Introduction
519 Line Street was the home of brothers Gaetano and Octavio DeAscentis who had come to America from Italy in 1906. They owned the building by 1930. As Prohibition was in effect, the brothers were not operating a bar. Gaetano was working as a fireman at a wool factory, and Octavio was an engineer for the railroad, which operated then and now in Camden.
After Prohibition was repealed, the Octavio DeAscentis family obtained a liquor license. Gaetano worked outside the bar, working as a boiler operator at Burrough Junior High School on Newton Avenue. Sons Valero and William worked as bartenders, according to the 1947 Camden City Directory.
The bar had changed hands by the 1960s. In 1967 Helen B. Harden filed the application for liquor license renewal. The bar was later sold to Alfred Crawford who operated it until his death on March 8, 2002 at the age of 81.
Photos
The Line Cafe’s Neon Sign
519 Line Street — February 11, 2003