Michael “Mikey” Brown
Michael “Mikey” Brown, c. 1933
MICHAEL BROWN was born Michael Cianfrani in Pennsylvania on September 29, 1888, the son of Italian immigrants. He eventually moved to Camden NJ, settling in Camden’s 8th Ward. Known popularly as “Mikey” Brown, he became involved in local politics, he served as a ward leader at one time or another for both the Republican and Democrat Parties. The 1913 City Directory shows him living at 610 Ferry Avenue, and operating a pool hall.
Michael Brown was appointed to the Camden Fire Department in May of 1914, and served with Engine Company 8 and Engine Company 3. The 1915 City Directory put him and his wife Louise at 647 Central Avenue. He resigned from the Fire Department on November 15, 1916. By the end of 1919 Mikey Brown was in business for himself, buying and selling horses. By 1927 he had purchased the bar at 629 Ferry Avenue, which operated under a soft drink license, allowing the sale of near beer. He also operated a stable nearby.
Politics in the Eighth Ward in Mikey Brown’s time was a contact sport, and the ward was known as “the bloody Eighth” for good reason. Joseph ‘Mose’ Flannery, sometimes an ally and sometimes an opponent of Brown, was gunned down at a Kaighn Avenue saloon in September of 1928. A victory parade after a May 1934 primary election ended in a riot outside William Tansky’s saloon South 6th and Viola Streets. Brown himself was charged with assaulting an election official in 1931. He was three times put on trial for election law violations and cleared of charges. In May of 1933 he ran for office as Republican County Committeeman for the Eighth Ward, but was defeated by four votes in an election that may well have been rigged, although it is unclear as to who was doing the rigging. In August of 1933 two shots were fired through the window of Brown’s neighbor and fellow saloon owner, Thomas “Bluch” Golding, at 650 Central Avenue.
The 1930 Census shows him living on premises with his wife Louise, brothers Angelo and Thomas, and his Uncle Edward. Angelo also worked in the business as a bartender, before passing in the 1930s. Michael Brown operated this saloon as late as 1931. Michael Brown operated different saloons in the city before he moved to Runnemede NJ, around 1935, where he engaged in the fertilizer business. He had returned to Camden before Pearl Harbor was attacked in December of 1941. He lived at 1745 Van Buren Street as late as 1947, and kept a stable on the west side of Master Street between Central Avenue and Ferry Avenue. Camden still had milkmen using horse-drawn carts till around 1950.
Michael Brown subsequently moved to the Hilltop section of Gloucester Township NJ, where he sold used trucks and cars. His brother Thomas passed in the middle 1950s. Louise Brown died in June of 1959. Michael Brown passed away on July 3, 1962.
Michael Brown was second cousin to the late Henry J. “Buddy” Cianfrani of South Philadelphia, who was prominent in state and local politics.
Auto Fire Engine Skids Into Window
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Skidding in rounding the corner at Broadway and Kaighn avenue while responding to an alarm yesterday the auto fire engine attached to Company No. 3,
[…continued…] of the Camden Fire Department, jumped the curb and crashed into a display window of a department store. The window was wrecked, one of the pillars of the store knocked out of place and the springs of the machine put out of commission. Several persons on the sidewalk narrowly escaped being hit by the apparatus.
Riding on the back of the machine Engineer Daniel Smith and Stoker Arthur Wingate saved themselves by jumping. Driver Michael Brown stuck to his post and escaped injury. In aiding the firemen to back the engine off the sidewalk, Andrew Fritz, aged 50, of 1425 Broadway, crushed one of his fingers so badly that it was amputated at Cooper Hospital. The fire was at Locust street and Kaighn avenue, where a load of hay on a wagon was destroyed.
Man Blames Cop as Home Wrecker
Camden Courier —
MAN BLAMES COP AS HOME WRECKER
Accused of Beating 2 Women After Fighting Way Into House
A policeman, whose name is withheld, was blamed for breaking up the home of Michael Brown, 25 years, 650 Ferry avenue, in police court this morning.
Brown was given a hearing and was charged of assault and battery, one preferred by his wife Louise, and the other by Bertha Chamberlin, 620 Central avenue. He was accused of attacking the two women Sunday night in the home of P. L. Goldsn, where Mrs. Chamberlin is employed as a housekeeper.
