Part of the Seven Brothers Baking Co. fleet – October 1936
Introduction
The Seven Brothers Baking Company was founded in 1910. In 1916, the seven Canzanese brothers, nephews of the original owner, took over management of the bakery. Under the direction of Vincent Canzanese, the bakery grew and was improved upon year by year. Originally delivering bread and rolls in Camden by horse-drawn wagons, the Seven Brothers Baking Company made the switch to trucks. By the fall of 1936 they were operating a fleet of eighteen vehicles, and were servicing groceries and restaurants over much of South Jersey. That year the Seven Brothers Baking Company introduced a new rectangular, pre-sliced Italian bread, a breakaway from the traditional round loaf.
By 1947 the Seven Brothers Baking Company was no more. The family had acquired the bar at 713 South 3rd street, the corner of South 3rd and Pine Streets, which in the 1947 Camden City Directory was referred to as the Seven Brothers Cafe. Run by Vasco Canzanese, this bar was known into the 1970s as Vasco's Cafe.
Jealousy Seen as Motive for Bombing Dairy
Camden Evening Courier —
Police Seeking Mysterious Stranger in Terrific Downtown Blast
Milk Plant Damaged; Nearby Homes Rocked
Crudely Made Explosive Placed in Trench Beneath Steps
With the owners and the police attributing jealousy of business success as the only plausible motive for the bombing last night of the plant of the Sanitary Milk Dairies Company, at 311 Division Street, search was started today for a tall, heavyset man, with mixed blue suit, as the bomber.
City detectives mingled among the throngs of men, women and children who today viewed the damage caused by the bomb — a crude, home-made time device — which, in exploding, rocked the neighborhood, shattered window panes, doors, fences and the exteriors of nearby properties. Machinery in the Coccia plant was damaged by the concussion and by parts of bomb shrapnel, which pierced or bent it.
Mrs. Angelina Coccia, mother of the Coccia brothers, her daughter, Theresa Coccia, 14, and Mrs. Mary De Luzzio, 59, of 317 Division Street, were in the kitchen of the Coccia home when the bomb exploded. The dairy is at the rear of the home of Primo Coccia, one of the owners. His brothers — partners in the business — are Paul Coccia, 242 Pine Street; Adam Coccia, 346 Cherry Street, and Matthew Coccia, 941 South Third Street.
Saw Mysterious Stranger
Mrs. Coccia cannot speak English, but through her son, Matthew Coccia, it was learned today that, before the explosion, she had seen a man passing the kitchen window.
“The man walked down the alley at the side of the house,” Mrs. Coccia told her son in Italian. “He was a heavy-set man and tall; I thought he was a customer who had come for milk. People often come at night to buy milk, and I did not think it strange about the man.
“But then I waited for him to knock at the back door, as customers usually do,” she continued.
“When he did not knock, I wondered what he might be up to, and I was just ready to leave the kitchen to see where he went when I heard the explosion. I did not know what happened after that, I was so nervous, I didn’t even see the man leave the way he came. But he was the one who set the bomb. Of that I am sure.”
Dog Vainly Warns
The Coccias have a big Italian Bulldog chained to a gasoline tank at the rear of their home. The dog barked continually last night to warn the Coccias; they were so used to his barks, they said today, that they thought he had been growling at a customer, as he sometimes does late at night.
Mrs. Coccia said she was unable to give a detailed description of the man she saw last night because an electric bulb in the alleyway was not lit. It was the first time the alley was in darkness at night, Matthew Coccia said, and this the bomber apparently took into consideration in seeking to go about his diabolical tasks without possible detection.
Coccia said boys living in the neighborhood saw the man enter an automobile, with lights out, immediately after the explosion shook the neighborhood. The car, they said, had been parked near the Coccia home with its front and rear lights out.
Detective Fiore Troncone, who is investigating the bombing, informed Coccia today that he had received a description of the automobile from Coccia’s neighbors. They said they had seen the driver put on the lights at Fourth and Division Street as he turned the corner to go north in his escape.
Rev. John S. Hackett, pastor of the Wiley M.E. Church, Third and Berkley Streets, who was among those viewing the damage done by the bomb, said he saw the man acting nervously at Third and Pine Street last night, immediately after the explosion. His description of the man tallied with that given by Mrs. Coccia.
“I was waiting for the first edition of the Morning Post to arrive at the store at that corner,” Mr. Hackett said today, “when my attention was attracted to this man. He seemed to be very nervous about something. He was fairly tall and heavy-set and wore a mixed blue suit, with light coloring.
“When the papers arrived and I bought a copy, he seemed to be very anxious to see what was on the front page. I did not know about the bomb until I read the paper, but it occurred to me later that perhaps this man was acting suspiciously and was eager to see what damage had been caused. I’m sorry now I didn’t question him. But I can give police a good description of him.”
The Coccias said the only reason they could see for the bombing was jealousy of their business success by a person with a deranged mind.
“We had no enemies,” Matthew Coccia said, “and we never fought with anybody. I cannot understand it. It must have been jealousy at the way we were getting along.”
