Camden Chiselers Club
The Camden Chiselers Club was organized in 1930 by Camden County Chief of Detectives Larry Doran, attorney Rocco Palese, and several other members of Camden’s political and business community.
On January 6, 1938, the club gathered at 1462 Wildwood Avenue, the home of Assemblyman-elect and Mrs. Margaret Palese, to elect officers and celebrate Mrs. Palese’s birthday. This event was covered in the following day’s Camden Courier-Post.
The membership named in the newspaper article below make up a virtual Who’s Who of Camden in the late 1930s. Besides Doran and Palese, members named included former State Senator Albert S. Woodruff, former judge John B. Kates, Police Judge Gene R. Mariano, Courier-Post columnist Dan McConnell, Louis Bantivoglio, Thomas Bantivoglio, Frank Abbott, Jack Weinberg, funeral director Antonio Mecca, and attorney Edward V. Martino.
'Chiselers' to Seek Club Headquarters
Camden Courier-Post —
Members Feast on Venison and Spaghetti at Palese Home
Officers were elected and a committee was appointed to obtain a location for a club house at the eighth annual reunion of the Camden Chislers’ Club held last night at the home of Assemblyman-elect Rocco Palese, 1462 Wildwood avenue.
The occasion also marked the birthday anniversary of Mrs. Palese. A large basket of flowers and a birthday cake, gifts of the club members, was presented by Miss Lucille Palese, her daughter.
Officers elected are Palese, president; Judge Samuel M. Shay, first vice president; Ernest L. Bartlet, second vice president; John J. Fitzgerald, secretary, and Elmer J. Williams, treasurer.
The club was organized in 1930, when Palese was assistant prosecutor under Common Pleas Court Judge Clifford A. Baldwin, then county prosecutor. Lawrence T. Doran, chief of county detectives, was the “father” of the organization.
Plans were discussed for the establishment of permanent headquarters.
The following were named by Palese as members of the building committee: Bartelt, chairman; Williams, treasurer; John L. Morrissey, former State Senator Albert S. Woodruff, former Judge John B. Kates, Richard Troncone, Fitzgerald and Dan McConnell.
Spaghetti and venison dinner was served.
Others present were Police Judge Gene R. Mariano, Herbert H. Blizzard, Walter G. Garland, Samuel E. Fulton, City Clerk Clay W. Reesman, Frank Abbott, Edward V. Martino, Robert Brest, Jules Derwoski, John R. Di Mona, Patrick H. Harding, assistant prosecutor, Stanley Wratten. Paul Truax, Carl Schumacher, Raymond Brierly, I. Harry Ireton, Louis Bantivoglio, Antonio Mecca, J. Claud Simon, Anthony Cavallo, Cipriano Moles, S. Fletcher, Jack Hiner, Robert Brest, Thomas Bantivoglio, Fred Maltatesta, Joseph Giordano, John H. Reiners, Jr., Lieut. L. S. Smith and Sergt. E. L. Murray, New Jersey State Police, Freeholder A. C. Jones, of Burlington county; Howard Parker, Louis J. Gale and Jack Weinberg.