Cleveland Vintage Blog
The USS Cod: How This WWII Submarine Found Its Way to Cleveland
There is a true Cleveland treasure that sits permanently anchored off North Marginal Rd. downtown, right next to Burke Lakefront Airport. If you're a WWII buff, you might have already guessed that we're talking about the USS Cod. The USS Cod and the Submarine's Role in World War II For starters, you might be wondering how the vessel got its name. It's simple, really: The Cod got its name to honor a very popular food choice found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. The USS Cod is a Gato-class fleet submarine that measures 312 feet long and weighs...
Ted Stepien's Ill-Fated Softball Tosses Off Cleveland's Terminal Tower
If you've been around since the 80s, you had the misfortune of living through Ted Stepien’s ownership of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1980-1983. You might be aware of the fact that Stepien was also the owner of a highly successful professional men's softball team, the Cleveland Competitors, which he had purchased in 1978 as the Cleveland Jaybirds of the APSPL (American Professional Slo-Pitch League). Cleveland and Milwaukee broke from this league to form the NASL (North American Softball League). Ironically, the new league lasted a single season and was absorbed back into the APSPL, forming yet another new league, the...
Captain Frank's Lobster House - or Sea Food Restaurant - Had Something for Everyone
When it opened in 1954, Captain Frank’s Lobster House - or Sea Food Restaurant, depending on the time of year - was the sole occupant of Cleveland’s E. 9th Street pier. Over the years the restaurant was many things to many people, whether it was long-time residents and regulars of the restaurant, or visitors to Cleveland who sought an opportunity to have their evening meal while enjoying a Cleveland sunset or a warm lake breeze. So, why the name "Captain Frank's?" Well, the owner who brought it to life was a Sicilian immigrant by the name of Frank Visconti who came...
A Look at the Orlando Baking Company, Another Cleveland Jewel
You might not think about the Orlando Baking Company much in your day-to-day life, but this Northeast Ohio institution has an extraordinarily rich history well worth a deeper look. The History of the Orlando Baking Company The company’s origins are traced all the way back to 1872 in Castel di Sangro, Italy where it was founded by Giustino Orlando. Orlando's beginnings in the United States were very humble. Two of Giustino’s seven sons, Giuseppe and Vincenzo, came to America to get things off the ground in 1906. Another son, Alfonso, remained behind in Italy to run those operations and did so for the...
The History of Leisy’s, One of Cleveland's Lost Breweries
Today we are going to go back in time to look at what was once Cleveland’s largest independent brewery, Leisy’s. Isaac Leisy had already convinced his father and two brothers that brewing beer on a larger scale was their future after returning to the United States from Germany after briefly working at a brewery in Durkheim, Germany. Even though several members of the family were brewers by trade, it took Isaac’s vision to convince them to take it to the next level. The History of Leisy Brewing Co. Leisy’s was founded in 1873 by Isaac Leisy and those two brothers,...