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.
Recently he came to StoryCorps with his mom, Suzanne, to remember the toughest guy they ever knew.
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Originally aired March 14, 2025, on NPR’s Morning Edition.