Introduction
Anthony Dzinski
Anthony Dzinski was born June 20, 1912 in Port Reading NJ, which is in Woodbridge Township. Port Reading was built in the late 19th century by the Reading Railroad of Pennsylvania to service their shipping needs, especially coal from the Pennsylvania anthracite coal fields. In 1892 Port Reading was connected to the Reading Railroad system via a new branch line from Bound Brook, New Jersey, known as the Port Reading Railroad.
Anthony Dzinski was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on October 18, 1940. After training at the Department’s Fire School, he was assigned to Engine Company 7 on November 11, 1940. He served there until July 6, 1941 when he was sent to Engine Company 3. He remained at Engine 3 until December 11, 1943 when he was sent to Ladder Company 1, where he remained for little over two years. On January 5, 1945 Anthony Dzinski was returned to Engine Company 3.
On June 16, 1951 Anthony Dzinski was promoted to Captain and assigned to Engine Company 7, where his career began.
On May 25, 1953 Captain Dzinski was appointed Drillmaster of the Fire School. He served in this position until he retired on a disability pension on June 5, 1961. In his position as drillmaster Anthony Dzinski and assistant drillmaster Nicholas George trained many of the fire fighters who saw the city of Camden through her most difficult times in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
The 1947 Camden City Directory shows Anthony J. Dzinski and his wife, the former Stella Stachelek, living at 1228 Atlantic Avenue. The family, which included children Estelle, Donald, Bruce, and Robert, later moved across the street to 1213 Atlantic Avenue. For many years Anthony Dzinski lived at 1213 Atlantic Avenue. After leaving the Fire Department, he moved to 3 Bells Lake Drive in Gloucester Township, where he lived until 1984, when he moved to Florida. Anthony Dzinski’s last years were spent at Grand Island, Florida. He passed away on September 24, 1993, survived by his wife and children. Mrs. Dzinski joined her husband in September of 2004.
Mrs. Kobus to Ask More Cops, Firemen for City Next Year
Camden Courier-Post —
New Appointment Return Forces to 1938 Status; Defense Increases Need
Appointment of 22 patrolmen and 10 firemen by City Commissioner Mary W. Kobus during the past three months has brought the personnel of the public safety department to figures comparable to 1938.
That announcement was made yesterday by Commissioner Kobus, who expressed the hope the city could afford additional members of both departments in the near future “as a safety measure and because of the great national, State and local defense programs, in which we must participate.”
“Camden is rapidly taking its rightful place as one of the greatest industrial centers of the entire nation. Thousands have been added to the payrolls of our various great industrial plants. Houses are at a premium within the city, and it is natural for the public safety department to keep in step with the times,” the commissioner stated.
“We have hundreds of new traffic problems confronting us today, that never existed back in 1931, when the police department was manned by 247 regular members and 83 special policemen and investigators.
Comparable to 1938 Figures
“Today the personnel of the police department totals 194 men, with no special investigators. This is comparable to 1938, when we had a total of 192 members of the department. Since 1938, 12 policemen have died and eight others requested to be placed on pension, after long and honorable service to their city.
“No replacements were made until a civil service examination was held and a list of eligible men provided. I have appointed 22 policemen from that list and 10 men as members of the city fire department, which had nine vacancies due to deaths and retirement.
“I will ask that sufficient money be placed in my budget for next year to appoint a few additional policemen, due to the defense measures which have been set up, and in which the public safety department is expected to participate.”
All of the new police and fire appointees must serve for one year at a salary of $1500. The second year they receive $1560, with their salaries going to $1680 for the third year and $1800 for the fourth year.
Normally they would have received $2040 for the fifth year, when they become full-fledged members of the department, but a referendum approved by the voters at the last general election sets the salary of police and firemen at $2400 annually after 1943.
As it will be after that year the present appointees will reach the end of the five-year period during which they receive annual increments in their pay, it was indicated they would jump to $2400 after their fourth year in the two departments.
