A mural at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach.
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in July, has grown from a small business in Point Pleasant Beach to a brand that is no joke in the tri-state area.
Brothers Dino and Jerry Ibelli credit their upbringing with providing them with “more value and knowledge than any textbook could give you.” According to the Uncle Vinnie’s website, “It is very hard to explain to people unless you are from Belleville or the surrounding towns. It provided a lot of special times, special memories, special people, and a lot of knowledge about life. Growing up in this area has molded us into better people and we will always be honored to say where we came from.”
In September 2003, they purchased the Point Pleasant Beach Italian restaurant Ferrera’s Ristorante & Fine Desserts, with a candle shop as a subtenant. The candle shop closed and they transformed it into an event space that could accommodate 50 to 70 people for occasions such as rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, baby showers, christenings and even small weddings. However, they realized Wednesday nights were always unbooked. Dino had opened a hotel comedy club in the ’90s, and so they decided to start Wednesday comedy nights.
“The comedy exploded and overtook the whole place,” Dino says.
Rich Vos performs at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club.
With the event space becoming more popular than the restaurant, the brothers closed Ferrera’s and tore down the middle wall to create a larger venue that could accommodate more than 100 people and attract bigger acts. They named the club after their father to honor him after he died in a car accident.
Dino said his dad taught him to “never accept no for an answer and always want more,” two philosophies that he believes have helped him succeed in business and life.
Comedian Joe Scrocca Jr., who participated in Uncle Vinnie’s New Talent Event, described working with Dino as very straightforward and professional.
“He was matter of fact,” said Scrocca, ” ‘This is what I’m looking for, this is what I expect.’ I thought it was very professional. Some people want to be stroked and have their head patted, but it’s nice to know upfront what the situation is and take it from there.”
The club has a tough jokester aesthetic. The logo features a cartoon of an old-style gangster leaning against a lamp post clock, smoking a cigar and holding a gun alongside a street sign covered in bullet holes. The club prominently displays its rules and various notices on metal-textured signs.
It also features a mural of a fun bar scene painted by Hali Crystal of Crystal Clear Art Studio. The stage faces a dining area, with an exposed brick wall as a backdrop.
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club offers a dinner-and-a-show format, serving meals, such as sliced prime rib, grilled salmon and beef tenderloin, with a rotating menu. It is BYOB, with a Wine Outlet liquor store located next door.
DAMARIS CHANZA
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Although located in a beach town, the club still flourishes during the off-season. “In the summertime, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk is the No. 1 thing to do, but from October to May, we’re the No. 1 thing to do,” says Dino.
Comedians scheduled to perform at the club this month include Eric Tartaglione (Oct. 9-10), Corey Rodrigues (Oct. 11-12), Eric McMahon (Oct. 16-17), Ken Flores (Oct. 18-19), Robert Kelly (Oct. 24 and 26) and Jay Mohr (Oct. 25). Dino says his criteria for comics to get onto the schedule is simple: “Be funny.”
Uncle Vinnie’s has grown beyond the limits of its Jersey Shore location, producing shows at The Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan, The American Hotel in Freehold and The Dunellen Theatre.
“The abundance of theater shows we have coming up is kind of crazy,” says Dino. “It’s almost unheard of for a small business.
“What made us successful was the way we were brought up: never accepting anything as enough. The sky is the limit.”
For more on the shows Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club is presenting in Point Pleasant Beach and elsewhere, visit unclevinniescomedyclub.com.
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