An very interesting and detailed e-mail from Nancy Pigliacelli Sinclair was written in such detail that the only way to do it justice was to to let Nancy letter and her follow-ups speak for themselves. This page doesn't have much pictures YET, but does link to a number of other pages on the site. ENJOY!!! 

Phil Cohen
March 2009

Salvatore Pigliacelli was born in Italy and came to America in 1907. First settling in Pennsylvania, he married around 1914, and in 1916 his wife Catherina bore him a son Joseph. By 1918 The family had moved to Camden, settling at 310 Cleveland Terrace, a small court that lay near South 2nd Street and Stevens Streets, close to the Pennsylvania Railroad yards where Salvatore Pigliacelli was employed as a coach cleaner. A daughter, Theresa was born in 1918.

Of the neighbors, one well worth noting is Nicholas Manzi, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for acts of bravery while serving with the United States Army in France during World War I. The family was still on Cleveland Terrace when the Census was taken in January of 1920. Later that year they purchased a home at 317 Royden Street, where sons Anthony and Frank were born. By the spring of 1930 Salvatore Pigliacelli was working at the Victor Talking Machine Company factory.

Grand-daughter Nancy Pigliacelli picks up the story:

In 1920, my grandparents, Salvatore and Catherina Pigliacelli purchased their home at 317 Royden Street.  My grandfather, Salvatore, worked at Snellenberg's Department Store on Market Street between 11th and 12th Street. They had four children: Joseph, Theresa, Anthony (who was born at 317 Royden Street in 1921) and Frank (who was also born there, in 1923).  Frank is my father. After his brothers and sisters got married and moved, Frank remained at the house with his parents while he worked at Galsworthy as a wholesale liquor salesman.  

In 1952, Salvatore Pigliacelli, my grandfather, died of cancer at 66 years of age.  On February 20, 1954, my father married Louise DePasquale of 3026 North Merrimac Road in the Fairview section of Camden. After their honeymoon in Miami, they moved into 317 Royden Street with my grandmother.  In January, 1955, they had me, then my sister Susan in January, 1957.  We lived right down the street from DiRenzo's Grocery Store.  My Uncle Tony married Denny DiRenzo's neice, Stella Campese in January, 1944. And we are still close to the DiRenzos.  

In May, 1960, I was asked to carry the blessed mother's crown for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church May Procession.  The procession took us throughout the streets of Camden.  Maria DeLuca was the May Queen, and she crowned the Blessed Mother statue.  In the summers, every year, there was a bazaar on the grounds of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School.  In 1959 and in 1960, I was selected to be the lead baton twirler at the bazaar, because I was the youngest in the baton class. 

I only lived in Camden from 1955 when I was born, to 1960, when I was five, but I have very vivid memories, and happy memories of those days.  I started kindergarten in September, 1960 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.  My teacher's name was Miss Grace.  She had polio, which was a major disease in those days. 

In November, 1960, my parents built a custom home in Pennsauken.  The builder was my mother's uncle, Peter Tocco, also from Camden. Uncle Pete died in the early 1970's. He would have been over 110 if he were still alive.

  My grandmother sold her home at 317 Royden Street and moved with us to Pennsauken in November, 1960. 

My father told me that the Roma Cafe moved from Royden Street to West and Clinton into the former Union of Brotherly Love Building and changed their name to RJ Lounge.  The owners were Reds Cerasano and John Meloni. My father can tell you all about Camden.  He's 85 now, but, still mentally and physically fine.  He told me about the RJ Lounge and Roma Cafe. 

I printed out your section on Royden Street for him.  He loved it.  But, he can give you so much info about Camden, cause he lived there from 1923 to 1960, and continued to work there until the 1980's.  He was a wholesale liquor salesman at Galsworthy at 7th and Pine for so long!  He just retired in 2006--he was 83 when he finally retired.  His company was bought over the years [it still exists in 2009 as R&R Marketing- PMC] and moved away from Camden in the 1970's.  But in the olden days--he had every stop in Camden.