JOHN B. "SHORTY" PRUCELLA JR. was born in New Jersey on April 5, 1875 to John B. Prucella and his wife Mary. The family appears in the 1887-1888 and 1889-1889 Camden City Directories as living at 1736 Ferry Avenue and in the 1890-1991 as living at 1720 Ferry Avenue. John P. Prucella worked as a waterman and as a mariner. John B. Prucella joined his father at that trade by the time the 1890-1891 directory was compiled.

The 1895 New Jersey Census shows John B. Prucella living in the Eighth Ward with his parents and young siblings May, Eveline (Evelyn), Harry and Mary. Evelyn Prucella married Edward Magann in the early 1900s. Sadly, by the end of 1915 she was a widow with two young children.

After working for the City of Camden Electric Bureau for nineteen months, John Prucella was 

was first appointed to the Camden Fire Department in October of 1911. His first day in the department was November 1, 1911, when he first reported for duty with Engine Company Number 5, stationed at 1401 Federal Street. Already serving at Engine  5 was Clarence T. Madden Sr., who had joined the previous year. Camden's Fire Department was still using horse-drawn equipment when he began his service. John Prucella was transferred to Engine Company Number 4 at 320 Vine Street in June of 1917. 

When he registered for the draft in September of 1918, John Prucella, wife Hattie, daughter Elizabeth, who worked in a lace factory, and son John Raymond were living at 1012 Penn Street in North Camden. Sister Evelyn Prucella Magan was living at 1024 Penn Street with her children and David Russell Ellis. son of former policeman David Ellis. They later married. Possibly through the influence of John Prucella, David Russell Ellis applied for an appointment to the Camden Fire Department in 1920. Ellis began service on January 1, 1921 at Ladder Company 3.

By January of 1920 John Prucella had purchased a home at 919 Penn Street. On July 1, 1933 John Prucella was assigned to Engine Company Number 6 at Front and Linden Streets.

On June 15, 1934 brother-in-law David Russell Ellis, who had been promoted to Captain a few years before, died unexpectedly.

John Prucella applied for his pension in July of 1950, a mandatory retirement at 65 law having been passed covering police and firemen. His last day on the fire department was August 31, 1950, when he retired along with Deputy Chief Clarence T. Madden Sr., Firemen Spencer Smith Sr., and Fireman Frank L'Esperance.

John Prucella was still living at 919 Penn Street into the late 1950s. He passed away in New Jersey in September of 1962, survived by his son John Raymond Prucella, and two grandchildren, one being Ed Nixon.

Although John Prucella had reported a birth date of April 5, 1875 when he registered for the draft in 1918, two years were added when he received his Social Security card in 1951.  

Camden Courier-Post

December, 1945