It’s not unheard of for commotion to erupt in and around Anthony’s bar in Vandergrift.
“There’s typically fights in the parking lot right here,” said Kristen Hawley, who lives across the street from the bar.
But gunshots are a first.
Two people opened fire early Sunday morning, wounding each other and a bystander, and rattling the residents of Longfellow Street, a mostly residential strip in the borough’s western half.
Those who observed the aftermath from their homes described people fleeing the bar and a crush of emergency vehicles — though few claim to have heard the shots.
The shooting was first reported to police shortly after midnight. Investigators were there for nearly three hours, according to residents who spoke to TribLive later Sunday.
Vandergrift police Chief Joe Caporali said it was an altercation that spiraled out of control.
His department, along with the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office, is interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage to learn more.
Any charges would be premature at this stage, Caporali said, and will be filed by county detectives when appropriate.
The three victims, all males in their 20s or 30s, are recuperating in area hospitals, said Caporali. He had no further updates on their conditions.
The incident also revealed a divide among residents, many of whom have lived on the street for decades, about whether the nearly 50-year-old business is a lingering nuisance or respectable establishment caught in the crossfire of personal grievances.
“They’re a good family,” resident Karen Hoover said of owner Linda Massari and her son, John. “It’s so sad that it had to happen there. As far as bars goes, it’s a good bar.”
Massari, who was at the bar Monday morning, declined to comment.
Caporali’s assessment of the place aligns more with that of Hoover than Hawley.
“It’s normally a quiet bar,” he said. “It’s not a problem bar by any means.”
According to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board records, the bar only has been fined once — a $650 penalty for allowing some form of gambling on the premises.
State police did not immediately answer whether its Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement has any pending actions against the establishment.
Anthony’s, also known as the Longfellow Hotel, was founded in 1976 by Anthony Massari. He died in 2007.
Though not a hotel in the traditional sense, there are several apartment units above the bar that see high turnover, according to Caporali.