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OT: Anyone recall Wurlitzer's?

R

RU Golfer

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Dec 4, 2009
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RutgersRaRa said:
IIRC, the "local people" who owned the School House was Mario Medici, who also owned Medici's in South Plainfield. I worked at the School House as a dishwasher and busboy when it was growing, and remember Rivendel playing Thursday nights. I lived a half mile from it and went to Wurlitzers as a main staple in our partying diet--that place was the most wall-to-wall human compression I have ever been a part of, and that includes the Melody. The women were hot, getting a drink from the bar was quite the battle.

As for the Jug House, I remember it well, though I rarely went there. It was razed about 15 years ago. The Sittin' Bull is gone, too.
Click to expand...

But the RRT lives on!!!! River Road Tavern
 
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L

LC-88

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Went to the Jug House once in '87. Used to drive by it multiple times a week in 84-85 when I was at RU and working at Ray's Sporting Goods on RT. 22. It too is gone.

Just thinking that alot of us probably were at Wurlitzers on the same night all those years ago. I worked at IBM on Knightsbridge Rd. (cool name) from 88-91. The Halcyon days.
 
R

RutgersRaRa

Heisman
Mar 21, 2011
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RU Golfer said:
But the RRT lives on!!!! River Road Tavern
Click to expand...
I grew up less than a mile from there, and almost never went there because it was such a dive--never a chick in the place, which was a deal breaker. Sometimes I'd stop in to get a six of Mich bottles, otherwise it was depressing.
 
L

LC-88

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Apr 24, 2010
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RU Golfer said:
But the RRT lives on!!!! River Road Tavern
Click to expand...
LOL. Didn't someone drive a pickup through the front of the place back in the late '80s. My great-Uncle lived on nearby Orchard Lane. My Dad used to tell me that Uncle Bob spent more time at RRT than he did at his house.
 
K

knightfan7

Heisman
Jul 30, 2003
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RU Golfer said:
Here is the deal......As stated previously it was the School house which was owned by local people. When they sold the place they sold it to a corporation called McFadden Ventures. They intern opened it as Wurlitzers which everyone recalls had the parties and the bar top dancing etc.....They drew a huge happy hour crowd from all the corporations in the area which became their bread and butter. After a while McFadden ventures decided to change it up and was going to make it another "theme" type bar called Studebakers (which they also owned). At some point the management at the time went and saw another bar chain owned by McFadden called Pete's Wild Life. This was more of a club and late night scene establishment which did not open till 8pm and was closed Monday and Tuesday. This turned out to be a bad decision because they lost the entire after work crowd etc.....then the word got out that cops would set up down the street on occasion with DWI check point which was not good for business as well. The ultimate demise came when the sewer main for the building broke and filled the basement with 8 feet of sewer water, all of the stock was down there as well as the tap coolers etc....At that point they decided to just walk away and the building was eventually leveled.....

Now who remembers the Jug House?
Click to expand...

Studebakers was a very popular bar in Myrtle Beach for a long time. Had a 50's theme. It also fell on hard times and closed about 5 years ago. In their case it appears they couldn't compete with the newer theme bars and Broadway at the Beach.
 
R

RutgersRaRa

Heisman
Mar 21, 2011
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LC-88 said:
LOL. Didn't someone drive a pickup through the front of the place back in the late '80s. My great-Uncle lived on nearby Orchard Lane. My Dad used to tell me that Uncle Bob spent more time at RRT than he did at his house.
Click to expand...
Good memory. That was before they put the traffic light in at the end of Plainfield Avenue, and IIRC someone was turning left onto Plainfield from River Road and took the turn juuuust a little bit wide. About 15 years earlier, someone drive their car into the Bertucci's house, which was on the corner of Plainfield and Custer, and it turned out the driver was--big surprise here--blitzed out of his mind and took this turn a bit wide and ended up in the living room.
 
R

rurichdog

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Sep 30, 2006
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RutgersRaRa said:
I grew up less than a mile from there, and almost never went there because it was such a dive--never a chick in the place, which was a deal breaker. Sometimes I'd stop in to get a six of Mich bottles, otherwise it was depressing.
Click to expand...
And that's why it "lives on". All the fun places become DUI enforcement zones and close down.
 
M

megadrone

Senior
Jul 10, 2003
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LC-88 said:
Went to the Jug House once in '87. Used to drive by it multiple times a week in 84-85 when I was at RU and working at Ray's Sporting Goods on RT. 22. It too is gone.

Just thinking that alot of us probably were at Wurlitzers on the same night all those years ago. I worked at IBM on Knightsbridge Rd. (cool name) from 88-91. The Halcyon days.
Click to expand...
Where was the Jug House? Sounds familiar but I can't place it. I lived in North Plainfield behind Ray's for many years....
 
D

delaynomore

Sophomore
Jun 16, 2008
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Bunch of bald losers working dead end jobs, living in condos in Edison. They'd go there and tie their cheap Macy's ties over their heads and dance Electric Slide and go home sweaty and alone.
 
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redlinehw

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Sep 27, 2004
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The name Studebaker's was already taken in NJ so they used the name Wurlitzers. There was actually a Studebsker car inside the entrance.

Fun fact - Johnny Alite (look him up) use to show up at Wurlitzers on occasion with "friends" Johnny "owned" the valet.
 
R

RU_DIO

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
17,347
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RutgersRaRa said:
IIRC, the "local people" who owned the School House was Mario Medici, who also owned Medici's in South Plainfield. I worked at the School House as a dishwasher and busboy when it was growing, and remember Rivendel playing Thursday nights. I lived a half mile from it and went to Wurlitzers as a main staple in our partying diet--that place was the most wall-to-wall human compression I have ever been a part of, and that includes the Melody. The women were hot, getting a drink from the bar was quite the battle.

