Danny DeCarlo, IA Club

Talk of the Town

Photo Credit: Wayne Becker, Dave Zerbe Studio of Photography

The Talk of the Town –

Danny DeCarlo, IA Club

By Karen L. Chandler

The new year brought a new start to the Italian American Club. Daniel DeCarlo, Jr., the President and Head Steward and great-grandson of founder Donato Ciervo, is rebranding and reimagining the historic spot to connect with the community, welcome members of all nationalities into an exclusive atmosphere, and spread the love of friends and family as the original members intended.

WRA: The Italian American Club has quite a history.

Will you fill us in?

Danny: The club started in 1935 with a whole lot of Italian families who got together to start a club because, before the club, they would go from house to house and have a get-together. As families grew, it wasn’t feasible to be in people’s homes and they wanted a club where they could gather.

WRA: When did you first become involved and how did that evolve?

Danny: I was asked to become a board member probably when I was 21 and I was just a helper for all those years. I got more involved with the past president, my cousin, Albert Ciervo, helping out with the club. Three years ago, Albert moved to Philadelphia, and I took over the presidency so the club could go on. The club was looking at being closed when Albert left.

WRA: Despite the popularity of the club, did you think it needed to change with the times?

Danny: It did. It went back and forth over the years. There were many years where it was treated as almost like a fire company type of drinking atmosphere. When Albert took over, he made it more of an exclusive club but it went back for a short period of time to not being exclusive. We are bringing it back to exclusive again.

WRA: How are you making that happen and how will it affect your customers?

Danny: Now we have an application for membership in place which we didn’t have before, increased membership fees, and corporate memberships. We have Jessica Prutzman and J Prutzman Enterprises to help us with the rebranding and interior design that had to happen in the club to make it that exclusive spot. We put a granite bar top in, reupholstered furniture, painted, and added new lighting to bring it up to date.

The second floor was never utilized before. It just became a storage facility, so we cleaned it out, refurbished hardwood floors, and I had a local artist, Tim Riegel, paint murals in one of the two rooms. It is a usable space that I can use for overflow on busy weekends where people can go and relax or use for great, secluded private parties. We have electronic access cards for members who used to just buzz to get into the club. That makes it become more exclusive and makes it part of ownership. We have a new logo and a website. We’ll be putting member profiles on our website blog so people can read about who is coming to the club.

WRA: What are some of your favorite menu items?

Danny: We have a new cocktail menu, with the help of Jim Keller of Go Fish, and we named it after some of the local and national mobsters just to keep it interesting. Two of

those options are the Carlo Gambino, a mix of Johnny Walker Black and Amaretto, and the Tony Moran with fig-infused Jim Beam Bourbon, Cocchi Americano, and Averne Amaro. We were mostly a beer and liquor place and now we’re getting into wines. And Cory Brodhead from The Hitching Post helped develop the wine list. I wanted to keep it local and Jim and Cory are both members.

There will be a different hot item every day. We are known for our Italian sandwiches, homemade meatballs which can be colossal or normal size, and homemade marinara sauce. WRA: How is a club run differently from a bar?

Danny: It was different to learn how clubs work. There are by-laws that have to be followed. In the bar business, I had the final say in what happened, now with a club you have a board and every year there are elections.

WRA: What is special about Italian cuisine?

Danny: Italian cuisine is special because Italians’ whole lives revolve around food. The kitchen is a special place in the house and it’s the heartbeat of the home. It’s where everyone talks and where the young ones learn the recipes. Being Italian is talking about food, eating food, and everything is food. We all miss our grandmoms.

WRA: Is that part of the atmosphere that keeps people coming to the club?

Danny: I think so. It’s all about friends, family, and conversation, having a drink and eating. It’s an extension of the home. Years ago the club became home away from home. They spoke the Italian language here, which obviously is no longer the case. It was a place they had of their own and down through the years it’s still family and friends.

WRA: What’s coming up as far as events?

Danny: We just finished up New Year’s Eve which was really successful and Valentine’s Day with live music for two nights and homemade chocolate, whiskey, wine, and dessert pairings. Live music may be every few weeks and we are going to keep that local.

WRA: As a restaurant owner, why was taking over at the

IA Club important to you?

Danny: My great-grandfather started it, and I was also close to my cousin, Albert, who was like a brother to me. He wanted the club to go on and he tapped me on the shoulder and wanted me to take it on because I have a 28-year history in bartending and bar managing. He thought if anyone could do it, it would be me.

WRA: Will the club have an increased community presence?

Danny: One of the reasons the club was started was to support charities. We are going to have more fundraising events to give back to the community. I have always been a big supporter of St. Jude’s Hospital: that’s near and dear to me. This past year we did two fundraisers for the Animal Rescue League, and there are always different people who need help. March’s fundraiser is to support the dancers from the Yocum Institute for Arts Education who are taking part in Dancing with the Stars. We are also offering food and beverage discounts to our first responders, seniors, veterans, and food and beverage workers.

WRA: Why is your location in West

Reading important to you?

Danny: We don’t want to be considered an after-hours club. I’d like people to come to our club for a cocktail before or after eating dinner at our great local eateries. Near and dear to our hearts are club members at Mom Chaffee’s, Willoughby’s, Go Fish! Seafood Market & Sushi Bar, and West Reading Tavern.

IA Club 243 Chestnut Street, West Reading IAClub712@yahoo.com Open seven days a week, 5:00 p.m. to 2 a.m.