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Mail: PO Box 368 Niles, Ohio 44446

Scarnecchia Sisters:
Margaret, Gloria & Irene

Many people in our community would proudly tell you they met their husband or wife at the Belvedere Club – a very popular place many years ago on route 422 on the strip. The Belvedere Club, designed like a road house was “the spot” to meet people during the 30’s and through the 60’s.

Owner Carmen Scarnecchia began to work in the local mills at an early age. Later he distributed soft drinks and then he worked as a butcher, but he always wanted to work for himself. Carmen’s dream became a reality when, on May 1929, he and a partner, Marian D’Amico, opened the newly-built Belvedere Club.

“ The Bel” , as his restaurant and nightspot was soon nicknamed, was on nearly an acre of land at 5373 Youngstown-Warren Road. The name “Belvedere” is an architectural term which means “Beautiful View”. The nine-hole Eastwood golf course, owned and operated by Gig Caldrone, was located behind the club. The club house of the golf course was built by Mr. Orand, Gig’s father-in-law. That building still stands on the west side of Eastwood Mall, along side Mosquito Creek behind what is now the BP Car Wash. Dr Skiffy’s office now occupies the former club house.

After the golfers finished their game, they would stop at the Belvedere Club to swap stories and have a sandwich or cold drink. The Durig Farm was east of the Eastwood golf course- the farm house stood about where the “Red Lobster" stands today.

The white frame Belvedere had six rooms- a bar, kitchen, lobby, main dining room, a dance floor and a small dining room in the rear where industrial executives from Packard Electric, Republic Steel, and other local mills and railroads held meetings while dining. Carmen took great pride in his dance floor and kept it shined to the hilt. If the weather was inclement, patrons were expected to go directly to the bar area until the snow had melted off their feet or their footwear was dry.

Carmen’s daughter, Gloria, started working at the Bel when she was 14. There were no mechanical dishwashers in those days, so Gloria’s first job was as dishwasher. At times she cleaned shrimp for the shrimp cocktails. Over the years she worked at every job in the business, bookkeeping, payroll, purchasing, waitress, check girl and hostess. In those days, as now a waitress had to be 21 years old before she could serve liquor.

Marian D’Amico was head cook and cooked fabulous steaks on an old coal range. In later years gas was installed in the kitchen but Marian still used the coal range when baking hams. Spaghetti and steaks were the specialty of the popular spot. Carmen’s $2.95 steak was the best in the house.

During the 30’s and 40’s many couples held their wedding reception at the Bel, including Gloria when she married Jim Fogarty in 1942. Jim was in the service then, but when he returned he went to work for Carmen and in 1954 he and Gloria bought the club.

Ed Bycraft and Mac MacFarland were deputies who regularly stopped to be sure the Fogartys were okay and everything was under control at the Bel. Before the deputies left, they were served a bowl of spaghetti in the back room. Many well-known people patronized the Bel such as Louis Bromfield, Lauren Bacall, boxing champions, Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney.

The Belvedere became the favorite “hang out” for many of the local good dancers and it had the biggest and the best jukebox in the area. At one time Anthony Barberini was the clubs organist on Saturday nights and for special occasions. While Carmen was the proprietor, Gary Glen and the Jewel Tones played for dances and years earlier Carmen’s brother Tom Scarnecchia had a dance band. When Uncle Tom’s band played gigs, they got paid with a bowl of spaghetti. There were never any problems with the younger people who visited the Bel and generally the restaurant would be wall to wall with people.

The fine restaurant and night club had catered to the public’s dining and entertainment tastes for over 40 years. In 1970 the ground on which the Belvedere Club stood was leased to the Standard Oil Company. When the building was shoved down and buried on July 11, 1970 to make room for the Standard Oil station, even the old coal range was turned under. Progress calls for many changes, but many can still remember the Belvedere Club, fine food and good friends. The Fogarty’s later opened Fogarty’s Inn on Fenton Street and still later on moved to state route 46 in Mineral Ridge where the “Fifth Season” Banquet Hall is now located.