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Pictured Above Is The Modern Day Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama
Editors Note: The Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama, located nine miles east of Downtown Pittsburgh, is where I got my start in the game of bowling. And began to stock pile my wealth of knowledge of the sport. The tenpinexpress.com, would like to congratulate the Palangio family on celebrating its 50th year of ownership of the bowling center in 2016.
Taking Care Of Its Customers Over The Years, Is Main Factor, In Bowl-A-Rama Celebrating Its 50th Year.
The Palangio Family Produced Two Bowling Champions. 27 300 Games Have Also Been Rolled In Its History.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg - Managing Editor the tenpinexpress.com - Director Mesa Metro Association
Swissvale, Pa. - - - Located about nine miles east of Downtown Pittsburgh, off of I-376 East. The Borough of Swissvale, is your typical Western Pennsylvania blue-collar small town USA.
To the 10,000 or so, who call this town home, they take pride in two things: working very hard at their jobs, and taking care of their families on the median income that comes with these jobs. And, these family values have been passed down from generation after generation.
The Borough of Swissvale was incorporated into a borough on July 30,1898. And celebrated its 100th birthday on July 30,1998. Prior to becoming a borough, it was known as the 'Hamlet' from 1850-1866. Its name was changed again to 'The Village' from 1866-1898.
The Borough of Swissvale, was named after a farm that was owned by James Swisshelm. George Westinghouse, an industrialist, and President of Westinghouse Air Brake Company, formed the Union Switch and Signal which occupied South Braddock Avenue for years. The old Union Switch and Signal site is now part of the Edgewood Town Center Mall.
Swissvale also has been home to some notable people throughout its history. It was home to Duke University basketball and Pittsburgh Pirates star Dick Groat, screenwriter Agnes Christine Johnson, and television inventor Vladimir K. Zwarykid.
"Swissvale, like many small towns in the Mon-Valley has gone 'down hill' a bit over the past 50 years, but the community is always trying to modernize and renovate," said Anthony Palangio, who along with his sister Carol, have owned the Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama since their father Frank retired in 1985. "We are one of the oldest businesses in town (they are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2016), but I'm sure there are a few that are equal or older than us (Nied's Funeral Home possibly, and the Triangle Bar)."
Back in the 60s, Swissvale was definitely a family affair when it came to family owned businesses. Besides the: Bowl-A-Rama, Nied's Funeral Home, and the Triangle Bar. The Dairy Queen, Granna's Market, Kromaly Printing, Perla Electric, Sheetz Candies, Swissvale Beer Distributor, Pixi Studio, and Isly's Village Dairy, were other family owned businesses that shared the business district with the Bowl-A-Rama.
But, the Bowl-A-Rama still remains as the anchoring business at 2023 Noble Street. It is an eight lane AMF 82-30 pinsetter equipped center which features synthetic lanes and automatic scoring.
Prior to becoming a bowling center in 1959, Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama was a grocery store and a movie theatre.
"By luck really, my mother's brother married into a family that owned a larger bowling center (Strand Lanes in Oakland), and they were looking for a mechanically inclined individual to oversee their new pinspotters," said Anthony, on how his parents got into the bowling business. "My dad was a plumber and pretty handy, and his brother-in-law recommended him. They managed the center for a couple of years, before purchasing it in 1966. The rest is history."
The 60s and 70s were definitely the time to own a bowling center. If you ever walked into the Bowl-A-Rama during a weekday league night, it would not be uncommon to find an early and late shift of leagues with a full house. The Acorn Club, The Bowl-A-Rama Business Men's League, and The Greater Pittsburgh Metropolitan Travel League, were three of the notable leagues it had in its early days.
"Almost immediately," said Anthony, on how long it took his parents to build up a good solid base of customers and leagues once they secured ownership. "They were customer-relations oriented people and bowling was in a thriving mode during those years. Good customer service and a clean establishment kept their bowlers happy and kept them coming back."
Once you became a league bowler at the Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama, you immediately became an extended member of the Palangio family. Frank and Vera, Anthony and Carol's parents, made it a point to get to know you personally and greeted you by your first name. It's a practice that the kids have continued since they took over the role of proprietors of the center.
The Palangio family has made cosmetic changes to the Bowl-A-Rama during the last 31 years as well. Beginning in 1973, the store front used to be a glass enclosure with the concourse on the street level. The glass storefront was taken out, and a brick facade was put in place. The street level concourse was also raised to the height of the lanes. Synthetic lanes and automatic scoring was installed in 1998. In 2010, a second floor party room, Frank's Place, was added.
"We are always thinking," said Anthony, on any future cosmetic projects. "My father would be proud of what this business has turned into."
Before the kids took over the bowling center, the Bowl-A-Rama was also known as a tough place to bowl in. But, Alex Shand, started to change that perception in 1985, when he rolled the first perfect game in its history. Alex also rolled perfect games in 1987 and 1990. Since then, a total of 27 have been rolled. On January 6, 2015, Tyson Coulverson rolled the highest sanctioned series in its history, an 838. Randy Pelk rolled the first ever sanctioned 800 series on April 3, 2014, with an 802.
"We have since replaced the kickbacks," noted Anthony, on how much the scoring has improved in his center. "And with a sanctioned technology lane machine, it has made a world of difference with the scoring as well."
The Palangio's also have two bowling champions in the family; Carol is the 1979 'Greater Pittsburgh Championship Bowling Women's Champion.' (The local bowling show aired on WTAE-TV.) And Tony's son, Antonio is the 2008-2009 PA State High School Bowling Champion.
"This was a nice feather in our cap on both of them," said Anthony, of the two family champions. "But, I think we got more PR from Carol, since it was on television."
He says he does not have a favorite Swissvale Bowl-A-Rama memory, because there are too many to count.
"Nothing major," said Anthony, when asked if his family was going to do anything special marking its 50th year in bowling. "I would like to post on Facebook, and get feedback from our bowlers as to their favorite memories. And/or the lifelong friends they made as a result of the bowling establishment."
In the fall of 1974, a very shy and over weight teenager walked into the Bowl-A-Rama for the first time to join a junior league. After joining the league, this teenager became fast friends with the Palangio family. And, after bowling in a junior league for a couple of years, this teenager was able to secure a part-time work study position during his senior year at Swissvale Area HS.
This teenager still has four very fond memories of that year. They are: getting interested in the game of bowling, getting out of school in the afternoon and working there, being taught the customer service skills by the Palangio family, that he still practices today, and losing 78 pounds. He dropped his weight from 278 to 200 by graduation day.
"I thought you were a dedicated employee, and always worked hard," said Anthony, of the author of this story. "As far as being the favorite employee, I seem to recall you were our only employee."
And, the rest is history.
National Bowling News - September 13, 2016