In the late 1940s, some Irish-American fella by the name of Joseph Halleron started dating and Italian-American girl named Inez Matarrese. At that time, he was still living in Jersey City, while she resided in lower Manhattan. So as a compromise, they used to meet in Hoboken, and the best place to meet in Hoboken was this waterfront joint called The Clam Broth House.
In 2004, as the building that housed that establishment was being demolished, I was able to procure a brick from the doomed edifice and present it to them as a memento.
The Clam Broth House was no Berlin Wall but it meant a lot to me, since without it, I mightn’t be here right now. That lovely couple mentioned above went on to get married, become parents, and eventually grandparents – My grandparents.
This story is but a footnote in the voluminous history of The Clam Broth House. Woodrow Wilson saw off Doughboys from its balcony during World War I, and greeted them when they returned as if he were saving their barstool.
Dolly Sinatra, Frank’s “Ma,” was said to hang out there on Friday nights, and Marlon Brando used the place to get into character for On the Waterfront – drinks were on Elia Kazan.
The restaurant, along with the Cadillac Bar and Boo-Boo’s Lounge, packed ’em in for decades, but neglect for the upkeep of the structure resulted in the building’s demise. In May 2003 it was labeled structurally unsound and the doors were shut as it awaited the wrecking ball.
At that time, however, the future of The Clam Broth House was to said to be bright. The new building would house the historical landmark and its august status among Hoboken’s social scene restored. In a July 2005 interview, building owner Danny Tattoli told The Hoboken Reporter‘s Tom Jennemann, “My goal is to get [the restaurant] back to the way it was 15 to 20 years ago,” adding, “I remember how it was growing up then and that’s what we want.”
Sadly, according to a published report, a dispute between Tattoli and local businessman Michael Acciardi, who owns the building’s all-important liquor license, now puts the future of The Clam Broth House in question. Acciardi is currently looking into other locations for the establishment, even the possibility of relocating to Atlantic City.
Having lived in the area for over a decade, I’ve seen Hoboken lose more than its share of character. Unique, distinctive small businesses that once drew people to Hoboken continue to be exiled off Main Street, replaced by cell phone stores, chain stores, and bank branches.
Imagine seeing The Clam Broth House end up as a Kinko’s or Commerce Bank across the street from the other Commerce Bank (see North Fork on 3rd & Washington) or God forbid an Applebee’s.
Ideally, a little forethought in concert with a respect for the past will eventually overcome any shortsighted avarice and rectify the situation, leaving The Clam Broth House where it belongs – on the waterfront in Hoboken, New Jersey.
At any rate, I’m glad I got my grandparents that brick, since it at this point it may end up being one of the last remnants of The Clam Broth House – along with their story and countless tales like it from those whose lives were pointed in one direction or another by the famous finger on the sign of the venerable establishment.
Christopher M. Halleron, freelance writer/bitter bartender, writes a biweekly humor column for The Hudson Current and websites in the New York Metro area. He spends a lot of his time either in front of or behind the bar in Hoboken, New Jersey where his tolerance for liquor grows stronger as his tolerance for society is eroded on a daily basis. Feel free to drop him a line at c_halleron@yahoo.com.