Brown’s defense was that he forced his way into the house because he had reason to believe that his wife was there with a police officer, for whom she left him two weeks ago. Both women exhibited bruises on their bodies, alleged to have been inflicted by Brown, and Mrs. Brown collapsed while testifying and had to be revived. Brown asserted he had been informed that the unnamed police officer was with his wife and that he had seen him in the house before he entered. He said Mrs. Chamberlin tried to delay him at the door while the officer slipped out a rear window. He claimed to have witnesses to substantiate this.
Judge Cleary held Brown in $150 bail for court on each charge. He was allowed to sign his own bail bond. He left with the intention of swearing out a warrant for Mrs. Chamberlin on a charge of keeping a disorderly house.
New Jersey Notes
Philadelphia Inquirer —
New Jersey Notes
Approximately 20,000 school children will take part in the Peter Pan Memorial dedication in Johnson Park, Camden on September 24, according to Dr. James E. Bryan, superintendent of schools. The statue is the gift of Eldridge R. Johnson, of the Victor Talking Machine Company.
Although Prosecutor Westcott, of Camden county, asserted that he will make every effort to send to prison those who are responsible for the alleged ballot box frauds during the last primaries in Camden, State Senator Woodruff replied that he would take no interest in the exhaustive probe now under way. He was quoted as saying that the police protected “Mikey” Brown’s gang instead of the downtown voters.
Camden police and Federal dry agents ascended on twelve houses yesterday, but were disappointed with the results which is said to be attributed to “tips” leaking out. The raid—[text continues]—confiscated three stills, forty-five gallons of alleged moonshine and seventeen barrels of mash. In one of the places, a woman, said to be owner of the premises, and three men were arrested and charged with interfering with Federal officers.
Keen desire for newspaper notoriety was blamed by Mrs. William Clark, of Camden, for the action of her sister, who last Friday “borrowed” Peggy Clark, two-and-a-half years old, and returned with the child Tuesday night. The mother of the infant yesterday caused the abduction charges to be dismissed.
4000 More Register in Camden Amid Fights
Philadelphia Inquirer —
4000 MORE REGISTER IN CAMDEN AMID FIGHTS
Total Voters for May 10 Now 36,000; Eighth Ward Has Battles
More than four thousand unregistered voters in Camden took advantage of the special registration day, which the Walsh act, governing commission form of Government, allowed to take place yesterday.
The heavy enrollment boosted the number of qualified voters who may cast their ballot for a choice of city rulers at the municipal elections on May 10 to more than 36,000.
Incidentally, this is the largest number of voters that has ever signified their intentions of participation in the city elections since the founding of Camden in 1628, according to political leaders. Jubilation was expressed by political officials of the Non-Partisan League and Republican organization, both of whom have announced its candidates for the coming election “battle.”
The Eighth ward of Camden yesterday was the scene of two near-riots which resulted in the arrest of eight men and their subsequent release after a sharp debate between Judge Samuel M. Shay and city police officials.
The Eighth ward battle was waged with “Mikey” Brown, Republican executive committeeman, aligned against Joseph “Mose” Flannery, Browns’ one-time political lieutenant and present adversary. Flannery and Joseph Scarduzio, one of his cohorts, were twice arrested during the course of the day. Flannery, with four others, was released last night at a special hearing before Criminal Court Judge Samuel M. Shay following issuance of a writ of habeas corpus.
“Mikey” Brown’s Father Dies
Philadelphia Inquirer —
“Mikey” Brown’s Father Dies
Samuel Brown, 75 years old, 629 Ferry avenue, Camden, father of Michael “Mikey” Brown, Eighth Ward Republican leader, died yesterday in Cooper Hospital following a fall down the stairs of his home.
Enlightened Support for Bill No. 10
Camden Evening Courier — — Editorial Page
ENLIGHTENED SUPPORT FOR SUPPORT FOR BILL NO. 10
Camden may well be proud of its showing in Trenton yesterday.
Camden showed the rest of the State that its leading citizens are intensely interested in civic affairs.
For did not two busloads of them journey up to the State capitol to attend the hearing on Senator Forsyth’s Bill No. 10?
