Latin Casino - Background

Background

The Latin was a famous showroom for showcasing entertainers like Cherry Hill Estates neighbors Bobby Darin, Al Martino, and Frankie Avalon (whose family had ownship interests in a popular pizzeria "King of Pizza" diagonally across Route 70). Stars that appeared on stage and frequented the area were Richard Pryor (who recorded his 1975 album ...Is It Something I Said? there), Frank Sinatra, The Temptations, The Supremes, Liza Minnelli, Tom Jones, Donna Summer, B.B. King, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Connie Francis, Don Rickles, Gloria Gaynor, Della Reese, Eddie Fisher, Trini Lopez, Pat Cooper, Allan Sherman, and Engelbert Humperdinck.

There were several celebrity incidents that drew media attention. 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 comatose; he lived in a nursing home until his death at age 49. Brenda Lee broke her neck onstage during a June 12, 1962 performance, and eventually recovered in time to graduate high school. 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 first acts who played The Latin were Patti Page, comedian Sammy Shore, and 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 up-and-coming acts of the time such as The Rolling Stones, James Brown & The Famous Flames (who recorded their 1967 album, "Live at The Garden" there, Aerosmith, The Ramones, Ultravox, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Alice Cooper, Madonna, The B-52's, The Go-Gos, Squeeze, Joan Jett, Dire Straits, The Romantics, UB40, Joe Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, The Psychedelic Furs, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Blue Oyster Cult, and Prince on his debut tour. 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.