The bar at 1102 South 4th Street, the corner of South 4th and Chestnut Street, went by a number of names over the years, and was expanded from a bar into a nightclub as time went by. The bar dates back to at least 1887, when John J. Brown was the proprietor. His son, William D. Brown, was Camden's City Clerk in the 1920s and early 1930s.

At the time of America's entry into World War I, Daniel Lamb was the proprietor. The bar was sold in the 1920s to the Corda family. Anibale Corda was listed as the proprietor from 1926 through 1929, when Luigi Corda took over, he operated the bar through 1931. After Prohibition was repealed in 1934 Marsilio Daziani acquired the business, and operated it under the name of Monte Carlo Cafe for a few years, before moving to a building in the next block at 1016 South 4th Street. By 1937 Luigi Cinaglia purchased the property, operating the bar and living with his family on the second floor of the building. His son Pete later operated the bar as Pete's Cafe. During the Cinaglia family's tenure as owners of the bar, it became quite well known in Camden for its sandwiches. The Cinaglia family operated the bar through 1964. 

The bar appears in the 1966 as Joe's Cafe. The ethnic makeup of the neighborhood, which had a strong Italian-American presence prior to the time of the riots of 1967 and 1971, had changed by the 1970s. 1102 South 4th Street was by this time known as Baron's Lounge. At some pint in the late 1970s or 1980s the property next door on 4th Street was acquired, and the two buildings were merged, providing the bar a dance floor on the first floor and and a second floor lounge. A woman named Pauline became the owner during this period. She leased the bar out in the mid-1980s. Operating as the Phase 2 during the 1980s, 1102-1104 South 4th Street became a popular nightspot until a shooting forced the bar to close in the late 1980s. Pauline reopened briefly under her own name, prior to selling the property.

In the early 1990s new ownership gave the bar a total makeover. The new owners, Moses Battiste and a fellow named Sid, completely remodeled the property, and renamed it the Cotton Club. Despite the protests of most of the neighbors, the bar was allowed to reopen, in part due to apparently undue influence on the part of certain parties within Camden's Regular Democrat Organization. While the Cotton Club operated quite profitably throughout most of the 1990s, it attracted a young and increasingly violent crowd, and after a series of shootings the bar closed after the 2001 murder of Jermaine Glasco.

The Cotton Club reopened for brief periods occasionally after that incident, but for the most part the doors remained shut. As of December 2013, no one had attempted to operate a business of any sort out of this building in at least 10 years. 

Cotton Club

October 2002

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Camden County Prosecutor Lee A. Solomon and Camden City Police Chief Robert Allenbach reported that Jermaine Glasco, M/ 28, of the 2000 block of Broadway, Camden, was shot multiple times last night. At approximately 11:33 P.M. on January 3, 2001, Camden Police received reports of gunshots fired outside the Cotton Club bar located at Fourth and Chestnut Streets. Upon arrival, police located the body of the deceased at Seventh and Chestnut Street. It is believe that Glasco was shot at a location near the bar, and sometime after the shooting he was dragged by a motor vehicle for an approximate distance of a half-mile to the location the body was found. The investigation into the identity of the shooter(s), and the driver of and type of vehicle, which dragged the victim, is continuing. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact either Camden County Prosecutor's Office Investigator William Gonzalez at (856) 225-8400 or Camden City Police Detective Eric White at (856) 757-7400.

Camden County Prosecutor Lee A. Solomon and Camden City Police Chief Robert Allenbach reported that Earic S. Billue, M/25, of the 3000 block of Carman Street, Camden. Billue, along with his attorney, surrendered to authorities this morning at the Camden Police administration Building. He is charged with Murder in connection with the January 3, 2001, shooting death of Jermaine Glasco. He will be arraigned before Camden County Superior Court Judge Samuel D. Natal at 1:30 P.M. this afternoon. Jermaine Glasco, M/ 28, of the 2000 block of Broadway, Camden, was shot multiple times at approximately 11:33 P.M. on January 3, 2001. Camden Police received reports of gunshots fired outside the Cotton Club bar located at Fourth and Chestnut Streets. Upon arrival, police located the body of the deceased at Seventh and Chestnut Streets. Allegedly, Billue shot Glasco near the bar, and then ran over the victim with his vehicle, dragging the victim for an approximate distance of a half-mile. All persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law .

Shooter will be sentenced March 12

A city resident convicted of fatally shooting a man outside a South Camden nightclub two years ago faces up to 30 years in state prison. Earic S. Billue, 27, of Carman Street, will be sentenced for aggravated manslaughter on March 12

Witnesses told jurors Billue fired several shots at the victim - Jermain Glasco, 28, of Broadway - outside the Cotton Club at 4th and Chestnut streets on Jan. 4, 2001.Billu then got into his car and drove over Glasco, dragging him with the car, witnesses said Glasco's body was found at 7th and Chestnut.

A medical examiner's report showed Glasco died of bullet wounds, not from injuries suffered when he was struck and dragged by the car. Billue had been free on $200,000 bail.

Upon receiving the jury's verdict Friday afternoon, Superior Court Judge John T. McNeill III granted a request from Assistant Prosecutor Michele Morgera and revoked Billue's bail