Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. On-lookers survey the fire at Roll Arena in 1939 as a fire chief walked away from the fire scene. Yes, you are seeing people upstairs in fire damaged building where they are not supposed to be there! They are not wearing fire helments so it has to be orginary people. Maybe the operators and staff were up there. So far it is only rink exterior photo I can find at the moment. Courtesy of Facebook group.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. After a rebuilt from the fire, and after 1950, the factory bought out the rink and it is once again updated for modern times as seen in this Google Maps. Courtesy of Google Maps, 2023.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Rink-History. Copyrighted Photoshopped by Rink-History. Straightened and clean up.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. This must be a digital something I found off of Facebook group. Not very clear here though. Courtesy of Facebook group.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Poster or advertisement for a dance in 1937. Courtesy of Facebook Group.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Fund raising. Courtesy of Billboard - 3 January 1942, 2nd column, 9th briefing.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. During the war time in 1940s, a lot of patriotic items were manufactured and they were giving away victory key rings to skaters for New Year's Eve party. Courtesy of Billboard - 10 January 1942, p. 44, 3rd Column, 3rd Article.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 14 March 1942, page 47, first column, 1st article.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 11 April 1942, p. 44, 2nd column, 4th briefing.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 8 August 1942, 2nd Column, 4th Briefing.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 22 August 1942, page 47, 1st column, 3rd article
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 3 April 1943, p. 42, 1st column, top story.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 17 April 1943, 3rd column, 9th briefing.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 22 May 1943, p. 37, 3rd Column, 8th briefing (bottom)
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 2 December 1944, p. 83, 4th column, 5th briefing.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Sure, the article is really talking about Sunset beach Rink but the same management and operations as it is with Roll Arena. Courtesy of Billboard - 23 June 1945, p. 50, 3rd column, 4th article.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Courtesy of Billboard - 10 November 1945, p.55, 4th column, top story.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. Another key chain. Key cases? And that lighted up? My, this is in 1940s that I consider this as a key chain wallet flashlight. Very interesting find! Is that right it was a flashlight that small in 1940s that is part of the wallet? I need to see proof! Anyone has one? Like to see and show photograph and place it on here. Courtesy of Billboard - 18 January 1947, p. 71, 2nd column, 2nd briefing under Roller Rumbling.
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ. It was a good bye party. Courtesy of Billboard - 18 November 1950, p. 47, 3rd column, 1st article
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Ave, Gloucester, NJ
Roll Arena 412-414 Jersey Avenue, Gloucester, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs Borelli started Roll Arena. It was also spelled as Rollarena. Even Roll-Arena. Take your pick. It was a mutli-plex entertainment center with roller skating on one side, the other bowling. Two of the major icon of sports entertainment of the 20th Century as right now for 21st Century, Pickleball and Extreme Sports.
The Borelli couple, known to skaters as "Mom" and Pop" Borelli operated for quite a while. But the rink had a fire in 1939 destroyed the interior. However, the rink survived and rebuilt and opened as a rink again and enjoyed its business years throughout 1940s and early 1950s.
It was Clear M.D. Borelli, known as "Pop" submitted so many articles to Billboard. New Jersey roller rinks seemly to be famous for that. M.D. Borelli owned and operated Olympic Amusement Company and Mr. Borelli managed the rink as well as another rink after this Rollarena was sold. I do not have the name of that rink at the moment. He also managed Sunset Beach Ballroom.
They even hosted Miss Roll Arena beauty contest. I do not see any rinks doing that today anymore. It would be nice! Only thing for me was, I was able to meet Miss America once who lived out in Fayetteville, NY in a local shopping mall. Beautiful woman both inside and out. Yes, she was that nice. First Indian-American to win that title. Will not say her name out of respect.
The media popular roller rink closed for good on Monday, 13 November 1950 because of the factory next door needs to expand, made a good offer to M.D. Borelli who happened to have another rink being built as a sort of replacement rink. Timing was perfect for both sides. Sad though for skaters.
The Interior.
Unknown but appeared to be Maple wood floor.
