Englewood Golf Club and Organized Crime

Founded in 1896, the Englewood Golf Club was one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States and hosted major tournaments including the 1909 U.S. Open. For decades it served as a social center for Bergen County's business and professional elite. By the mid-twentieth century, however, the club had changed from an exclusive private club into a more commercially operated facility that attracted entertainers, athletes, labor leaders, and political figures.

During the 1950s the club became well known as a gathering place for celebrities. Comedians Phil Foster, Joey Bishop, Buddy Hackett, and Dick Shawn were among those who held interests in the club, while athletes such as Willie Mays and Whitey Ford were frequent visitors.

The club's most controversial period began after Interstate 95 cut through the property in the early 1960s, causing financial difficulties. In 1964 a company connected to labor leader Anthony Scotto became involved in operating the club. At the time, Scotto was a rising official in the International Longshoremen's Association and later became one of the most prominent figures associated with the Brooklyn waterfront. Contemporary reports noted that several reputed organized crime figures were seen at the club, including Genovese crime family leader Thomas Eboli, New Jersey mob figure Angelo DeCarlo, Teamsters official Anthony Provenzano, and professional gambler Frank Erickson. According to later accounts, state authorities warned that the club's liquor license could be jeopardized if such individuals continued to frequent the facility.

The strongest evidence linking the club to organized crime comes from statements made in 1968 by Bergen County Prosecutor Guy W. Calissi. Speaking publicly, Calissi stated that his office had identified dozens of Bergen County residents allegedly connected to organized crime and specifically named Thomas Eboli of Fort Lee, whom he described as the acting boss of New York operations for the Genovese crime family. Calissi said Eboli was a member of the Englewood Golf Club and that both his office and the FBI had conducted surveillance of the club. He further stated that Eboli had been observed there with other reputed organized crime figures.

Importantly, Calissi acknowledged that the surveillance had not resulted in arrests and remarked, "You can't arrest people for playing golf." His comments suggested that law enforcement viewed the club as a place where suspected organized crime figures socialized rather than as a location where criminal acts were being openly conducted.

A 1976 retrospective history of the club reinforced this reputation. The article noted that after the club encountered financial and management troubles during the 1960s, it became the subject of a "Mafia watch" by Prosecutor Calissi. The same article described the club as having endured both financial difficulties and unwanted publicity associated with organized crime figures before its eventual decline and closure.

The Englewood Golf Club ultimately closed in 1977. Although its final years were marked by financial problems, liquor-license disputes, and allegations involving some of its patrons, no evidence has surfaced showing that the club itself was controlled by organized crime. Instead, the historical record indicates that it became a prominent social venue where several individuals identified by law enforcement as members or associates of organized crime were known to gather. Its reputation during the 1960s reflected broader concerns about organized crime's presence in Bergen County, leading both local prosecutors and the FBI to keep the club under observation.

UPI, "Mafia in Bergen — Calissi; Englewood Club Being Watched" (1968).

“Englewood Golf Club.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 May 2024.

“Englewood Golf Club.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 May 2024.