Mamie
F.
Piraine

MAMIE  PIRAINE was the Republican county committeewoman from Camden's 8th Ward in the early 1930s. At the time of the May 1934 primary she had held that post for three years.

Mamie F. Piraine appears to have been born Philomena Pisseco in 1885 in Pennsylvania, of Italian parents. At 18 she married Constantino Piraine, a bricklayer who had been born in Italy. By 1910 there were two daughters, Elizabeth and Marie. The Pisseco family was living in the 600 block of Ferry Avenue as early as 1906.

Constantino and Mamie Piraine were living in Camden when the 1914 City Directory was compiled, at 650 Ferry Avenue. Constantino Piraine was then working as a stone mason.

By 1918, at 676 Ferry Avenue, Constantino Piriane was running a small movie theater. The Piraines were still at that address in January of 1920. Also there were mamie's two brothers Thomas and Charles Pisseco. The Piraine family was still on Ferry Avenue as late as 1924. 

The Piraines lived at 2006 Broadway in the early 1930s. The 1930 census shows the Piraine family there, which by then included daughters Marie R. and Elizabeth. Constantino and Mamie Piraine ran the bar at 1944  Broadway into the mid-1930s. It appears that Constantino Piraine passed away in the mid-1930s.

1944 Broadway became the home of American Legion Post 274 in 1939, and was until 2008.

 By 1947 Mamie F. Piraine was a widow, and was staying at  1297 Sayrs Avenue with daughter Elizabeth. She later moved to an apartment at 9 Willow Walk, in the Morgan Village section of Camden, where she was living in 1959. 

Camden Courier-Post
January 30, 1928

Camden Courier-Post *- October 20, 1931

Italian Women Republicans Stage Second Annual Ball

Prominent Republicans gathered last night at the First Italian Republican League hall, 813 South Fourth Street, for the second annual ball of the Camden County Italian Women's Republican Club.

The grand march was led by Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Mecca, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Laviano, Mr. and Mrs. Cascini, Mrs. Mamie Piraine, president of the club, with Anthony Di Marino, and Mrs. Anna Larusso with Harry Larusso.

Mrs. Mecca was chairman of the ball, assisted by Mrs. Laviano, secretary; Mrs. John Gargano, treasurer; Mrs. Frank Valeriano and Miss Mary Lario.

In addition to Mrs. Piraine, officers of the club are Mrs. Larusso, secretary; Mrs. Margaret Viggiano, secretary; Mrs. Josephine Tamru, financial secretary, and Mrs. Madeline Salvatore, treasurer.

Among the guests were Walter S. Keown, chairman of the Republican county committee; Assemblymen Frank M. Traveline, Jr., and George D. Rothermel, Postmaster Charles H. Ellis, County Detective Fiore Troncone, Miss Marie Doyle and Mrs. Pauline Caperoon, of Republican headquarters, and Walter Sekula, candidate for freeholder from the Eighth Ward.

...continued...

Robert Brennan - Marie Mackintosh - William H. Heiser - Mary McCready
James Corea - Susie Marchiano - James E. Tatem - Mary A. Ivins
Martin A. McNulty - Madeline Salvatore - Howard B. Dyer - Mary S. Hartung
Edward A. Kemble - Mary D. Guthridge - Edmund A. Walsh - Mamie F. Piraine
Edward Holloway - Deborah Schuck - Henry I. Haines - Lillian M. Walker
Horace B. Beideman - Etta C. Pfrommer - Carlton M. Harris - Mary E. Hamel
Henry Knauer - Louella I. Whaland - Jesse M. Conaghy - Lottie B. Stinson

Camden Courier-Post * February 1, 1933

G.O.P. GROUPS UNITE FOR DANCE AND FAIR

Four Republican groups will join in staging their thirty-seventh annual ball and fair March 17 at the headquarters of the First Italian Republican League, 813 South Fourth Street. The units under whose auspices the program will be presented include the league, the Fifth Ward unit of the Young Republicans of Camden County, the Camden County Women's Italian Republican Club, and the Young Ladies' Italian Republican Club. 

The committee in charge includes Antonio Mecca, former coroner, chairman; Mrs. Mamie Piraine, vice chairman; Richard Troncone, secretary, and Vincent Sarubbi, treasurer.

June 1933

Camden Courier-Post * May 7, 1934

Camden Courier-Post * May 8, 1934

Camden Courier-Post * May 17, 1934
Click on Image to Enlarge

BOY SHOT, MANY PEOPLE HURT IN EIGHTH WARD RIOT

...continued...

South 4th Street - South 6th Street - Hale Street - Viola Street - Dr. Orris W. Saunders
George Zeitz - Nicholas Scarduzio - Walter Sekula - Edmund Walsh - Mamie Piraine
Theresa DiLello - William Tansky Jr. - Leon Branch - Fiore Troncone -  John Hess
Joseph Samenich - Nicholas Sustich - Isaac Shute

Camden Courier-Post * May 18, 1934

John Hess, left, was held for the grand jury on charges of illegal possession of firearms as a result of the shooting incident at Tansky's Cafe. On tight is his attorney. Edward V. Martino. Click on Image to Enlarge. 

Camden Courier-Post * August 5, 1935

 GRAND JURY CLEARS NUMBER SUSPECTS 
Pair Suspected by Police as Having Succeeded Klosterman Brothers

Two men alleged by city and county authorities to have succeeded the Klosterman brother sin controlling the Camden numbers racket last Spring, were exonerated by the Camden county grand jury.

Those whose cases were “no billed” are Chester “Gassy” Szalinski, 30, of 1188 Chestnut Street, and Joseph Putek, 29, of 2955 Tuckahoe Road.

At the same time, the grand jury in its report to the County Clerk Charles S. Wise, failed to find an indictment against Robert Bloodworth, another suspect arrested in connection with the operation of lotteries in Camden.

After the trial of the Klosterman brothers, Fred and Joe, both of whom were convicted last spring of number charges, Szalinski was named by Police Chief Arthur Colsey as the “Sixty-ninth Street mobster who had taken over the Klosterman numbers play.” Every policeman in Camden was ordered to arrest Szalinski on sight.

The suspected numbers operator was arrested and later released in $1500 bail to await the action of the grand jury.

Putek was arrested lat April after police had engaged in a sensational chase of 15 blocks after a suspected numbers pickup automobile at which they fired a number of shots, pone of which struck a bystander.

Police allege Putek joined Szalinski in control of the Klosterman numbers game. Arrests of both men climaxed orders to county police authorities by Supreme Court Justice Frank T. Lloyd and Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando to clean up the number racket in this area.

“No bills” were returned by the grand jury for Harry Hartman and John Burke charged with attempts and breaking and entry; J.G. Flynn, accused of being a fugitive from justice from Philadelphia; Ralph Latshaw, Anna Green, and Theodore Jones, statutory charges.

Hartman and Burke were held for the grand jury last month on charges they attempted to enter the saloon of Mrs. Mamie Piraine, Republican county committeewoman from the Eighth Ward, at 1944 Broadway.