Appointments Listed
The new policemen appointed by Commissioner Kobus were:
Joseph Caputi, 332 Mt. Vernon street; Joseph M. Carroll, 427 Lansdowne avenue; Roland Comerford, 2931 Cramer street; Vincent Conley, 423 Beideman avenue; James Eskridge, 716 North Seventh street; Joseph Hooven, 501 Beideman avenue; Julius Kaunacki, 1183 Sheridan street; William E. Kelly, 55 State street; William F. Large, 729 Mickle street; William H. Neale, 773 Line street; Francis J. Nelson, 720 Penn street; John E. Opfer, 323 North Second street; Cecil H. Picou, 1127 Cooper street; Earl Quinton, 687 Jefferson avenue; Edw. W. Tatem, 565 Mt. Vernon street; Harry Tracy, 2003 Federal street; Harold I. Vecander, 1039 North Twenty-sixth street; John H. Watkins, 2902 Constitution road; Edward Watson, 1048 Haddon avenue; Donald R. Watson, 841 Lois avenue; George T. Weber, 1231 North Thirtieth street; Stanley Zuckowicz, 1157 Thurman street.
The new appointees to the fire department are:
Philip H. Farrow, 529 Newton avenue; Anthony W. Bretschneider, 1621 Louis street; John Gryckiewicz, 810 North Front street; Thomas Winstanley, 329 Bailey street; William Palese, 900 South Fourth street; Anthony Dzinski, 1230 Atlantic avenue; Joseph R. Guarino, 25 Morse street; Martin B. Nelson, 561 Spruce street; William Cleary, 614 Federal street; Otto Kaiser, 904 North Twenty-sixth street.
Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course
Camden Courier-Post —
More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter’s first aid committee.
Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.
All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and Truck Company 1. These groups include:
Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison MacNeir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.
Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.
Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.
Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, James McGrory, Edwin V. Decker, James Stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, Anthony T. Orme, Mario D. Fattore, James O. Jones, Francis P. Stibi, William Hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, Casper Martelli, Harold H. Pike, John J. Vane, William Stibi, John Dimaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.
Graduation of Probationary Firemen
1959
Graduation of Probationary Firemen (from left) Chief John Graham, Captain Anthony Dzinski, Assistant Training Officer Nicholas George, Firemen Herman Reed, Bertram Dahl, Joseph Dowhy, Joseph Simpson, Edward Morgenweck, Charles Christensen, Joseph Wolfinger, George Dixon, Edward Ulrich, Reginald Laws, Grant Keller, and Chief Edward MacDowell.
Personnel Card
Anthony Dzinski Fire Department personnel card
Obituary
Orlando, Florida Sentinel —
Anthony Dzinski, 81, 2660 Grand Travers Circle, Grand Island, died Friday, Sept. 24. Mr. Dzinski was a retired fireman. Born in Port Reading, N.J., he moved to Central Florida in 1984. A member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Eustis, he also was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Camden Police and Fireman’s Club. Survivors: wife, Stella; sons, Robert, Minneapolis, Minn., Donald, Chevy Chase, Md., Bruce, Middleton, N.Y.; daughters, Estelle Trickard, Blackwood, N.J.; brother Adam Dzierzynski, Blackwood, N.J.; nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren. Hamlin-Hilbish Funeral Directors, Eustis.
Stella Dzinski Obituary
Camden Courier-Post —
Dzinski, Stella R.
On August 18, 2004, (nee Stachelek), 86, wife of the late Anthony, formerly of Washington Twp. and Camden, NJ.
Mother of Estelle Pickard of Blackwood, Donald Dzinski (Charlene) of Haddon Hts, Bruce Dzinski (Donna) of Lutz, FL; and the late Robert Dzinski. Sister of Mary Bartlomiejus, Adele McLaughlin and Sr. Mary Sebastian OSF. She is also survived by 9 Grandchildren and 11 Great Grandchildren.
She was employed by U.S. Government for 30 years, mostly for the U.S. Navy.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Memorial Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, September 17, 2004, at 11:00 AM at St. Peter & Paul Church, Ganttown Rd., Washington Twp., NJ. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery, Chews Landing. The Family will receive friends at 10:30 AM at the Church. Donations in her name to the American Kidney Fund or the American Diabetes Foundation would be appreciated. Arrangements by The Predpelski Funeral Home, Collingswood, NJ.