Introduction
WILLIAM FRANCIS LARGE was born to William F. and Mary A. Magee Large in New Jersey on October 12, 1912. The 1915 New Jersey census shows the family living at 940 Linden Street. William Large was the second of nine children, coming after sister Emily. The elder Large worked at a radio factory, probably that of RCA Victor, when the census was taken in 1930. The family then lived at 134 North 11th Street, just off Cooper Street, near the railroad bridge that crosses the Cooper River above Federal Street.
William Large joined the Camden Police force on August 22, 1940, along with Stanley Zuchowicz and Donald Watson. William H. Neale followed them onto the force two days later. Both Neale and Watson would go on to serve as Chief of Police in Camden.
By 1947 William Large Sr. had passed away. William Large Jr. then lived with his mother Mary, brothers Philip, James, and Richard, at 729 Mickle Street. By 1956 he had started a family and moved to 2906 Buren Avenue in Cramer Hill. He would remain in this home into the late 1970s.
William Large served with the Camden Police force and in the Camden County Prosecutors office, as did his younger brothers Philip J. Large and James Joseph Large. In August of 1964 he succeeded Russell Maurer as Chief of Detectives in the Prosecutor’s Office, a position that his brother Philip had been slated for prior to being diagnosed with ALS near the end of 1963. Philip Large passed away in September of 1964. The fourth brother, Richard Large, owned a bar at 213 North 6th Street in Camden known as The Grille from the late 1950s until 1971. There were also four sisters, Emily, Irma, Marie, and Helen.
A resident of Camden to the end, William F. Large Jr. passed away January 11, 1995.
Police Raids Net Pair on Gaming Count
Camden Courier-Post —
A Pennsauken husband and wife were arrested Monday afternoon by county detectives for allegedly taking horse bets and numbers plays in a South Camden cigar store which they operated.
The couple was identified as Theresa Tiole, 49, and her husband, Frank J., of 47th st. near River rd.
Large said the woman admitted taking bets in the store for the last two years.
The couple was continued in bail this morning for further hearing before Municipal Judge Marino Tuesday. He put off the arraignment to allow them time to get an attorney.
They are charged with possession of number slips and bookmaking.
Home, Store, Raided
Simultaneous raids were made at 2.30 p. m. on the Pennsauken home and the store on Broadway near Emerald st., County Det. Capt. Large said.
Evidence of bookmaking and number slips and approximately $50 cash was found in the store by County Dets. James McLaughlin and William Large, and City Det. Walter Zimolong, they reported.
Capt. Large, with County Dets. James Schaub and Harry DeVore, and Det. Norris Fisher, of Pennsauken, arrested Mrs. Tiole at her home. While there, Capt. Large said, the husband came home and was taken into custody.
RCA Worker
Tiole is employed at RCA, Capt. Large said. The woman, questioned in the prosecutor’s office and confronted with the evidence, readily admitted taking the plays during the last two years, the detective captain added.
County Det. Chief Dube said the store was described as dingy and dirty. There was little stock in the place, he said, which served only as a “front” for the betting operations.
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office
Front Row left to right: Frank Senatore, Willie Guidotti, Anthony Bezich, Pros. A.D. Bigley, Al Scarduzio, Dominick DiBart, Dominick Caruso, Isiah Steinberg. 2nd row (and those behind that row): Jerry Banks, Bill Eisenberg, Ed Kitlas, Harry Slattery, Harris Berman, Bill Reeves, Jerry Cohen, Tony DiMaggio, Capt Patrick Carr, Steve Robinson, Chief Bill Large, Sam Natal, Capt. James Large, Franz DeNie, Harry DeVore, Joe Carmen, Vince Wall, Fred Block, Louis Rodriguez, Bill Kelly, Estel Brown, Charles Cohen, Tom Mitchell, Tom Stuebing, Tom Schules. 3rd Row (and those behind that row): Bob DePersia, Ginger Horner, Fran Conniff, Sue DiMaggio, Alice Palumbo, Doris Logan, Clare Sylvestro, Celia May, Caroline Migliaccio, Jo Sosa, Michele Thomas, Alice Adams, Mary Didio, Sue Weisenfeld, Virginia Roberts, Betty Greene, Charlene Dyer, Ira Back. 4th Row: Jim Jackson, Joe Perry, Walt Haver, Leonard Dryer, Frank Werner, Bill O’Brien, Vic Sarubbi, Al Malloie, Charlie Weber, Joe Price.
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office
Front Row left to right: ?, ?, Anthony Bezich (sans toupee), Scarduzio, Shusted (?). Middle row: Bill Large, Pat Carr, ?, Doris Gohagen(?), …Bill Kelly might be on the end. Back row: Jim Large, Harry Devore, ?, Gene A., Luis Rodriguez, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?
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.