Headed by that outstanding civic leader, “Mikey” Brown, of the Eighth Ward the flower of Camden’s patriotic citizenry, invaded the Senate gallery, and showed their intense interest by cheering or jeering every speaker for or against the bill.
As one of Mr. Brown’s cohorts described it to the editor of The Courier:
“Did we give them Simple Service guys the raspberry—and how.”
“This here Senator Forsyth certainly had the gang with him. ‘Mickey’ is one swell cheerleader. I yelled meself hoarse. An elegant time was had by all.
“And to think I might of missed the whole jamboree if I hadn’t bumped into Mikey at Jones soft drink, emporium when I was getting my morning glass of buttermilk.
“Hello, Foghorn,” says Mikey. “Ain’t you the guy what used to holler ‘Rags-any–old-rags’? How’s the old pipes today?”
“As good as ever when I keeps ‘em moist, but very poor when, they’re dry,” I tells Mikey.
“Come along and we’ll keep ‘em moist,” says me friend Mickey.
“And that was the way I got in on the party.
“You ask me what it was all about. Gosh, you’re ignorant for an editor.
“Senator Forsyth’s Simple Service bill to make it simpler to get jobs for guys what do their bit on election day?.”
The Courier congratulates Senator Forsyth on the enlightened support which his bill has evoked..
Bandit Given Year in Holdup of ‘Mikey’
Camden Courier-Post —
BANDIT GIVEN YEAR IN HOLDUP OF ‘MIKEY’
Eighth Ward Cafeman Reluctant Witness Against Man Who Took Ring
Convicted by a criminal court jury of stealing a $3000 diamond ring at the point of a gun from “Mikey” Brown, former Eighth ward politician, Samuel Ungaro, alias Ungardo, 28, of 3133 North Hamburg street, Philadelphia, was sentenced to one year in state prison today.
Sentence was imposed by Judge Shay after Brown, who operates a saloon at Ferry avenue and Hale street, very reluctantly testified against Ungaro.
Brown alleged that on June 15, 1929, Ungaro and several companions went to his saloon and said they wanted to rent a small garage. They asked him to help them find a suitable place. Brown averred that he got into their car and they drove him to Colestown, where he was covered by revolvers and robbed of his ring.
He testified that he later met Ungaro and the others at Second street and Washington avenue, Philadelphia, and the ring was returned to him upon payment of an unnamed sum of money. He promised to pay them an additional $75, he said.
When Brown failed to pay the $75, Ungaro and a companion allegedly went to Brown’s saloon on the night of February 22, last, and demanded payment. Brown refused and Ungaro, according to witnesses, drew a revolver. A special officer, Philip DePalo, 66, of 400 Hook street, tried to get a revolver from a drawer and was slightly wounded in the arm by Ungaro, it was testified. Ungaro was captured, but his companion escaped in a fusillade of shots.
Brown was a reluctant witness and Assistant Prosecutor William C. Gottshalk was forced to question him closely to obtain the testimony.
Ungaro was charged with highway robbery and carrying a concealed deadly weapon. Judge Shay sentenced him on the weapon charge, but suspended sentence on the robbery charge.
Three youths were sentenced to 18 months each in states’ prison by Judge Shay when they were found guilty at a trial without jury of having broken into the saloon of Ernest Steubing, Fifth and Chestnut streets. They are Harry Metzer, 1138 South Fourth street; Frank Binker, Fourth and Benson streets, and Edward Trotman, 1704 Sylvan street.
Judge Shay found them guilty of having stolen cigars, cigarettes, and a radio set, and other merchandise, valued at $300. The robbery occurred February 6.
Charles Cecil Watson, colored, of Lawnside, was sentenced to three years after being convicted of stealing $10 in cigarettes and merchandise from the cigar store and poolroom of Mrs. M. Lambs, Warwick road and Oak avenue, Lawnside, last April 12.
Slot Machine Agent Jobless After Talk With Prosecutor
Camden Courier-Post —
SLOT MACHINE AGENT JOBLESS AFTER TALK WITH PROSECUTOR
Slot machine “headquarters” for Camden county was discovered by accident yesterday in a saloon at 629 Ferry avenue, just as it was about to begin business.