As for the Jug House, I remember it well, though I rarely went there. It was razed about 15 years ago. The Sittin' Bull is gone, too.
Click to expand...


Mario just sold Murphys Grill in Red Bank a couple years ago as he was a friend/customer of mine at The Molly Pitcher.

We used to rent a bus from Poor Billys a few times a year and bring most of our staff and go crazy there on Wednesday nights. Used to see Ray Lucas in there.
 
K

KnightHound

Senior
Aug 27, 2009
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bac2therac said:
Wurlitzers,Hunka Bunka, The Clubhouse in Plainfield, Poor Billys...all RIP

that's not even getting into New Brunswick losing the Roxy and the Melody...this aint progress
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Thanks Bac, now I'm starting to get upset. A great list of places I hung out at and had great times. Now gone forver!:cry:
 
DJ Spanky

DJ Spanky

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Jul 25, 2001
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So here's one for you from my neck of the woods: FM Station. Anyone remember that?
 
L

LC-88

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RutgersRaRa said:
Good memory. That was before they put the traffic light in at the end of Plainfield Avenue, and IIRC someone was turning left onto Plainfield from River Road and took the turn juuuust a little bit wide. About 15 years earlier, someone drive their car into the Bertucci's house, which was on the corner of Plainfield and Custer, and it turned out the driver was--big surprise here--blitzed out of his mind and took this turn a bit wide and ended up in the living room.
Click to expand...
LOL. Could have been my Uncle Bob.
 
P

Plum Street

Heisman
Jun 21, 2009
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bac2therac said:
Wurlitzers,Hunka Bunka, The Clubhouse in Plainfield, Poor Billys...all RIP

that's not even getting into New Brunswick losing the Roxy and the Melody...this aint progress
Click to expand...


The question is where are the good places now . Where do people that like some nightlife go besides Hoboken and shore spots ?
 
Knight Shift

Knight Shift

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May 19, 2011
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RU_DIO said:
Mario just sold Murphys Grill in Red Bank a couple years ago as he was a friend/customer of mine at The Molly Pitcher.

We used to rent a bus from Poor Billys a few times a year and bring most of our staff and go crazy there on Wednesday nights. Used to see Ray Lucas in there.
Click to expand...
Did not know Mario Medici owned so many restaurants. Many years ago, my father provided entertainment at Medici's in South Plainfield/Edison.
 
R

RutgersRaRa

Heisman
Mar 21, 2011
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Knight Shift said:
Did not know Mario Medici owned so many restaurants. Many years ago, my father provided entertainment at Medici's in South Plainfield/Edison.
Click to expand...
It went thru different hands, and I think it's now an Indian restaurant. Talk about a head shaker.
 
Knight Shift

Knight Shift

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RutgersRaRa said:
It went thru different hands, and I think it's now an Indian restaurant. Talk about a head shaker.
Click to expand...
Through the mid 1980's my father made an OK living as a restaurant and lounge musician. Back in the days when the drinking age was 18, and drinking and driving was more of a sport. Things got tight in the late 1980's, and it got worse in the 1990's as fewer people went out for drinks during the week.
 
G

GoodOl'Rutgers

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Sep 11, 2006
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I'll add Jimmy Byrnes Sea Girt Inn for the Shore guys. The days of the "Road House" are over.. at least in New Jersey.

 
M

mollie24

Sophomore
Dec 21, 2001
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B0ski said:
Thank God there was never a fire in Jimmy Byrnes, you could not move in there some nights it was so packed.
Click to expand...

My 1st wife was working at Wurlitzers as a flower girl when we met. She sold roses to guys trying to hit on the women.
Also used to work at Art Stock's Royal Manor
 
newell138

newell138

Heisman
Aug 1, 2001
38,265
50,432
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delaynomore said:
Bunch of bald losers working dead end jobs, living in condos in Edison. They'd go there and tie their cheap Macy's ties over their heads and dance Electric Slide and go home sweaty and alone.
Click to expand...
That’s an exact description of the Wurlitzer crowd lol! I remember all the tie wearers lined up just staring down any girl who walked passed them. My old GF who was an RU gymnast worked there and she said it was horrible because it was like 75% guys
 
R

RU Golfer

All-Conference
Dec 4, 2009
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newell138 said:
That’s an exact description of the Wurlitzer crowd lol! I remember all the tie wearers lined up just staring down any girl who walked passed them. My old GF who was an RU gymnast worked there and she said it was horrible because it was like 75% guys
Click to expand...

The place was one giant sausage party....Pete's wildlife was not much better either.
 
S

Shelby65

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Apr 1, 2008
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No one has brought up Jukebox Eddie's on Rt 22 in Green Brook (or was it North Plainfield?).
 
R

richthedentist

All-American
Aug 2, 2001
11,257
8,871
113
RutgersRaRa said:
IIRC, the "local people" who owned the School House was Mario Medici, who also owned Medici's in South Plainfield. I worked at the School House as a dishwasher and busboy when it was growing, and remember Rivendel playing Thursday nights. I lived a half mile from it and went to Wurlitzers as a main staple in our partying diet--that place was the most wall-to-wall human compression I have ever been a part of, and that includes the Melody. The women were hot, getting a drink from the bar was quite the battle.

As for the Jug House, I remember it well, though I rarely went there. It was razed about 15 years ago. The Sittin' Bull is gone, too.
Click to expand...
My friends band used to play at the Jughouse in the early 80's
 
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