Picture Windsor Locks - Then And Now

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — This week, we revive a popular periodic column highlighting Windsor Locks businesses and landmarks from years gone by, and what those sites look like today.

Today's trip back in time brings us to a gem from the magnificent photo collection of Mel Montemerlo, a longtime local resident who has painstakingly compiled multiple publications of photos and stories of Windsor Locks history.

This picture features the Rialto Theater at 154 Main Street, just south of Oak Street. The photo also shows Swede Jewelers and Syd's Modern Drug. It was likely taken in 1967, as the John Wayne film "El Dorado" was released June 7 of that year.

Excerpts from Montemerlo's research about the Rialto are presented here:

"The Rialto Theater opened on Oct. 25, 1922, owned by Dominick Alfano and Leo Viola. They built a magnificent movie theater which held 625 people, a stage with an asbestos curtain, a fireproof projection room, concrete floors and stairways, and it was all built to the latest safety standards. It also had two stores to rent on the street level.

"The stage was used for putting on plays and musicals. It was often used for high school plays. Fraternal organizations used the stage for shows to raise money for charitable works. It was used as a place for politicians to give speeches, and for meetings of both the local Democrat and Republican parties. The stage was used for school graduations. In the World War II years, there were stars such as Kate Smith and Joan Fontaine, who came to the Rialto and did war bond rallies.

"Dave Magliora managed the Rialto Theater for 25 years. He also owned the Brown Derby for eight years. He died on June 18, 1973.

"Viola and Alfano owned the Rialto from 1922 until Viola died in 1930. It was sold to Natale Tambussi in 1947, and he owned it until 1960. After that, it was owned by Michael Halperin of Hartford.

"The Rialto Theater, along with all of the businesses on Main Street, were demolished in the mid-1970s during the redevelopment of the Main Street area."

Here is another photo from Montemerlo's collection, taken from the opposite angle, showing the building shortly before demolition began.

The site is currently occupied by a 4-store plaza, built in 1986, containing CVS Pharmacy, Windsor Locks Liquors, Subway and Dunkin' Donuts. Here is a 2023 view from Google Maps.

Do you have a photo of an old Windsor Locks business which no longer exists, to which you own the copyright, and which we could feature in this column? Email tim.jensen@patch.com.