Charlie’s Club

Charlie’s Club (1942-1972), 2049 Mead Street, was supposed to have been the first place in Racine to serve pizza. I started doing research on Charlie’s Club and found these amazing pictures by Matt Binetti. If someone ever made a book about the Italian immigrants who settled in Lakeside, near Mead Street and Racine Street, I would buy it instantly.

Update, 11/27/2016: According to newspaperarchive.com, Nilo’s on 16th Street started advertising pizza in 1947, and Charley’s Club started advertising pizza in 1948.

JPEG 0004

From left to right: unknown, Frank Casciaro, unknown

JPEG 0005

JPEG 0105

Nick & Edith Binetti’s wedding party; photo taken outside of Charles’ Tavern. Nick and Edith (Christiano) Benetti were married on February 14, 1942.

placemat

Charlie's Club advertisement from 1954 Racine phonebook

Charlie’s Club advertisement from 1954 Racine phonebook

Charlie's Club "13", Racine Journal Times, 6/27/1941

Charlie’s Club “13”, Racine Journal Times, 6/27/1941

Charlies Club on Mead Street … looks like date on photo says March 1970

Charlie's Club
2049 Mead St. Racine, Wis.
Good for 25¢ in trade
Charlie’s Club token from Doug Chaussee
Charlie’s Club, June 1969 from Doug Chaussee

4 thoughts on “Charlie’s Club

  1. I can still remember having a cheese pizza on a Friday night after the CYO dance. It was either at Charley.s or a Hamburger or two at Wimpey’s. It’s hard to forget places like these.-The Best of times were spent there.

  2. Am I remembering correctly that there was a side entrance, sort of a porch, where you picked up pizza to go? This would have been in the 50s.

  3. My family had Houmann&Son’s Fishmarket when it was a family fish market. I can remember delivering fish —late on Friday nights with my Dad to the 1970 picture. Houmann’s often delivered late Fridays to taverns running out of fish for their fishfrys.

Leave a Reply to Sandi Magle Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *