William
H.
Tansky Jr.

WILLIAM H. TANSKY JR. was born on July 3, 1901 in Pennsylvania to Polish immigrant parents. His family moved to Camden's 8th Ward around 1910, where they live at 1900 South 6th Street. William Tansky served in both the Army and Navy, with three of his enlistments taking him overseas. At the time of the 1920 census, he was serving as a Private with Troop A, Mounted Detachment, American Forces in Germany, performing occupation duties. He married his wife Laura around 1922. At the time of the 1930 census he was operating a cafe at 1903 South 6th Street, near the corner of South 6th and Fillmore Streets,  in Camden NJ. 

Active in Republican politics in Camden's 8th Ward, William Tansky Jr. was a candidate for the Republican County Committee from the 8th Ward of Camden in 1934. On May 16, 1934 there was a near-riot outside of Tansky's cafe  immediately after the bitterly contested May 1934 election, where control of the Republican Party in Camden County  was fought over by David Baird Jr. and Albert S. Woodruff. Tansky's brother Benjamin, a bartender, appears to have tangled with Nicholas Scarduzio, a political worker who led a parade of opposition supporters to the intersection of South 6th and Fillmore. 

By 1946 William H. Tansky was no longer involved with the bar. It was being operated by Dominik Kasilowski and was known as Dominik's Cafe in the mid and late 1940s. The bar at 1903 South 6th Street is no longer standing.

William H. Tansky Jr. died in April of 1976. He was survived by his wife, who passed in 1980. 

Camden Courier-Post * May 7, 1934

Camden Courier-Post * May 8, 1934

Camden Courier-Post * May 17, 1934
Click on Image to Enlarge

BOY SHOT, MANY PEOPLE HURT IN EIGHTH WARD RIOT

...continued...

South 4th Street - South 6th Street - Hale Street - Viola Street - Dr. Orris W. Saunders
George Zeitz - Nicholas Scarduzio - Walter Sekula - Edmund Walsh - Mamie Piraine
Theresa DiLello - William Tansky Jr. - Leon Branch - Fiore Troncone -  John Hess
Joseph Samenich - Nicholas Sustich - Isaac Shute

Camden Courier-Post * May 18, 1934

John Hess, left, was held for the grand jury on charges of illegal possession of firearms as a result of the shooting incident at Tansky's Cafe. On tight is his attorney. Edward V. Martino. Click on Image to Enlarge.