The “manager” of the slot machine venture is—or until yesterday afternoon was—A. Dumont, 35, well dressed and smooth-tongued individual who exhibited not the slightest apprehension when he paid a visit to Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin—at Baldwin’s suggestion.
Dumont, notwithstanding legal obstructions, was about to embark upon his operations with all the propriety and polished shoes of a modern salesman.
It would have been a pleasant 10 minutes for any roadhouse proprietor to listen to Dumont’s description of the magnificent dividends paid by the glittering little machines with the spinning wheels—except that he didn’t get that far.
With perfect business aggressiveness, Dumont sent letters to municipal officials around the county asking the names and addresses of licensed inns and roadhouses in their territory. George Henderson, Lindenwold councilman, received one of these letters. He introduced it at a law enforcement meeting with the prosecutor Thursday night. It gave Dumont’s address as 629 Ferry avenue. Yesterday Baldwin sent County Detective Harry Ireton to investigate. He discovered the address was the Ferry avenue saloon. The detective was told Dumont was in the slot machine business but was not in. Word was left for him to call at the prosecutor’s office. Compliance was prompt.
Dumont and Baldwin had a lengthy discussion. Dumont would discuss the letter he had sent around to get lists of prospects for slot machines, advantages of one machine over another, and other intricacies of the business. Baldwin would discuss some of the laws that would put Dumont in jail if he tried to sell any of his devices. Whether the cigars were passed was not mentioned. But it was clear that Dumont had not succeeded in selling one of his profitable outfits to the prosecutor.
Dumont was represented as being a wounded war veteran. He said he was purely an agent for the Wills Novelty Company, Chicago; that he negotiated the sales and they filled the orders. He denied emphatically he had distributed any machines in the county.
In the closing words of their discussion Baldwin confided to Dumont that if any of his machines were discovered in Camden county, Dumont’s next “headquarters” would be in the county jail.
Mikey Brown Trial Delayed to Feb 14
Camden Courier-Post —
MIKEY BROWN TRIAL DELAYED TO FEB 14
Third Hearing on Election Charges Postponed by Heavy Calendar
The third trial of Mikey Brown on election violation charges, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed until February 14, It was announced Saturday by Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin.
The prosecutor stated that when he set Monday as date of trial, he did not know Judge Samuel M. Shay would conduct naturalization court on that day and would hear Orphans Court matters during the remainder of the week.
Criminal court sessions are usually begun on Monday, but Joseph Dillon, U. S. naturalization examiner, will interrogate 84 aliens before Judge Shay today. The jurist stated he has urgent Orphans Court matters which will require hearing on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, so that the first available day for the Brown trial will be Tuesday of next week, as Monday will be the legal observation of Lincoln’s birthday anniversary. The Eighth Ward Republican leader has twice been acquitted by criminal court juries of charges growing out of the 1931 primary election. The remaining indictment charges that he interfered with and prevented a legal election from being held in the Second precinct of his ward in the general election on November 3, 1931. The indictment, returned by the grand jury on December 1, 1931, also contains a count against Brown of assault and battery upon John F. McGuire, Democratic election officer. Prosecutor Baldwin stated he has two North Jersey attorneys who claim to have witnessed the alleged assault.
Baldwin announced that at the conclusion of the Brown case, he will immediately move for trial the murder indictment against Peter DeVito, alleged slayer of Justice of the Peace Giuseppe Pirella.
26 Men and 6 Women Are Arrested in Raid
Camden Evening Courier —
26 MEN AND 6 WOMEN ARE ARRESTED IN RAID
Lieutenant Herbert Anderson and patrolmen of the Fourth district, raided a house at 1812 Mulford Street early yesterday, held Hobart White, 27, colored, of that address, as the alleged proprietor, and 25 men and 6 women as material witnesses for hearing today.
White was released in $500 bail and the others in $100 bail, which was furnished by Mikey Brown and Jake Foos.
Park Vote Wasn’t Tallied In Eighth Ward Precinct
Camden Courier-Post —
PARK VOTE WASN’T TALLIED IN EIGHTH WARD PRECINCT
Only District in County Which Failed to Record Total Vote
OFFICIALS LET IT GO MINUS CORRECTION
Testimony at the trial yesterday of Mikey Brown, Eighth ward Republican leader, that he stuffed ballot boxes on the parks bond issue question at the primary of May 19, 1931, revealed that the second precinct of the Eighth ward, in which he was a challenger, was the only voting district in the county which failed to make a return on the parks question.
