What makes this one unique is that this bottle is from an Italian man. Most of the beer bottlers we know of from Indiana were German.
Michael (Mike) Ronzone was born on September 23, 1879, in Volturara Appula, Foggia, Italy. He immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1903, first settling in Orange, New York. He later moved to South Bend, Indiana, and then came to Elkhart, Indiana, in 1906.
He married Mary Durso on January 20, 1907. Interestingly, they were the first recorded Italian couple to be married in Elkhart. In 1907, Ronzone started a bakery in the rear of his home, which was located at 623 Harrison Street.
In March 1914, his bottling works was raided and he was arrested for running a “blind tiger.” A “blind tiger” was an illegal bar or speakeasy that secretly sold alcohol, especially before and during Prohibition in the United States. The name was used to disguise the business from law enforcement.
In 1915, he erected a building next door at 625 Harrison Street. A Google Street View image from 2023 shows that the building is still standing and still has the “M. RONZONE & SON” nameplate at the top of the brick building, along with the date 1915. A new photo of the building is needed due to Google copyright restrictions.
The bottle was made by The American Bottle Company at the Streator, Illinois, plant. It has an S-14 marking, where the “S” stands for Streator and the “14” represents 1914. It is noted that 1914 was the last year mouth-blown bottles were made at the Streator plant. The Mike Ronzone bottles are considered rare due to a short bottling run. If you have any other examples with different markings, please let us know. It is likely that he only bottled beer in 1914.
He was a dealer of Kamm & Schellinger Beer from at least 1913 to 1916 based on the advertisements we could find.
Mr. Ronzone died at the age of 71 on June 12, 1951, after a long illness that left him bedridden for 15 months.
Sources:
1) The Elkhart Truth (Elkhart, Indiana) — March 15, 1914, page 18
RAID “BLIND TIGER”;
MAKE TWO ARRESTS
Police Swoop Down on Alleged Illicit Dispensary Conducted by Italians on Harrison Street.
In a police raid on a bottling works in Harrison street, made Saturday night, Patrolmen Hummel, Nihart and Engles arrested Mike Ronzone and Mike Horelli, charging them with selling liquor without a license, the police say that the men have been bottling and selling beer to customers, they have no license, it is said.
They were taken to the police station, and later were released to appear for trial next Friday morning.
2) The Elkhart Truth (Elkhart, Indiana) — September 1, 1915, page 4
TO BUILD STOREROOM
ON HARRISON STREET
Building to Cost $6,000 Will be Erected Soon by Michael Ronzone.
Construction of a new brick storeroom on Harrison street, near Sixth, to cost about $6,000, will be commenced at once by Michael Ronzone, who now conducts a grocery and wholesale beer business at 623 Harrison street.
Elkhart City Directory
1914 — Michele Ronzone is listed at 621 Harrison and 625 Harrison as a grocer. Note: “Michele” is the equivalent of the English name “Michael.”
Bottle Type: Pint beer with a hand-tooled blob top.
Embossing: MARK RONZONE / ELKHART, IND.
Glass Maker: A B Co (on base), American Bottle Co.
Other Marks: S-14 (above the heel on the side). The S stands for Streator and the 14 is a date code for 1914.
Notes: The American Bottle Co. put dates on their bottles. This is a one of the last years before they started producing machine made bottles.
Photo Credit: Indiana Bottle Collectors
Date Added: May 10, 2026
