Dunmore firefighters opening bar to honor fire, police, military personnel
Published: July 4, 2009
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DUNMORE - Five lamps resembling torches hang from the ceiling at Hometown Heroes Bar and Eatery, a new establishment dedicated to honoring fire, police and military personnel.
Scheduled to open July 20 with a five-course meal and a Frank Sinatra impersonator, the restaurant at 109 E. Drinker St. is nearly complete.
For co-owners and veteran Dunmore firefighters Vince Sardo, 43, and Tom Murphy, 33, the decision to become firefighters started in their youth. The decision to honor public servants through a themed tavern, they say, was also a pretty natural choice.
Mr. Murphy, who is also an Iraqi combat veteran with the 109th Infantry, describes his career as a "childhood dream," while Mr. Sardo found inspiration in his father, John Sardo, a retired Dunmore firefighter.
"I grew up in Dunmore, playing on the trucks as a little kid," Mr. Sardo said. "It's something I always wanted to do."
As they began researching fallen service members from Lackawanna County, they were surprised to find out about two fellow firefighters who died in the line of duty decades ago. Philip Wagner died Jan. 17, 1920, when he was thrown from a hose wagon while responding to an alarm at Grove Street and Monroe Avenue. John G. Gilroy died Dec. 20, 1941, after inhaling smoke while fighting a blaze at 1632 Madison Ave.
While "gone but not forgotten" is a phrase often used in reference to servicemen and women, it doesn't always ring true, Mr. Sardo said. He is hoping to change that with his bar.
"These guys will never be forgotten," he said, referring to the heroes captured in memoriam on the restaurant's walls.
There is a tribute to Scranton Fire Department Capt. James Robeson, 50, who was electrocuted Jan. 6, 2008, while fighting a two-alarm fire at 808-810 Ash St. Mr. Sardo and Mr. Murphy both knew Capt. Robeson.
They also have plans to acknowledge World War II Medal of Honor recipient Gino J. Merli and NASA astronaut Paul Richards, a Dunmore native who lives in Annapolis, Md.
Community support so far has been outstanding, Mr. Sardo said. He and Mr. Murphy are hoping the bar's theme - not to mention an Italian/American menu, and entertainment including karaoke and murder mystery dinners - will draw a crowd.
The bar will feature 25 beers on tap, including a variety called Hook and Ladder Golden Ale.
"We're trying to mix fun with food," Mr. Sardo said.
ON THE NET: www.hometownheroesbar.com
Contact the writer: mreiter@timesshamrock.com
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