Valeriani Bottling Company

Frank Valeriani founded this business around 1933 at 414 Pine Street. During the 1930s, his nephew Joseph Valeriano, who boxed professionally as Joe Reno, worked there. The Valeriani Bottling Company bottled and sold soft drinks until 1951, when the business was sold to Anthony and Stella Pietrafesa family, who kept the original name of the business.

The Pietrafesas had a beer distributing license, and for twenty years they sold beer to the South Jersey bar and liquor store trade, as well as soda and soft drinks. Among the brands that the Valeriani Bottling Company handled were Reading, Camden, Bavarian, and Sunshine.

The Pietrafesa family sold the business to a gentleman from Cherry Hill NJ in 1971. By 1977 the business was gone from Camden. By that time, the era of the small distributor was coming to an end.

Thanks to John Cianfrani, Mike Pietrafesa, and Tom Valeriano for helping to create this page.

Bottle Up and Go — A Look at Bottlers & Beer Distributors in Camden