Join us for a fascinating evening of history and community!
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Ricca’s Brick Oven Bistro & Bar, 104 Fairview Ave., Hammonton
Free and open to the public – no membership or RSVP required!
6 PM – Mingling and refreshments
7 PM – Speaker Series We are pleased to announce a second Speaker Series program in January, taking place on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Ricca’s Brick Oven Bistro & Bar, located at 104 Fairview Avenue, Hammonton. Departing from the Society’s usual format, the evening will open at 6:00 PM with informal mingling and refreshments before the 7:00 PM presentation, creating more time for conversation and connection.
Presented by Michael and Thomas Ricca, the program will explore the rich history of the Ricca family, whose roots in Hammonton date back to the late 1800s, when Cosimo Ricca’s parents and grandparents immigrated from Messina, Sicily. Like many early Italian families, they worked as farmers and bakers, helping shape the agricultural and culinary traditions that remain central to Hammonton’s identity today.
Born in 1931, Cosimo Ricca grew up working alongside his family before enlisting in the United States Army and serving as an Airborne Infantry soldier during the Korean War. After completing his service with honor, he returned home and in 1957 founded Vet’s Sunrise Bakery, naming it in tribute to veterans. The bakery quickly became a well-known and respected local business, reflecting both family heritage and a deep commitment to service.
Over the decades, the Ricca family also played a significant role in Hammonton’s commercial and residential development, with properties acquired and developed from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many of which remain familiar landmarks today. In more recent years, the next generation expanded the family’s culinary legacy through ventures including Ricca’s Brick Oven Bistro & Bar and Cannoli Capeesh, blending tradition with new ideas while continuing to serve the community.
The program is free and open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.
The Historical Society of Hammonton is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich, multi-cultural social, economic, and political heritage of our town and its people. Our mission is to increase awareness of Hammonton’s rich history and to establish public access by collecting, conserving, interpreting, and promoting it to the widest possible audience.
Our Museum, built in 1887, is a treasure in itself. Formerly the Hammonton Town Hall, it also served as a Town Library and Kindergarten. Located in Hammonton Veterans Memorial Park, it is open to the public on Saturdays from 11 AM to 2 PM. We’re open other days by appointment or happenstance. If you see the OPEN flag flying, come on in!
If you can’t attend the presentation, you can find them on our YouTube channel, or you can come in and play back recordings of this and dozens of other past presentations. Monthly meetings and presentations are typically held on the first Thursday of each month.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs within the Department of State, through funds administered by the Atlantic County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.