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Listen Now to WYEP’s Pittsburgh Performance Project audio profile of Mancini's Lounge


Mancini's Lounge


"If it was a blues band, then you had that type of atmosphere for that night; if it was a rock and roll band, then it was a little bit more action, as you say it. Let’s put it this way, it was never a dull moment." – Nicky Mancini, on Mancini’s Lounge, which was run by his father Tony

Mancini’s Lounge was located on Island Avenue in the McKees Rocks area, one of several business owned by the Mancini family spanning back at least two generations. As Tony Mancini grew older, he took a significant role in the ownership and management of the Lounge, while his siblings moved on to other family businesses.

Mancini's Map

Mancini’s Lounge got its start in the Pittsburgh live music scene by first bringing in local bands of all genres. As Tony Mancini’s children grew older, the Lounge, too, matured, bringing in national acts like Muddy Waters, Jon Lee Hooker, The Pretenders, Pat Benetar, George Thorougood, The Edgar Winter Group, and many more performers ranging from blues, to jazz, to rock and roll and even punk rock.

Despite its diverse offerings and family ties, Mancini’s Lounge closed in the late 1980s as many more bars and venues opened up in areas like Pittsburgh’s South Side.