Latin Casino
Encyclopedia
The Latin Casino was a Philadelphia-area nightclub
just across the Delaware River
in Cherry Hill
. The Latin was famous for showcasing entertainers like Cherry Hill Estates neighbors Bobby Darin
, Al Martino
, and Frankie Avalon
(whose family owned "King of Pizza" diagonally across Route 70), Richard Pryor
(who recorded his 1975
album ...Is It Something I Said?
there), Frank Sinatra
, The Temptations
, The Supremes
, Tom Jones
, Don Rickles
, Pat Cooper
, and Engelbert Humperdinck
. On September 29, 1975 while singing "Lonely Teardrops" (Just after singing the lyrics "my heart is crying, crying") Jackie Wilson
suffered a massive heart attack
while playing a Dick Clark
show, falling head-first to the stage. Wilson was taken to Cherry Hill Hospital where he was coma
tose; he lived in a nursing home until his death at age 49. Tom Jones was also once jumped outside the back door following one of his performances by two fanatical Italian women going by the name Canni. Mr. Jones was not hurt but the ladies were banned from 'The Latin' and from any Tom Jones performance.
The celebrities & orchestra players performing at The Latin often drank at the Rickshaw Inn
lobby bar long past the official 2:00AM "last call" mandated by the NJ ABC; but this was winked at by local officials.
The supper club was originally located at Juniper and Walnut Streets in center city Philadelphia; frustrated by Pennsylvania's restrictive liquor laws and conflicts with city officials, in 1960 the owners moved it five miles east to a new building on Route 70 in Delaware Township, New Jersey (soon to be renamed Cherry Hill), diagonally across the highway and the Seashore Line
tracks from Garden State Park
. John Orland was the Stage Manager when The Latin first opened. He started as a gang boss unloading the sets, props and costumes for Steve Parker's Holliday in Japan, was quickly promoted to a follow spot operator, and within a few weeks became the House Stage Manager. Some of the early acts were Patti Page
, and comedian Sammy Shore, who opened for Johnny Mathis
.
In 1978, with nightclubs in a general state of decline and competition from casinos in Atlantic City imminent, the Latin Casino was converted to a disco called Emerald City that boasted a neon light show over the dance floor that cost in excess of one million dollars. After a couple years Emerald City shifted from disco to rock club, hosting major and acts of the time such as The Rolling Stones
, Madonna
, Dire Straits
and Prince
on his debut tour. The band The Cure played their first ever American show at this venue on April, 10 1980. It was torn down in the mid-1980s after a fire. The headquarters of Subaru of America
were then built on the site, opening in 1986.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
just across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Cherry Hill
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
. The Latin was famous for showcasing entertainers like Cherry Hill Estates neighbors Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, Al Martino
Al Martino
Al Martino was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners", and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The...
, and Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
(whose family owned "King of Pizza" diagonally across Route 70), Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
(who recorded his 1975
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
album ...Is It Something I Said?
...Is It Something I Said?
…Is It Something I Said? is the fourth official album release by Richard Pryor and the first he released on a new contract with Warner Bros. Records, a label he remained with for the rest of his recording career....
there), Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
, Pat Cooper
Pat Cooper
Pat Cooper is an American actor and comedian. Cooper is primarily known for his stand-up routines, where he often makes reference to his Italian heritage from Mola di Bari, Italy...
, and Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
. On September 29, 1975 while singing "Lonely Teardrops" (Just after singing the lyrics "my heart is crying, crying") Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
suffered a massive heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while playing a Dick Clark
Dick Clark (entertainer)
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is an American businessman; game-show host; and radio and television personality. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years...
show, falling head-first to the stage. Wilson was taken to Cherry Hill Hospital where he was coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose; he lived in a nursing home until his death at age 49. Tom Jones was also once jumped outside the back door following one of his performances by two fanatical Italian women going by the name Canni. Mr. Jones was not hurt but the ladies were banned from 'The Latin' and from any Tom Jones performance.
The celebrities & orchestra players performing at The Latin often drank at the Rickshaw Inn
Rickshaw Inn
The Rickshaw Inn was a 180 room hotel with a gold-plated roof, which was situated on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, opposite Garden State Park and next door to the Latin Casino....
lobby bar long past the official 2:00AM "last call" mandated by the NJ ABC; but this was winked at by local officials.
The supper club was originally located at Juniper and Walnut Streets in center city Philadelphia; frustrated by Pennsylvania's restrictive liquor laws and conflicts with city officials, in 1960 the owners moved it five miles east to a new building on Route 70 in Delaware Township, New Jersey (soon to be renamed Cherry Hill), diagonally across the highway and the Seashore Line
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in southern New Jersey in the 20th century. It was created as a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company .- History :...
tracks from Garden State Park
Garden State Park
Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums...
. John Orland was the Stage Manager when The Latin first opened. He started as a gang boss unloading the sets, props and costumes for Steve Parker's Holliday in Japan, was quickly promoted to a follow spot operator, and within a few weeks became the House Stage Manager. Some of the early acts were Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, and comedian Sammy Shore, who opened for Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
.
In 1978, with nightclubs in a general state of decline and competition from casinos in Atlantic City imminent, the Latin Casino was converted to a disco called Emerald City that boasted a neon light show over the dance floor that cost in excess of one million dollars. After a couple years Emerald City shifted from disco to rock club, hosting major and acts of the time such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
on his debut tour. The band The Cure played their first ever American show at this venue on April, 10 1980. It was torn down in the mid-1980s after a fire. The headquarters of Subaru of America
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
were then built on the site, opening in 1986.