Celona's Cigars

In 1919, Giuseppe Fiorenza - also known as Joe Celona - arrived in Vancouver. He travelled from Italy to New York in 1913 before coming to the West Coast Canadian city. And he arrived right in the middle of our prohibition.

From 1919 to 1921, Celona lived at 272 Union Street. Though he operated a store on the ground floor, the upper floors were a disorderly house. (The term 'disorderly house' is from English Criminal Law. It refers to a place where people gather to disturb the peace or commit a crime. It can also refer to a house of prostitution.)

This house is where Joe was first arrested by the police in 1923. He sold it in 1928 but, by then, Joe Celona owned more properties on the east side - 204 and 244 East Hastings  and 210 Keefer Street. These addresses were 'houses of ill repute' although Celona did have a legitimate cigar business at 600 Main Street. All these businesses must have been profitable because by the 1930s, the Italian immigrant had a home 4973 Angus Drive in Shaughnessy.  (Vancouver's ritzy area.)

Celona's cigar store had its share of regular customers but the one who caused raised eyebrows was the city's mayor, L.D. Taylor. No one knows if Taylor and Celona had a relationship that extended beyond cigars but history does tell us that Taylor was constantly plagued by allegations of corruption. Taylor felt police energy and resources should be focused on more serious crimes not the vice-crime that occupied the minds of Vancouver's moral reformers. Mayor Taylor was also convinced it was unrealistic and undesirable to run a 'Sunday School town' especially in a sea port city.

Taylor's critics felt he was soft on crime and allowed commercialized vice to flourish in the city. Many felt he was being paid off.

In 1928, RS Lennie led a major police inquiry into police corruption. He rounded up countless criminals, politicians and police officers and spent hours questioned them. However, he could never connect Taylor's City Hall or the police department to the likes of Joe Celona. What the inquiry did manage to do though was ensure that Taylor was not re-elected. (Don't worry though. As you can see from this blog entry is Taylor was Vancouver's most elected mayor!)

The city's citizens also found their confidence in the police department undermined. An anti-vice and anti-Celona bug was planted in the mind of the lead attorney, Gerald McGeer. McGeer went on to become Vancouver's mayor in 1934, winning with a landslide. His platform was an aggressive 'war on crime' theme and McGeer specifically targeted Joe Celona.

I would like to thank the Past Tense website for the above information. I will tell you move on Wednesday.

I hope you find the beauty around you.