INTRODUCTION
The Clifton Vikings Social and Athletic Club was founded in 1936 in the Botany/East Clifton area of Clifton, NJ. For sports, the club fielded baseball, softball, basketball, bowling and other teams but its primary sport was semi-pro football. For social activities, the Vikings sponsored dances, trips to Broadway shows, fishing expeditions, picnics and other family events.
The Vikings were preceded by the famous Clifton Wessingtons football team and social club. Among the Wessingtons’ many opponents were the Philadelphia Eagles.
Postwar, many of the Vikings also played for the Hawthorne (NJ) Cardinals.
One Viking (“honorary”, because he was a few years older), Eugene “Sparky” Zadra, played for the NY Giants for $35.00 a game. A “mascot” of the team, a few years younger than the regulars, was Ray Malavasi, who went on to play for other local teams, college ball down South, and eventually the NFL. He coached the LA Rams to a Super Bowl win.
This collection was compiled by Gelsie Mazzer, wife of Neno (Moon) Mazzer, a running back on the Vikings for many years (and on the Hawthorne Cardinals).
“Viking [19]40 City Champs” patch. The city undoubtedly meant Clifton, NJ.
First page of a Vikings program
Second page of a Vikings program, with the roster. Note that there are many Italian names. The families of most of them came from northern Italy; they settled in Clifton to work in the woolen and silk mills there and in the adjoining towns of Passaic and Paterson.
Third page of a Vikings program, with the coaching staff, etc.
Last page of a Vikings program, an advertisement for The Sugar Bowl (gone by the 1950s). The reference to “across the street” meant on Lexington Ave. across from Nash Park in Clifton, home field for the Vikings
1. Vikings membership card for Neno (Moon) Mazzer, back, No. 22
2. Vikings dance ticket
3. Paycheck for football game (probably for Hawthorne (NJ) Cardinals, not for Vikings) payable to Neno Mazzer
1 & 2. Viking dance tickets
3. Venue for many of their dances, the Cliftonia, an old inn (now gone) across the street from Nash Park in Clifton, home field for the Vikings
Vikings injury fund benefit flyer. It refers to “semi-pro teams every Friday night at the Co-operative Hall”. Since that would be indoors, that obviously means basketball, not football. The Co-operative Hall is that of the Italian-American Co-op (formally called the Italian-American Family Association of Clifton, NJ). The Co-op and the hall still exist, and many events are held there.
Rosters of Ridgewood (NJ) Alumni A.A. and the Vikings (the visiting team)
Four photos of Viking members
Top left: Vikings posing in formation on East Clifton Ave. Lou De Molli at center.
Top right: Ramon Egatz
Bottom left: Unidentified Viking softball player and child (who is Louis De Molli, son of No. 21, Guard Lou De Molli, at about age 3)
Bottom right: Pyramid of Vikings. Charles Triolo (team “doctor”) at bottom left; Moon Mazzer, head poking out between legs; Bruno Mazzer, sitting in middle on left; Louis De Molli, head poking out near the top.
Five newspaper articles about Vikings games. Most likely the majority of articles were from The Herald-News of Passaic-Clifton, NJ.
Six newspaper articles about Vikings games.
Five newspaper articles about Vikings games.
Four photos of Vikings in uniform
Top left: No. 22, Moon Mazzer
Top right: No. 12 is Frank Triolo, No. 53 may be Frank Chavanne, No. 33 may be Bob Graglia, No. 28 may be Bill Simpson and No. 21 is Lou De Molli. The unidentified staff person may be Coach Vic Dragon.
Bottom left: No. 35 is unidentified; No. 32 is Harry Pami and No. 18 is Hugh Borri
Bottom right: Coach Vic Dragon. Clifton HS in background
Four photos of Vikings in uniform.
Top left: No. 34 may be Chute Tuzzeo (or James Martin)
Top right: No, 40 looks like George Linzenbold (but may be Rudy Paulica)
Bottom left: No. 22 is Moon Mazzer; No. 11 probably is Ezio De Molli
Congratulations (to the Vikings) on the back of a program, from Frank Blatz’s Café
Top: Photo of marching band
Bottom: Caricature of Neno (Moon) Mazzer, No. 22 (presented to him at a Clifton Sag-a-Bits event; the Sag-a-Bits were an outgrowth of the Vikings social organization, after the athletes’ bodies started to droop a bit).
Nostalgic newspaper article about the Vikings, probably from the 1980s, around the time of their 50th anniversary.
July 11, 1979 newspaper article about an up-coming Viking reunion, with some of their history.
1986 newspaper photo and caption, from The Dateline Sunday, about the Vikings 50th anniversary celebration.
Top: Newspaper article about Vikings 50th anniversary.
Middle: Photo of Vikings cutting 50th anniversary cake. Front row, from left: Ray Egatz, Lou De Molli (No. 21, guard), Ed DeVido, Bob Graglia (No. 19, tackle); back row; Larry Martinelli, Bill Pavlick (No. 00, halfback).
Bottom: Photo of Vikings cutting cake. Same members as above (Bill Pavlick is hidden) plus one unidentified man on extreme right.
Commemorative medal from Vikings 50th anniversary.
1941 football patch. The “V” could stand for “Vikings” or, because of the maroon-and-gray color, probably for “Varsity” on the Clifton (NJ) High School Mustangs.
Patches & Matches 
