Sign of the Times

Coyote Flaco is a Mexican restaurant located at 273 North Avenue in New Rochelle between the Bank of America branch and the Kaufman Building and opposite the newly redesigned No Defecation Railway Station. Possibly motivated by their neighbor’s renovations, the owners are in the process of fixing up their establishment. At the moment, the ‘Coyote Flaco’ sign and any underlying palimpsets have been removed, revealing a somewhat faded white lettering on the painted black masonry:”Candle Light Club.”
On hearing about this find, New Rochelle Public Library Historian Barbara Davis recommended a visit to the City Hall Bureau of Assessment followed by the New Rochelle History Room at the library. The staff at the Assessors Office were very helpful and quickly located the ownership record for the property. The ownership records begin in 1943 and show seven ownership changes since, at least three involving the same person. In the margins, the cards mention that the property housed the bar-restaurants Beau Brummel’s and Serendipity, but no mention of the Candle Light Club.
Maurice Brick of the Assessor’s Office remembers that the proprietor of both Beau Brummel’s and Serendipity was James Austin. Ms. Davis also remembers Mr. Austin, who ran the restaurants in the ‘70s through the early ‘90s. Mr. Brick spoke highly of the restaurants, saying that they were quite popular at that time. Neither one had any memory of the Candle Light Club.
The New Rochelle History Room provided additional useful information. From the 1930’s into the 1960’s, the telephone numbers were listed in the Polk registry both by name and street number. Although the collection was impressive, some of the years were missing from the collection. There was no listing for either a residence or business in 1947 for 273 North Avenue. The next issue in the collection, 1950, mentions the Candle Light Club for the first time. It is described as a ‘tavern’ and provides a list of officers: William Taylor, President; Michael Morgan, Vice President; Joseph Beresconia, Secretary. The same information is provided in 1952. From 1955 to 1962, the directory lists the Candle Light Club with Michael Morgan as President and Joseph Beresconia as VP-Treasurer. In 1964 and 1966, it is listed only with Michael Morgan as President. The next directory in the collection is for 1972, and it is no longer the Polk registry, but rather the Yellow Book directory. The Candle Light Club has disappeared and Beau Brummel’s is listed as occupying 273 North Avenue.
Longtime New Rochelle resident Anthony Sutton of Anthony Sutton Realty (345 North Avenue, New Rochelle) was involved in the sale of the property to the current owner in 1993. He remembers Mr. Austin although he did not frequent his establishment. He has vague memories of the Candle Light Club, but never went there. Richard Sutton, Anthony’s younger brother, has the impression that the Candle Light Club was more nightclub than the later bar-restaurant incarnations.
Further information certainly could be discovered by searching through the microfiched Standard Stars of fifty to sixty years ago. Patrons and denizens of the ‘tavern’ likely long ago have left this world or, at best, reside in a Florida assisted living facility. There must be a deeper story in this, after all, or maybe even a historical novel. One only needs to devise a plotline connecting trolley cars, orange paint thrown on the Jacob Leisler statue, and a city without public toilets.