vasco specialty were its mussels. John Ciafrani, from North Camden, remembers his fathers favorite as mussels with a small bowl of soy beans.

Vasco's was located in the heart of Camden's Little Italy neighborhood, and as the neighborhood changed ethnically, the bar's fortunes declined. Vasco's was sold in February of 1972 to Thomas P. Stretch of Laurel Springs and John P. Stretch Jr. of Philadelphia. By July of 1973 it was acquired by Willie "Frank" Sewell, who ran it until his death on October 13, 1980. Not long afterwards. the bar was closed permanently. Vasco's stood vacant for many years. A fire took the building in the 2010s, the land is in 2023 a parking lot.

Camden Courier-Post - June 13, 1933
excerpts

27 Mild Padlocks Provided In U.S. Court Rules by Avis

Camden County Padlocks

Probationary padlocks of one year were ordered by Judge Avis for the following establishments: [Frank's Cafe] Frank Auletto, as proprietor; William J. Stettler, bartender; Rebecca Friedenberg and Lena Teitelman, owners, 1135 and 1137 South Fourth Street, $1000 bond; William Barr, proprietor; George E. Stone, bartender; Marion R. Klump, owner, 11 South Third Street, $1000 bond; Annabale Corda, proprietor and owner; Mary Corda, employee, 1104 South Fourth Street, $1000 bond; Anthony and Stanley Knast, owners, 7807 East Park Avenue, Pennsauken, $1000 bond; Oliver Smith, proprietor; [Thomas "Bluch" Golding] Bertha Golding; owner, 1726 Master Street, $1000 bond; [Big Ed's Place] Edward W. Williams, proprietor; William J. Dolan, bartender, 623 Pearl Street, $1000 bond.

Conrad Lambert, 44, of 1427 South Ninth Street, Camden, pleaded guilty to possession of liquor and was fined $35.

Frank Tischner, 1244 Cambridge Street, pleaded guilty to possession and nuisance and sentence was deferred until June 19.

Frank H. Poole, 1400 Rose Street, pleaded guilty to possession and maintaining a nuisance and was fined $35. James Rodgers, 1000 Segal Street, pleaded guilty to possession and maintaining a nuisance. Agents said he conducted a speakeasy and he was fined $l0 and given 10 days in jail.

Harry Getty, 48, of 29 North Third Street, Camden, was fined $35 for possession of beer and maintaining a nuisance. A fine of $25 was imposed upon Charles H. Lee, 30, of 1565 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, Camden, when he pleaded guilty to possession and nuisance charges. Annibale Corda, 35, of 1104 South Fourth Street, Camden, was fined $10 when he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of liquor and maintenance of a nuisance.

[Steppy's Cafe] Walenty Szczepankiewicz, 63, of 1621 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, was given a 45-day jail term and fined $25 when he pleaded guilty to possession and nuisance charges. His son, Edward, 19, was freed on a suspended sentence and placed on probation for six months on similar charges.

John Baronkin, 669-1/2 Van Hook Street, Camden, was given a suspended sentence upon pleading guilty to possession of liquor, after his attorney pleaded he was keeping a wife, child and an ill mother.

A bench warrant was issued for Mike Britto, of 112 North Delaware Avenue, and bail of $500 was ordered forfeited when he failed to answer charges of possession and maintaining a nuisance.

Frank Cipriani, of 713 South Third Street, Camden, was sent to jail for 10 days and fined $1 when he pleaded guilty to possession and nuisance charges. His attorney said he was a prosperous South Camden business man who lost his holdings in the depression and has six children to support.

Lawrence L. Murphy, 33, of 552 Haddon Avenue, Camden, was fined $25 when he pleaded guilty to possession of two jugs of liquor. He was arrested February 10 with the liquor in his possession.

William Deroncone, 38, of 520 South Second Street, Camden, was given five days in jail and fined $1. He pleaded guilty to possession of a half pint, of liquor, in his cigar store.

Camden Courier-Post - June 2, 1950
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713 South 3rd Street - February 2003

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