With no proof of any count being made, spectators at the trial are anticipating introduction of the precinct ballot box in evidence on resumption of the trial this morning.
Whether the ballots in the box had been impounded could not be learned last night, but statements of Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin and City Clerk Frank S. Albright indicated the box never had been impounded.
“All ballots are retained by me in conformance with the law, for a period of two years after they are cast. The ballot box is still in the possession of my office so far as I know,” said City Clerk Albright. “Under the law, if the number of ballots in any district is sufficient to have changed the (Continued on Page Eight)
Park Vote Untallied In Brown’s Precinct (Continued from Page One)
result of an election, it is the duty of the county clerk, not receiving a count from a district, to obtain a court order and have the ballots counted. I know there was no tally in the second precinct of the Eighth ward on the parks question, nor did the statement of results signed by the two Republican members of the precinct election board show any proof of a count on the question.
“There was a controversy over some ballots some time ago, and several boxes in my possession were removed by order of the court but I do not think the ballot box from the second precinct of the Eighth ward was among them.”
County Clerk Charles F. Wise declared last night he was not certain whether any tally had been certified by him to the Board of Freeholders on the park question vote in the second precinct of the Eighth.
“However, I’ll investigate this morning and find out,” he said. “When ballots in question in any election are not enough to change the result, there is no necessity to have a tally made. I don’t recall exactly what happened in this case. I ordered no tally, that I know.”
Prosecutor Baldwin declared he made no attempt to obtain any ballots cast in the precinct for introduction as evidence.
“I suppose the ballots had been destroyed so the boxes they were in could be used at the succeeding general election,” he said. “As far as I know the ballots were not impounded, because a succeeding election had been held before Brown was indicted. Brown was not indicted until April of 1932, so there were no grounds on which to safeguard the box.”
Baldwin Asks for Conviction of Ward Boss Despite Denial
Camden Courier-Post —
BALDWIN ASKS FOR CONVICTION OF WARD BOSS DESPITE DENIAL
Downtown Leader Says He Had No Interest in Parks Vote
2 WITNESSES TESTIFY TO 485 WRONGLY CAST
Case Before Judge Shay Draws Large Crowds to Court House
A jury in Camden Criminal Court this morning will be given the case of Mikey Brown, Eighth Ward Republican leader, to decide whether he stuffed 485 ballots into a second precinct box at the primary election of May 19, 1931.
On the stand for 13 minutes late yesterday before Judge Samuel M. Shay and the jury, Mikey denied the charge, testified to by two Democratic election board officers and sagely informed the court that he had “no interest in ballot boxes.”
“I got nothing to do with parks. Of what interest to me is parks,” he answered when asked if he stuffed any ballots on the $3,500,000 parks bond issue in the second precinct box of the Eighth Ward.
The referendum on parks was in conjunction with the regular primary election, and was carried.
His denial of ballot-stuffing was corroborated by several witnesses, one of them being Cornelius Rose, 861 Van Hook street, who, with Brown, was a Republican challenger at the election.
When the defense’s final witness, Herbert Hicks, could not be located, the trial was adjourned until 10 a.m. today.
The state “rested” its case at 1:52 p.m. and defense counsel made an unsuccessful bid for a directed verdict of acquittal.
When Judge Samuel M. Shay ordered the trial to continue, the defense then called as its first witness (Continued on Page Eight)
Grand Jury Probes 8th Ward Stuffing
Camden Evening Courier —
GRAND JURY PROBES 8TH WARD STUFFING
Fifth District Box Had Too Many Ballots, Prosecutor Told
Another investigation into the mysteries of Eighth Ward elections was begun yesterday when the April grand jury probed ballot-box stuffing in the Fifth District at the May 16, primary.
Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin requested the investigation after he “couldn’t make head nor tail” of the fact that 25 ballots remained in the box even after 232 Republican ballots the number of persons of that party recorded as voting had been counted.
Although unconfirmed, it was declared that all of the ballots were marked for Edmund A. Walsh, incumbent, who defeated Mikey Brown for election to the G.O.P. Committee.
