The tin ceiling is seldom seen or remarked upon, for it is hidden from view by the thousands of things that dangle over the heads of customers at Chiodo's Tavern.

The leather boots of a World War II German officer, the water canteen of a U.S. soldier, a gas mask and canister, a hand-operated coffee grinder, steel mill tools, train lanterns, vintage shoes, a whaling harpoon, football helmets and so much more hang from the ceiling of the century-old building.

And then there are the brassieres -- dozens of them, in all sizes and colors.

It's simply a Chiodo's tradition.

"The young ladies, they come in here and get in a mood" Joe Chiodo himself explains, and the next thing you know, another bra has been added to the ceiling display.

"There's some fine lingerie up there," said David Barlow, of Munhall. "My wife, Bonne, was down here for her bachelorette party six years ago and that's when she gave it up."

Barlow has been a Chiodo's regular since then, which would make him a veritable newcomer in a bar that opened its doors in 1947.

If the ceiling artifacts are one of the things that draws customers in, on one occasion, they kept a customer out.

When the Prince of Wales visited the Mon Valley in the late 1980s, "I wanted him to see what an American tavern is all about," said David Lewis, of West Homestead, an architect and urban planner who has long been involved in efforts to revitalize the Mon Valley. "We were stopped by Scotland Yard and the FBI because of all those things hanging from the ceiling. They said, "What if there's a gun up there?' "

Lewis is one of many who have passionately lobbied to save Chiodo's Tavern, which he believes is a vital part of Homestead's Eighth Avenue business district.

But Joe Chiodo, 86, says he's tired, overdue for retirement and wants to eat dinner with his wife, Florence, for a change. He says he has been unable to sell his bar.

Until now.

Anchor Properties, a Cincinnati developer, wants to buy Chiodo's property, tear down the tavern and build a Walgreens drugstore.

Chiodo and his tavern have a long and colorful history in Homestead, and much of it is chronicled in fading photographs on the walls of the bar.

One of those photos shows a small boy posed formally with his family in Calabria, Italy, where he was born.

Joe Chiodo was 10 years old when he and his family moved to Homestead. His father opened a cobblers shop and Chiodo worked in the family business until 1947. Tired of paying $175 monthly rent on the shop, the family bought property at 107 W. Eighth Ave.

"We were going to turn it into a shoe shop, but it had been a bar since the 1800s," Chiodo said. He decided to try operating it as a bar, at least for a while, and the rest is history.

When the Homestead Works closed in 1986, many of the other bars and businesses also closed.

Those were sad times, Chiodo notes. That's when he added micro brews and imported beers to the menu.

"That was my cousin Sam's idea," Chiodo said. "We had to think of something to keep people coming in."

But to this day, a buck still buys a domestic draft beer, a shot is $1.50 and a glass of wine is $2.50. A Chiodo's mystery sandwich and freshly hand-cut french fries can still be had for less than $10.

"The last few years have been very lean," Chiodo said. He's still on the job every day, often putting in 12-hour days. He introduces himself to new customers, introduces customers to each other and chats up the regulars. He pulls out big thick "guest books" that have been signed by patrons from all over the world, including Katmandu, Napal.

One of his favorite entries is a full-page greeting from the late U.S. Sen. John Heinz, dated June 27, 1989.

A large part of the appeal of the tavern is Joe Chiodo himself, said longtime Homestead Mayor Betty Esper.

"I've been getting all these phone calls. I don't want to see Chiodo's go, but we cannot tell this man to work any more. All these years, the bar has never been a problem. No fights, no drugs, no hanging out. Joe would never allow any of that."

Chiodo's is also very family-friendly.

"We took our daughter, Hannah, there when she was 3 or 4 and Mr. Chiodo stopped by to say hello," said Ron Tuchin, of Stanton Heights. "He commented on her big blue eyes and gave her a tour of the kitchen. I really remember the warmth."

John Miller, of San Diego, calls Chiodo's "a museum of Pittsburgh's history. I have memories from my days at Pitt when my choir, the University of Pittsburgh Men's Glee Club, would go there to celebrate after successful concerts. We would eat and drink and most times end up singing old songs. Joe always welcomed it as did the rest of the staff."

Chiodo says he doesn't know what will become of all the things that hang on the ceiling and walls. He collected many of the items and others were donated, and each item has a story behind it.

The sale of the tavern and property "is not going to be done right away. We've been working on it for over a year and I was sworn to secrecy. We'll be here for a while yet."