Joe Maslanka Was Known for his Kind Heart and His Barroom Brawls

Joe Maslanka was a local legend in the small town of  Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He arrived in 1971, bought a local bar, kicked out the biker gang who hung out there, and moved in upstairs with his young family. 

“I remember the jukebox was under my bedroom, and the music was always going,” said his son, Joe Jr.  

Suzanne and Joe Maslanka Sr. pose with friends at their bar, the Evansburg Inn, in Collegeville, PA.

Recently he came to StoryCorps with his mom, Suzanne, to remember the toughest guy they ever knew.

Joe Maslanka Jr. poses with his parents, Suzanne and Joe Maslanka Sr., and his prom date (unknown). The family lived above the bar. 

Top Photo: Joe Maslanka Jr. and his mom, Suzanne Maslanka in Richmond, VA on December 30, 2024. By Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro, for StoryCorps.

This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Originally aired March 14, 2025, on NPR’s Morning Edition.