Introduction
When the 1931 Camden City Directory was published, Joseph Griffo was operating a cafe at 600 South 3rd Street. Bert Bottura was running the bar in the mid 1930s; he would go on to operate the Pine Grill at 720 South 5th Street in the early 1940s.
By 1939 Antonio Cerasaro had acquired the property, and was running the bar, which was by then known as the Roma Cafe. The 1947 Camden City Directory shows that Antonio Cerasaro was still the proprietor, living on premises with his wife Angeline, and that Americo Cerasaro lived and worked there as a bartender. The Roma Cafe appears in the 1964 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory, and was still open as late as 1965, but is not listed in the 1966 edition. After a police raid in the mid-1960s, the phones were removed. Americo Cerasaro applied for a renewal of the liquor license in June of 1967, so the bar appears to have remained open. By 1970 Americo Cerasaro, better known as Reds, had closed the bar, and gone in partnership with John Meloni in a bar called RJ Lounge at 524 West Street, which had previously housed a social club, the Union of Brotherly Love Camp Walt Whitman No. 1.
Americo Cerasaro passed away in August of 1974 at the age of 50.
The Roma Cafe stands boarded up and vacant in November of 2003.
2 Taprooms Drop Attempt to Move
Camden Courier-Post —
Dealers Withdraw Pleas for Transfer of Licenses at Board Hearing
At hearings before the Camden Municipal Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control last night, two requests for transfers of alcoholic beverage licenses were withdrawn by the petitioners, and one transfer was granted by the board.
Bert Bootura, of 600 S. Third street, asked that no hearing be held on his request to change his business to the southeast corner of Delaware avenue and Market street. The board voted the withdrawal.
Counsel for Alfred R. Munyon, who had asked for a transfer from 3125 River avenue to 3425 River avenue, was granted permission to withdraw the petition. A protest against the transfer was made to the board last week by residents in the latter vicinity.
The board granted a person-to-person transfer of the business of Mrs. Carolina Bouillon [sic], at 524 Jefferson street, to Mrs. Blanche Cook. John L. Morrissey, chairman, presided at the meeting in city commission chambers, city hall.
Boxing Show Slated to Aid Drop-A-Buck
Camden Courier-Post —
More than 500 members of boys clubs and Little League teams in the area will be guests at a special amateur boxing show Tuesday night at Convention Hall from which proceeds will benefit the Frank H. Ryan Drop-A-Buck Club.
Sponsors for the young guests are being solicited now by a committee headed by Police Insp. Anthony Skolski. The show will be staged by the Camden Police Athletic League and sponsored by Camden Local 35, New Jersey Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. Ten three-round bouts will present boxers from the Philadelphia Police Athletic League and some Middle Atlantic AAU champions will be on the card.
Among sponsors of one or more children already signed are Deputy Public Safety Director Willard C. Schriver; Police Chief Gustav Koerner, Skolski, Municipal Judge Anthony Marino, Dets. Joseph Mardino and Ernie Santaniello, Art Sharp, Andy Fanelli, Nick Tedeschi, Anthony Galiozzi, the Hub Steak House, Rt. 38, Maple Shade; Hill Clothing store, 2636 Westfield ave.; Roma Cafe, 3rd and Royden sts., and Local 35, NJSPBA.
Persons, organizations or business establishments wishing to become sponsors are urged to contact Skolski at the city police department. Assisting are Anthony Moffa, co-chairman; George MacKenzie, Charles Kocher, Mario Ferrari, Peter Paul, Edward Yeager, Walter Busko, Thomas Kelly and Douglas Holmes.
— Also identified: Anthony Skolski, Sgt. Ray Smith, Camden Local 35, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
April 20, 1959 Banquet Program Advertisement
Veteran's Boxing Association Ring No. 6
Advertisement in the April 20, 1959 Veterans Boxing Association Ring No. 6 banquet program.
Photos
Roma Cafe at 600 South 3rd Street — November 9, 2003.
Memories
The Roma Cafe…I remember the owner “Reds.” He was a friend of my fathers…I used to call him Uncle Reds…When my father had his barbers shop on 3rd Street near Berkley…Uncle Reds had a small shop across the street next to or near to Tedeschi & Son Grocery. I remember well that grocery as well…had bins outside filled with eels during Easter, this was in the 40’s…anyway…don’t know when he bought or took over the Roma…but remember that on many a week end my father and friends from the neighborhood would all get together there…and most of these guys called it “Reds” as I remember, not the Roma, probably because they all grew up with Reds. Anyway they would get together, and cook up a week-end meal. I was young then but remember the guys cooking sauce and crabs and can still smell the place.
— Benedict Tisa, April 2005
My mother was raised on Royden Street just a block away from the Roma Bar that her aunt and uncle owned. My step grandfather, Luigi Celani married my grandmother Maria Evangelisti after my grandfather died. The Roma Bar on Royden Street was owned by my grandfather’s sister and husband, Antonio and Angeline Cerasaro. I recently returned from Italy where I had a visit with a second cousin that lived in the U.S. for a time and remembered the bar. Your website was very helpful in verifying our relationship because we had a Blackberry with us and we were able to show him pictures of the bar, which helped refresh his memory.
— Bob Elton, June 2008