Arthur
"Gyp"
Del Duca


 

ARTHUR "GYP" DEL DUCA was the son of Ottavio Del Duca. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1893, records vary as to whether it was in January, April, or November of that year. He was one of 14 children, six to Ottavio's first wife, Carmella, and after her passing, eight to his second wife Pasquelina Gaudelli. The Del Ducas apparently left Philadelphia before World War I.

On June 5, 1917 Arthur Del Duca registered for the draft. He was then single, living in Landisville, near Vineland, New Jersey, and worked as a bartender. He served in the United States Army during World War I.

Brother Garfield Del Duca had come to Camden by 1917. The City Directory for that year shows him operating a pool hall at 701 South 3rd Street. By 1920 Pasqualina Del Duca had moved to Camden, settling in at 309 Stevens Street. Arthur Del Duca first appears in Camden City Directories in 1923. He was by then married, and operating a restaurant at 201 Stevens Street. Despite Prohibition being in force, it his highly probable that he was serving alcohol as well. 

Arthur Del Duca does not appear in the 1924 City Directory. It is possible that he an his wife Jennie were making their home in Gloucester City by this time. City Directories from the 1920s show that Garfield Del Duca at 674 Fairview Street, not far from the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards with brothers Anthony, Louis and Richard, and news accounts of the time indicate that they were running a speakeasy and that Arthur was heavily involved. Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s this branch of the large Del Duca clan were having issues with the law.

The 1930 Census shows Arthur and Jennie Del Duca living in Gloucester City on 12th Avenue with their daughter Jennie. In June of 1932 Arthur Del Duca was sentenced to two years in the New Jersey State Penitentiary after being convicted of running a disorderly house. After getting out of prison he relocated to Salem, New Jersey. Unfortunately he did once again run afoul of the law. The 1940 Census shows Arthur Del Duca, by now a widower, as an inmate at the Federal penitentiary at Atlanta, Georgia. His cellmate apparently was Felix Bocchicchio, a notorious crime figure in Camden who gained far greater fame after his release as the manger of world heavyweight boxing champion Jersey Joe Walcott.

By the spring of 1942 Arthur Del Duca had moved to Salem, New Jersey where he apparently spent the rest of his days. Arthur Del Duca died on November 18, 1969 and was buried at Woodstown in Salem County, New Jersey.


World War I Draft Card

Camden Courier-Post
June 2, 1932

Arthur "Gyp" Del Duca
Clifford A. Baldwin
Charles V. Dickinson
John Kowal
George Frost
Anthony Fields
Richard Powers
David Hickman
Austin H. Swackhammer
Fairview Street


Camden Courier-Post
June 2, 1932

Arthur "Gyp" Del Duca
Austin H. Swackhammer
Josephine Comatis
Fairview Street
James Russell Carrow
Walter Smith - Harry Kyler
Dorothy Davis

 


Camden Courier-Post * June 8, 1932


...continued...
...continued...
Arthur "Gyp" Del Duca - Charles Fanelli aka "Charlie Mack"
Austin H. Swackhamer - James Russell Carrow - Gene R. Mariano - Rocco Palese
Fairview Street - Penn Street - Clifford A. Baldwin - David Visor
Joseph Weska - Broadway - Kaighn Avenue - Matthew  Fanelli aka Battling Mack

World War I Draft Card

RETURN TO CAMDEN'S INTERESTING PEOPLE PAGE

RETURN TO DVRBS.COM HOME PAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My great grandfather was Ottavio DelDuca. He was married to Camella who bore him 6 children. After Camella's death my great grandmother Pasquelina Gaudelli and Ottavio had 8 more children, one being my grandmother Mary DelDuca Mungioli. My grandmother had a brother Garfield who also had a son Garfield. The Garfield Del Duca that died in Bridgeton in 1968 is the son. He died on the witness stand during the trial of the robber that held him up at gunpoint and shot him. They never could remove the bullit which traveled to his heart while he was testifying, killing him immediately. I was 14 when "little" Gar passed. Some of the other Del Duca's were Eddie, Arthur, Agostino, Luigi, Richard, Daisy, and Tony. Since Ottavio had 2 families and because I wasn't born yet I don't know all their names.