Vespe Compound

USA / New Jersey / Tavistock /
 Upload a photo
Large house built by the Italian American legitimate businessman Basil Vespe. Became a well known in the area for its lavish Christmas displays that decked out the entire property in lights, large hanging decorations and, in later years, live action nativity scenes and stable animals. The displays would attract drive by viewers from miles around and backed up traffic on Warwick road to such an extent that the police had to mange traffic.

Basil ultimately ended up in jail for tax evasion and other racketeering related charges, but the family soldiered on until other members ended up behind bars and Basil's eventually death forcing the compound to be sold and the Christmas events to come to an end.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°53'2"N   75°2'12"W

Comments

  • His Christmas displays were awesome. There used to be a very, very large stone at the street end of the driveway with "VESPE" engraved in it. That alone had to be very expensive.
  • I worked for basil. When it rained and his concrete projects were on hold we (3 men)would work in his house for the day changing light bulbs !! Basil would have a 20 man crew work at his house two months before Christmas to prepare the light display. I remember him ordering a crane to be pulled off the Trenton state college job so we could hang icecicles from the large pine trees in front of his house . I recall one Christmas eve the town ordered him to dismantle the live manger. He said "these are my pets " and walked a white horse through his house with the news reporter present . He was always good to us .
This article was last modified 15 years ago