The Exterior.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Hardwood Maple Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Architect: N/A.
Contractor: N/A.
Interior Designer: N/A.
Organ: N/A.
10 Pins Bowling Lanes: None.
Duck Pins Bowling Lanes: None.
Candlestick Bowling Lanes: None.
Pocket Billiard Tables: N/A.
Air Hockey Tables: N/A.
Foosball Table: N/A.
Basketball Speed: N/A.
Amusement Rides: None.
Driving Range Slots: None.
Miniature Golf Course: None.
Arcade: (Number unknown)
Skee-Ball: N/A.
Fascination: None.
Restaurant: None.
Cocktail lounge: None.
Laser Tag: None.
Bounce Houses: None.
Bumper Cars: None.
Go-Kart: None.
Motel: None.
Swimming Pool: None.
Jungle Gym Playground: None.
Skate Park: None.
Theater (movie/stage): None.
Dance Center: None.
Picnic Grove: None.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1937 to Monday, 13 November 1950.
Reason for Closure: Factory needed to expand property, bought the rink next door and Borelli already planning a new rink nearby anyway, sold the rink to the factory. Today it is still a factory there.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also, photos/articles. Also send me any updates such as reopening, sold, name changes, or whatsoever occurred with this rink or any rinks. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at Rink-History©. Before you email, please state this rink name AND THE CITY AND STATE (or COUNTRY) so I can know where or what rink you are talking about. Thank you. We welcome both active and defunct rinks.
Sources:
Billboard - 3 January 1942, 2nd column, 9th briefing.
Billboard - 10 January 1942, p. 44, 3rd Column, 3rd Article.
Billboard - 14 March 1942, page 47, first column, 1st article.
Billboard - 11 April 1942, p. 44, 2nd column, 4th briefing.
Billboard - 2 May 1942, p. 46, 3rd column, 2nd article.
Billboard - 8 August 1942, 2nd Column, 4th Briefing.
Billboard - 22 August 1942, page 47, 1st column, 3rd article (2nd briefing).
Billboard - 3 April 1943, p. 42, 1st column, top story.
Billboard - 17 April 1943, 3rd column, 9th briefing.
Billboard - 22 May 1943, p. 37, 3rd Column, 8th briefing (bottom)
Billboard - 5 June, 1943, p. 44, 2nd column, 8th briefing. (Not shown above)
Billboard - 18 September 1943, p. 39, 3rd Column, Top Article. Long article, best you click link to read. It is about a solider meeting all rink operator while being in European Theater of Second World War.
Billboard - 2 December 1944, p. 83, 4th column, 5th briefing.
Billboard - 26 May 1945, p. 44, 2nd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 28 July 1945, p. 50, 3rd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 23 June 1945, p. 50, 3rd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 10 November 1945, p.55, 4th column, top story.
Billboard - 18 January 1947, p. 71, 2nd column, 2nd briefing under Roller Rumbling.
Billboard - 15 February 1947, p. 75, 2nd column, top article.
Billboard - 18 November 1950, p. 47, 3rd column, 1st article (not counting Roller Rumblings). Good bye.
Facebook - Many posts on the former rink.
Image of America Gloucester City - page 4, bottom.
Date of issue: 22 July 2023.
Updated:
For office use only: 19.
Worth to visit:
None. It is a chemical plant now.
DISCLAIMER:
International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© (formerly known as Dead-Rinks) and Mark Falso are not responsible for your physical and legal injuries you may have caused. We do not endorse such illegal activities including breaking and entry of former rinks, malls, abandoned buildings, etc. Please always obey laws and regulations and property owner's signs. Some states allow purple paint on fence which means they even have guns on their property and have rights to shoot you. Please DO NOT attempt to enter property without permission!
For abandoned rinks, after you receive permission, do WEAR safety OSHA equipment including a safety glasses, pair of safety gloves, an orange vest or a jacket, and a construction helmet.
Thank you for understanding.