Coccia said no threatening letters had been received. He insisted that there was no reason why the “Blackhand” should desire to ruin Primo Coccia’s home or their business.
Neighbors Called Police and Firemen
Detectives found a firemen’s shovel near where the stone steps to the dairy had been. They believed it had been used to dig a trench under the steps in which to insert the bomb.
Primo Coccia, who had been to the theatre, came home five minutes after the explosion. He found a throng in front and dazedly pushed through until his mother hysterically screamed the news to him.
The bomb burst in the dairy door and sprayed big pieces of the iron pipe along the side of the house and into the room, where it caused most of the damage to the machinery.
Fifteen windows of the Coccia house were shattered and police believe the foundations at the rear may have been weakened.
The worst damage to neighboring buildings was to the rear of the Seven Brothers Bakery, owned by the Canzanese Brothers, 318–322 Pine Street, which backs against the dairy. Twenty windows of the bakery were crushed in, the door was riddled with small pieces of the pipe and the rear was peppered with the “shrapnel.”
Mario Manarefi, 912 South Fourth Street, a bookkeeper in the bakery, was at his home nearby. He ran to the street and looked several minutes for the bombers before he joined the crowd.
Joseph Scotthouse, 317 Division Street, ran to the yard at the rear of his home to find the fence had been peppered with tiny pieces of the pipe, some of which had torn into his kitchen through windows and doors.
Six windows of the home of Sabatino Di Paolo, 321 Division Street, were broken. Fragments of the pipe were found on the floor of rooms on the second floor of his house, he told police.
A police cordon was thrown around the neighborhood by Chief of Police Stehr, who took personal charge of the investigation.
Police from every district in the city were rushed to the scene and patrols were dispatched to be prepared for any eventuality.
The neighborhood was searched carefully and every resident was questioned, but no one was able to give any clue which might lead police to the bombers.
Squads of detectives and police patrolled the neighborhood for hours after the explosion, seeking objects which might have been dropped by the bombers.
2 Runaway Horses Imperil Children
Camden Courier-Post —
Gallopers Stage Impromptu Race in South Camden Traffic
Scores of children on their way to school were endangered yesterday when two horses hitched to a bakery wagon ran away in South Camden streets, ignoring red traffic lights and shouts of pedestrians and motorists.
A horse hitched to a wagon of the Seven Brothers Bakery, 322 Pine street, broke loose from its wagon at Third and Berkley streets when it was frightened by a truck, according to Joseph Cirelli, Second and Washington streets, the wagon driver. The animal raced east in Berkley street to West street, where it collided with an automobile. Despite numerous cuts and bruises, the horse continued its dash eastward.
At the headquarters of Freihofer Bakery Company, Fifth and Berkley streets, where several bakery wagons were being loaded, the runaway animal frightened the horses of the company, and one bolted.
Both horses crossed Broadway, demoralizing traffic and sending scores of children running in all directions to escape the menace of flying hoofs and a careening wagon.
At the railroad tracks, the bakery wagon and one horse was [sic] captured.
The other horse turned north in Sixth street, pursued by Motorcycle Policeman William Thorn.
Thorn overtook the horse and brought it to a stop at Sixth and Stevens streets, opposite Cooper Hospital. The animal was taken to the city stables at Federal street and Admiral Wilson boulevard, where it was later claimed by the driver.
Bakery Introduces New Kind of Bread
Camden Courier-Post —
No Fat or Lard Used in Italian Loaf By Camden Firm
A new loaf of Italian style bread has been introduced on the market by the Seven Brothers Baking Co., 322 Pine street. The new loaf, known as “Tasty-Crust,” differs in shape from the old style round loaf, is sliced ready for use and wrapped in oiled paper with open celophane [sic] window for customer inspection.
Tasty-Crust, according to Vincent Canzanese, head of the firm, is made from selected wheat high in protein content and contains vitamin “D” which is beneficial in building strong bones and red blood cells, according to Canzanese.
“No fat or lard is used in the baking, which is done by the slow process in hearthen ovens to caramelize the natural sugar of the flour,” said Canzanese. “It avoids overweight and is good for the muscles and teeth. To build gums and teeth strong, it is necessary for them to have the exercise afforded by chewing. Children like the ‘crunchy’ crust and its delicious flavor.
“Experienced bakers give minute attention to the mixing process which produces a fine texture that is ideal for toasting.
Tasty-Crust bread is delivered direct to homes eveery [sic] day by a fleet of 18 trucks that cover a large portion of South Jersey.
The bakery was originally opened here in 1910 by an uncle of the present management. During his years in the baking business he had carefully instructed his nephews in the art he had mastered. In 1916, the seven Canzanese brothers took over the business and chose Vincent as manager. Year after year they have improved their establishment and enlarged their scope. They recently installed complete new baking equipment of the type shown for the first time at the bakers convention this year in Atlantic City. In addition to Tasty-Crust, the bakery supplies several other type of breads, buns, rolls.