At American Joe's Bar the Twists Are Political
By FRANK MORRING Jr., Special to the New York Times

BALTIMORE— American Joe Miedusiewski could be one of the young professionals who have been lured in recent years to East Baltimore by inexpensive housing and safe streets.

But Mr. Miedusiewski, who is 39 years old and is a new State Senator, grew up here, over the tavern his parents own at the corner at Luzerne and Foster.

The tavern is called American Joe's, after the nickname given his Polish immigrant grandfather. Mr. Miedusiewski, who was christened Joseph Francis, legally adopted the name when he first ran for election, winning a seat representing the 46th District in the State House 15 years ago.

At American Joe's, the drinks are mixed with politics.

''The tavern serves as a good center of operations for me,'' Mr. Miedusiewski said. ''Hundreds of people come in here every day.'' Old Alongside New

Mr. Miedusiewski, a Democrat, was appointed a State Senator in October to fill the vacancy created by the death of Joseph Bonvegna, who was 66 years old. With the advancement, Mr. Miedusiewski will move his office from the cluttered back room of the tavern. But the bar will continue to be his link to constituents, he said.

They are a mix of longtime residents - mostly blue-collar and the children and grandchildren of Polish, Italian, German and Greek immigrants - and newcomers, many of them young professionals. The two groups live alongside each other in a Democratic stronghold overlooking the waterfront.

Here the party machine is well-oiled and given young blood by the likes of Mr. Miedusiewski. When he strolls his neighborhood of Canton, which along with Fells Point and Highlandtown, make up his district, passers-by shout familiar hellos and sometimes offer suggestions and complaints.

''The challenge to me is to be able to bridge the gap between the old system and the new people coming in who may or may not be accustomed to that kind of political system,'' he said.

On a recent Saturday afternoon at American Joe's, about 30 people were gathered in a familial way in a corner of the dark, cavernous main room to watch big-screen football. At the end of the bar were two younger people who were there to talk politics with Mr. Miedusiewski.

''The corner bar is an extremely vital place,'' said Elaine Eff, a Canton resident who is the folklorist for the city of Baltimore. ''This is a community that literally walked to work and carried its lunch.''

Frank Miedusiewski, American Joe's father, found the long bar at the tavern a natural springboard into politics. He worked as a precinct captain and later ward executive in the organization of State Senator Joseph Staszak. But when the organization put him up for the House of Delegates, he lost at the polls.

The problem, said his son, is that he was listed on the ballot as Frank, while everyone knew him as American Joe. In the next election, when the youngest Miedusiewski replaced his father as the candidate for House of Delegates, Joseph Francis went downtown and legally changed his name. 'Everybody's Son'

Now that he has moved to the Senate, Mr. Miedusiewski has taken a top leadership role in the ''Proven Democratic Team,'' an organization that includes the city's senior City Councilman, Dominick DiPietro, who is 83 years old.

It practices a ''family kind'' of political system, Ms. Eff said. ''Joe and his family really typify the neighborhood there,'' she said. ''That's why he's a favorite son. He's everybody's son, nephew, neighbor.''

And no problem is too small. When a constituent complains that a city inspector has unfairly ordered him to repair his sidewalk, Mr. Miedusiewski carefully takes down the information and promises to make a few calls. 'Older People Are Worried'

Broken sidewalks are the least of the neighborhood's concerns these days, however. The factories where many residents worked are closed now, slated either for demolition or renovation as upscale shopping centers, movie theaters and restaurants. The waterfront is lined with new row houses that sell for as much as $300,000, and old houses that once could be had for $16,000 now fetch $60,000 to $70,000.

''Some of the older people are worried whether they will be able to stay around,'' Mr. Miedusiewski said.

Photo of American Joe Miedusiewski, a Maryland State Senator, near his parents' tavern in East Baltimore (NYT/Marty Katz)