HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Main St. Icon

There are two artifacts from Main St. in Salisbury that evoke memories of a bygone era. One is the “Big Shoe” that graced the front of E. Homer White’s shoe store and is now on display through the end of September at the Ward Museum courtesy of the Wicomico Historical Society and the Nabb Center. In fact, the history of Salisbury from 1609-1909 is featured in the great display put on by the Nabb Center

The other is the Peanut Roaster of Tom Cinno. The artifact is currently stored at the Heritage Center, but might soon reside in the Nabb Center’s permanent exhibit on Salisbury history.

The above pictures show Tom Cinno’s grandson, also named Tom, outside the confectionery at 243 Main St. (old address – presently 229-231A W. Main St.). The peanut roaster is clearly visible in the picture and can be compared with the picture of the roaster as it looks now. The roaster was rolled out in front of the confectionery every day and not around town as some people thought. Behind the current false front on the building is a gas hook-up for the roaster. The bags of hot roasted peanuts were a tradition on Main St. from the 1920’s through WWII. On chilly winter evenings, downtown shoppers would buy two bags and use them to warm their hands in their pockets. Many a bag was sold to the attendees of the old Ulman Theater across the street. In those days the city’s street sweeper was a man with a push cart and broom. He swept up Main St. and many a peanut shell.

Tom Cinno changed his name to Cinno when he came to America in the early part of the Twentieth Century. The family name was Cimino (pronounced “cha mino”) but he Americanized it as did a lot of early immigrants. I have also heard the story from his granddaughter that his peanut bags were printed “Cimino’s Peanuts” and that the company from which he obtained the bags misprinted an order to read “Cinno’s Peanuts”. He couldn’t afford to throw the bags away and order more, so he used them. After that he was known as Tom Cinno. Every reference I can find refers to him as Tom Cinno. The first listing is the Salisbury City Directory of 1921. I was intrigued by this because I knew his son, Sam, and his two grandchildren. His grandson, also Tom, was born in the 1930’s and I always knew him as Tom Cinno. However, his sister, Nona, was a year ahead of me at St. Francis and I always knew her as Nona Cimino. Tom now goes by the name on his birth certificate – Tom Cimino.

Another fascinating bit of information is the fact that when he came over from Italy, he came with his best friend, Johnny Testa. They both worked in Louisiana, Chicago and Baltimore to get enough money to bring their families over. They finally settled in Salisbury. Johnny’s son was also named Johnny and, along with Sam Cerniglia started what was to become the premier restaurant in Salisbury for many years – Johnny’s and Sammy’s.