It is understood the prosecutor pointed out that the ballots were in bundles of five or six, and apparently had not been cast singly.
Baldwin learned that the extra ballots were not counted by the election board, each member of which was called to the grand jury room yesterday afternoon. All expressed ignorance of how the ballots could have been placed in the box, it is understood.
When Baldwin was informed of the mystery he personally inspected the box, which has been impounded in the office of City Clerk Frank S. Albright.
“I couldn’t make head nor tail of it, so I presented the case to the grand jury,” Baldwin said. He refused to comment further.
Mikey Brown Says Jury Has Plenty To Probe In Eighth Ward Voting
Camden Evening Courier —
Principal Figure in Many Battles Welcomes Quiz
‘Stuffing’ of Ballots Reported in Fifth and First Precincts
RUMORS ARE CHECKED
“The prosecutor and the grand jury have plenty to investigate in this ward concerning the last primary election.”
Mikey Brown, central figure in many Eighth Ward election squabbles and thrice accused in election irregularities, had that to say yesterday when informed that Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin and the April grand jury is investigating alleged ballot box stuffing in the ward at the last primary, May 16.
Disclosure of ballot box stuffing in the Fifth precinct of the ward, which the prosecutor said he asked the grand jury investigate was followed by reports yesterday that similar irregularities prevailed in the First precinct at the primary, and possibly in other districts.
Reports Checked
In extending his probe of ward political conditions, Baldwin said he is checking reports that a Brown challenger at the May election had refused to let the First precinct election board count what he declared were “stuffed ballots.”
The challenger is reported at close of the polling place to have said as he lifted a ballot box for the election board and spectators to see:
“There are ballots in this box that don’t belong there. They cannot be counted. I won’t permit it. And remember, Mikey Brown didn’t stuff this box today, as he had been accused falsely of doing at previous elections. Mikey wasn’t in this polling place, so you can’t blame him,”
Brown had been three times in Camden County Criminal Court for ballot box stuffing and other alleged election irregularities. He was exonerated twice, and there was a disagreement in the jury in the third case. At the May primary, he opposed Edmund A. Walsh in a contest for Republican county committeeman from the Eighth ward, but was defeated. Walsh was re-elected.
Asked what he knew about the latest Eighth ward situation, Brown said:
“All I can say is that the prosecutor and the grand jury will have plenty to investigate pertaining to the May 16 primary in the ward.”
Box Not Impounded
The first precinct ballot box has not been impounded by City Clerk Frank S. Albright, as was the case of the box of the fifth precinct. Baldwin said he was checking rumors one of the first precinct boxes contained about 50 or 60 stuffed ballots. Baldwin said that if the situation be found by him to be as reported, he will request the grand jury to summon witnesses.
Baldwin said he also is checking reports that the names of dead persons were “voted” at the ward primary.
Mikey Brown in Court on Business Conflict
Camden Courier-Post —
MIKEY BROWN IN COURT ON BUSINESS CONFLICT
When Mikey Brown, former stormy petrel of Eighth ward politics, moved to Runnemede recently he thought his appearances in Camden courts were over. But it was not to be.
Mike, who is engaged in the fertilizer business, appeared before Judge Joseph Varbalow in District Court yesterday on complaint of Ross J. Brown, of Mendenhall, Pa., near Villanova.
The Mendenhall Brown claims that on November 14, 1934, he paid the Runnemede Brown $712 for fertilizer. Mikey delivered $462 worth, and refused to deliver the rest, according to the complainant. Ross Brown demanded his $250 worth of fertilizer or the money back.
Mikey Brown, in a counter-claim, said Ross owes him $489 for fertilizer he delivered and for which he never was paid.
Judge Varbalow dismissed the counter-claim and gave Ross Brown a judgment for the $250.
The Browns, incidentally, are not related.
Blaze Destroys Wooden Garage
Camden Courier-Post —
BLAZE DESTROYS WOODEN GARAGE
Fire Friday night destroyed a one-story wooden garage at Center and Master sts., once known as Mike Brown’s Stables for its late owner, a Republican leader of the 8th Ward.
Engine Companies 1, 3, 8 and 10 and No. 2 Truck under Third District Chief Joseph Guarino extinguished the fire. Cause and extent of damage were undetermined.