Dead Rinks is now International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© because many former names have become new names at the same rinks that are still active and due to much confusion, We have decided that International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© fits better for all rinks including defunct, closed, inactive, rebooted, and rinks that are still active today. For short on this site, it is International Roller Skating Rinks History© Bear with us as we change the entire site page by page each day. Thank you for understanding.
Second of all: The contents including words and photos above on this page and/or on any pages are purely educational entertainment purposes only. I provide what information from other websites, skaters, and operators and it may end up with different results between two (or more) sources. It is not our responsible for errors we caused. All sources are shown on each page. All opinions and statements of mine are also stated and are for purely educational entertainment only.
Rinks that are closed are considered dead. Rinks that are/were sold and with new management names new name(s), the former are considered dead. Previous operating rink that closed but came back years later, are considered dead because the reopening is considered rebooted, nothing to do with the former. Since we are rebooted to allow alive rinks, active rinks, we welcome those active rinks as well. It will be described.
As for “For Office Only” is for my reasoning and private legal reason for that.
Any music associated with any YouTube or any other videos provided on International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© are not the property of International Commercial Archeology Preservation© Group and/or International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© therefore we do not own the rights to the music.
All photos you submitted or we retrieved become property of International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© and are watermarked but they are credited to you (or where the source is from). Thank you for understanding. To understand more about this, please go to this page: Disclaimer.
© Copyrighted by International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation©, an International Commercial Archeology Preservation© Group. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 17. Deut. 32:7.
The Borelli couple, known to skaters as "Mom" and Pop" Borelli operated for quite a while. But the rink had a fire in 1939 destroyed the interior. However, the rink survived and rebuilt and opened as a rink again and enjoyed its business years throughout 1940s and early 1950s.
It was Clear M.D. Borelli, known as "Pop" submitted so many articles to Billboard. New Jersey roller rinks seemly to be famous for that. M.D. Borelli owned and operated Olympic Amusement Company and Mr. Borelli managed the rink as well as another rink after this Rollarena was sold. I do not have the name of that rink at the moment. He also managed Sunset Beach Ballroom.
They even hosted Miss Roll Arena beauty contest. I do not see any rinks doing that today anymore. It would be nice! Only thing for me was, I was able to meet Miss America once who lived out in Fayetteville, NY in a local shopping mall. Beautiful woman both inside and out. Yes, she was that nice. First Indian-American to win that title. Will not say her name out of respect.
The media popular roller rink closed for good on Monday, 13 November 1950 because of the factory next door needs to expand, made a good offer to M.D. Borelli who happened to have another rink being built as a sort of replacement rink. Timing was perfect for both sides. Sad though for skaters.
The Interior.
Unknown but appeared to be Maple wood floor.
The Exterior.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Hardwood Maple Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Architect: N/A.
Contractor: N/A.
Interior Designer: N/A.
Organ: N/A.
10 Pins Bowling Lanes: None.
Duck Pins Bowling Lanes: None.
Candlestick Bowling Lanes: None.
Pocket Billiard Tables: N/A.
Air Hockey Tables: N/A.
Foosball Table: N/A.
Basketball Speed: N/A.
Amusement Rides: None.
Driving Range Slots: None.
Miniature Golf Course: None.
Arcade: (Number unknown)
Skee-Ball: N/A.
Fascination: None.
Restaurant: None.
Cocktail lounge: None.
Laser Tag: None.
Bounce Houses: None.
Bumper Cars: None.
Go-Kart: None.
Motel: None.
Swimming Pool: None.
Jungle Gym Playground: None.
Skate Park: None.
Theater (movie/stage): None.
Dance Center: None.
Picnic Grove: None.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1937 to Monday, 13 November 1950.
Reason for Closure: Factory needed to expand property, bought the rink next door and Borelli already planning a new rink nearby anyway, sold the rink to the factory. Today it is still a factory there.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also, photos/articles. Also send me any updates such as reopening, sold, name changes, or whatsoever occurred with this rink or any rinks. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at Rink-History©. Before you email, please state this rink name AND THE CITY AND STATE (or COUNTRY) so I can know where or what rink you are talking about. Thank you. We welcome both active and defunct rinks.
