Greenport
and Whaling were one word in the 1800s. Vessels from all over the world sailed
into our waters and looked for a safe harbor like Greenport to replenish their
supplies and re-kindle their spirits for the next long voyage in search of the
mighty gargantuans of the sea.
In 1854
the Portuguese Whaler “Neva”, from Fayal in the Azores, docked in Greenport
with a whaler on board named Manuel Claudio. For the next 16 years the “Neva”
set sail from Greenport on even longer and more arduous journeys, sometimes
sailing for “two years before the mast.” In 1870, Manuel garnered enough to set
foot ashore, never to sail again, and open “Claudio’s Tavern” It has been in
the family with a Claudio at the helm ever since.
History
surrounds you in this National Historic Registered Building, circa 1845. The
magnificent Victorian bar was installed in 1886 by Manuel who salvaged it from
an old hotel being torn down in New York’s Bowery in 1885. At the end of the
bar is the beautiful mirrored hardwood saloon door which served as the summer
entrance.
During
prohibition, Claudio’s, now under Frank Claudio, Manuel’s nephew from Portugal,
became a fine French restaurant downstairs, while the upstairs became a lively
place for imbibing in the illegal spirits that found their way by the boatload
from the southern islands through Greenport on the way to the City. Behind the
glass door at the left of the bar is a dumb waiter that let the folks
downstairs join in the fun too, sipping on their “water” glasses.
Throughout
the east end of Long Island, bootlegging had become big business!! In the dark
of the night, and preferably in the heaviest fog, they would race for port and
often glide into the harbor and under Claudio’s, which then sat on stilts,
off-load their goods through trap doors for the later trip west. One trap door
still exists behind the bar – now used to handle utility services under the
building.
In the
late twenties, Greenport became the mecca for our country’s sailing forays in
defense of “The America’s Cup”, which was wrested from England in 1851 by the
yacht “America”. Around the walls of Claudio’s hang photographs and artifacts
from our cup defenders including the great “J” boat racing ships. Many were
outfitted by S.T. Preston’s just across the street from Claudio’s. Over the
front porch windows of Claudio’s you will find a piece of the main mast and the
lower spreaders of the yacht “Enterprise”, Commodore Vanderbilt’s east-end crew
who successfully defended the 1930 Cup Race.
For
fifty-plus years Bill Claudio Sr. carefully guided Claudio’s. He did a
wonderful job preserving Claudio’s as one of the most historic and well-known
dining and boating sites on Long Island. In 1990, we, the fourth generation of
Claudio’s, embarked on the continuing voyage. We are proud of our 142nd
Anniversary in 2012 and recognition by the National Restaurant Association as
the oldest, same family run Greenport restaurants in the United States.
