AMERICAN HAUNTINGS GHOST HUNTS
NIGHT AT THE CHARITON CAFE
ST. LOUIS HAUNTED MANSION
4301 SOUTH BROADWAY
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
$48 PER PERSON | SEE DATES BELOW!
OCTOBER 18, 2025:
november 15, 2025:
The history of 4301 South Broadway begins in the late 1800s when the corner was first home to a thriving neighborhood tavern. As with many establishments along St. Louis’ South Broadway, the saloon catered to blue-collar factory and river workers, local families, and immigrants looking for community and entertainment. Its early years reflected the growth of the city’s post-Civil War industrial boom, when taverns and corner bars functioned as both social and political gathering places.
The next significant moment in the building's history arrived in the 1920s, when it became a soda fountain parlor owned by Joseph Banker. The saloon had been closed during Prohibition — when it was illegal to buy, sell, and manufacture alcohol in America. Many taverns converted to “soda parlors,” while continuing to operate in secret as speakeasies, selling bootleg liquor. In March 1927, Banker was robbed of $40 by two gunmen, who then locked him in his icebox. A few weeks later, Banker decided he’d had enough and he put the soda fountain, along with a barbecue stand, on the market.
It sold the following year, and the new owner was Theodore “Ted” Wieland, who had been born in St. Louis in 1894. Like his father, Wieland became a Teamster and went to work for the Central Transfer Company. When he was 23, he married Nora Kennedy, and they had two sons: William, who was born in 1916, and Theodore Jr., born in 1922.
By 1927, Central Transfer was losing business to the larger Columbia Terminals Company and would eventually be taken over by the larger freight company in 1934. Possibly because of the declining fortunes of his employer, Wieland purchased Joseph Banker's soda drink parlor and barbecue stand at 4301 South Broadway in 1928.
THE CHARITON CAFE YEARS
The Wieland family continued to run the soda drink parlor, likely to the end of Prohibition. They operated their barbecue stand inside the soda drink parlor. and they also moved their family home to 2734 Chariton, next door to their newly acquired business. Soon, they transformed the place into the Chariton Cafe, and the restaurant and bar became well-known for its hearty food, drinks, and lively atmosphere. Under the Wielands’ ownership, the Chariton became a recognizable fixture in the neighborhood, popular for its barbecued meats, fowl, and seafood.
By 1942, William Wieland was working alongside his father at the restaurant, with his younger brother Theodore Jr. also helping out. But in 1943, the Chariton was forced to close, citing shortages of food and help during World War II. William had joined the Army, and Theodore, Jr. was already in the Navy. Ted Wieland said he found it impossible to stay open without help from their sons, and because it was becoming impossible to obtain the chickens, frog legs, and quality meats they depended on. "We are going to board up the windows and have the place just as it is until the war is over and we can resume business," Wieland told a newspaper reporter. "Incidentally, we are preparing a large sign to be placed in front, urging everyone to buy war bonds."
In September 1943, though, the Chariton reopened for carry-out service only, offering fried chicken and barbecue. They struggled until the end of the war. Then, in October 1946, the "New Chariton Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge" reopened their dining room, serving "delicious dinners and sandwiches" and "excellent drinks" made from their "large stock of fine pre-war whiskey." A favorite dish at The Chariton became the whole fried jumbo frog with tartar sauce.
The Chariton continued to thrive under the Wielands’ guidance into the 1950s, but after Ted died in 1956, a series of tragedies, hardships, and scandals followed. On January 7, 1961, Theodore Jr. died after being struck by an automobile while vacationing with his brother in Naples, Florida. He was only 38 years old. The mix of history from this period still haunts the building today.
JOE TANGARO’S CHARITON
William Wieland sold the Chariton in 1964 to the famous professional wrestler Joe Tangaro.
Joseph Frank "Joe" Tangaro was born and raised in Price, Utah, where he attended Carbon High School and stood out as a star athlete. At the University of Utah, he played football, becoming an all-conference lineman, and led the wrestling team to many victories. This led to his career as a professional wrestler, often appeared in bouts at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. Tangaro eventually moved to St. Louis and, in 1964, purchased The Chariton from William Wieland.
The restaurant at 4301 South Broadway was renamed “Joe Tangaro's Chariton,” although locals and long-time customers just called it by its old name. Joe had changed it, but the menu still offered whole Louisiana frogs, with tartar sauce, and lots of barbecue.
Joe’s presence brought a new layer of notoriety to the Chariton, blending St. Louis’ sports culture with the building’s already colorful past. Events from his time here further deepened the lore surrounding the place, intertwining community memory, organized crime connections, and stories that remain part of the building’s mystery today.
Joe continued operating the restaurant until 1983, when he was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. In 1984, he closed The Chariton.
Then, in November of 1986, Dushan Manjencich reopened The Chariton. He already ran a restaurant in Soulard and wanted to take the Chariton back to the way it was during the Wieland era — “a neighborhood kind of place where you can get good food at moderate prices. And I really enjoy it when some of the old-timers come in here and tell me what it was like here when they used to eat here.” One of those old-timers was Joe Tangaro, who taught him how to make the special tartar sauce they used for carryout fish dinners.
This last version of the Chariton lasted only until the end of 1988. In late 1990, the space became Broussard's Cajun Cuisine. It closed by 1997. While Louisiana frogs with tartar sauce are no longer offered here — the former Chariton has other surprises hiding behind its walls.
ST. LOUIS HAUNTED MANSION
What endures across all the eras of the building is that the Chariton’s identity is more than just brick and mortar. From saloon to cafe, to Joe Tangaro’s chapter, and beyond, the building has stood as a witness to shifting neighborhood culture, resilience, and shadowy history. It remains a place where the line between the past and the present feels remarkably thin, a quality that continues to draw researchers, storytellers, and seekers of the supernatural.
The former Chariton Cafe hides many secrets — from the vestiges of former businesses to mysterious corners, bullet holes in the walls, and passageways that don’t lead to places where you’d expect. Since the building has reopened as an event space known as the St. Louis Haunted Mansion, numerous visitors have experienced more than their share of ghostly happenings. It’s a place where coming face-to-face with diners, drinkers, and staff members from the past is almost expected.
Doors that open and close.
Lights that turn on and off.
Mysterious footsteps pace the floors.
Voices, cries, and eerie sounds have been recorded.
Apparitions have been seen.
Join American Hauntings as we take you behind these storied walls, unveil the building’s sensational history, help you to explore its chilling past, and guide you during your late-night visit in search of the lingering spirits from the Chariton’s past. Only a LIMITED number of guests will join us, so if you have the nerve, make sure you’re on the list!
Thanks to Nicole Graeler | Research provided by Monica Zidaru