Sources:
Billboard - 3 January 1942, 2nd column, 9th briefing.
Billboard - 10 January 1942, p. 44, 3rd Column, 3rd Article.
Billboard - 14 March 1942, page 47, first column, 1st article.
Billboard - 11 April 1942, p. 44, 2nd column, 4th briefing.
Billboard - 2 May 1942, p. 46, 3rd column, 2nd article.
Billboard - 8 August 1942, 2nd Column, 4th Briefing.
Billboard - 22 August 1942, page 47, 1st column, 3rd article (2nd briefing).
Billboard - 3 April 1943, p. 42, 1st column, top story.
Billboard - 17 April 1943, 3rd column, 9th briefing.
Billboard - 22 May 1943, p. 37, 3rd Column, 8th briefing (bottom)
Billboard - 5 June, 1943, p. 44, 2nd column, 8th briefing. (Not shown above)
Billboard - 18 September 1943, p. 39, 3rd Column, Top Article. Long article, best you click link to read. It is about a solider meeting all rink operator while being in European Theater of Second World War.
Billboard - 2 December 1944, p. 83, 4th column, 5th briefing.
Billboard - 26 May 1945, p. 44, 2nd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 28 July 1945, p. 50, 3rd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 23 June 1945, p. 50, 3rd column, 4th article.
Billboard - 10 November 1945, p.55, 4th column, top story.
Billboard - 18 January 1947, p. 71, 2nd column, 2nd briefing under Roller Rumbling.
Billboard - 15 February 1947, p. 75, 2nd column, top article.
Billboard - 18 November 1950, p. 47, 3rd column, 1st article (not counting Roller Rumblings). Good bye.
Facebook - Many posts on the former rink.
Image of America Gloucester City - page 4, bottom.
Date of issue: 22 July 2023.
Updated:
For office use only: 19.
Worth to visit:
None. It is a chemical plant now.
DISCLAIMER:
International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© (formerly known as Dead-Rinks) and Mark Falso are not responsible for your physical and legal injuries you may have caused. We do not endorse such illegal activities including breaking and entry of former rinks, malls, abandoned buildings, etc. Please always obey laws and regulations and property owner's signs. Some states allow purple paint on fence which means they even have guns on their property and have rights to shoot you. Please DO NOT attempt to enter property without permission!
For abandoned rinks, after you receive permission, do WEAR safety OSHA equipment including a safety glasses, pair of safety gloves, an orange vest or a jacket, and a construction helmet.
Thank you for understanding.
Dead Rinks is now International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© because many former names have become new names at the same rinks that are still active and due to much confusion, We have decided that International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© fits better for all rinks including defunct, closed, inactive, rebooted, and rinks that are still active today. For short on this site, it is International Roller Skating Rinks History© Bear with us as we change the entire site page by page each day. Thank you for understanding.
Second of all: The contents including words and photos above on this page and/or on any pages are purely educational entertainment purposes only. I provide what information from other websites, skaters, and operators and it may end up with different results between two (or more) sources. It is not our responsible for errors we caused. All sources are shown on each page. All opinions and statements of mine are also stated and are for purely educational entertainment only.
Rinks that are closed are considered dead. Rinks that are/were sold and with new management names new name(s), the former are considered dead. Previous operating rink that closed but came back years later, are considered dead because the reopening is considered rebooted, nothing to do with the former. Since we are rebooted to allow alive rinks, active rinks, we welcome those active rinks as well. It will be described.
As for “For Office Only” is for my reasoning and private legal reason for that.
Any music associated with any YouTube or any other videos provided on International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© are not the property of International Commercial Archeology Preservation© Group and/or International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© therefore we do not own the rights to the music.
All photos you submitted or we retrieved become property of International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation© and are watermarked but they are credited to you (or where the source is from). Thank you for understanding. To understand more about this, please go to this page: Disclaimer.
© Copyrighted by International Roller Skating Rinks History Foundation©, an International Commercial Archeology Preservation© Group. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 17. Deut. 32:7.