By JOSEPH KELLARD
For Mammoliti, an Italian immigrant, and his family, the old-time repair shop was not only a place of business, but also a second home. Given Frank's advancing age,66, and a decline in the need for shoe repair, however, it was clear to him that it was time to close his doors for good.
Mammoliti was 16 when he and his parents and three sisters arrived in the U.S. from Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, where at an early age he had learned how to make shoes. The Mammolitis settled in Rockville Centre, and Frank walked into Sal's Shoe Repair, owned by his distant uncle, Sal Grasso, seeking‹and finding‹employment.
In 1960, Mammoliti became Grasso's business partner, and in 1976, with the option to own the shop, Mammoliti moved it from its original location, next to Levine's Pharmacy, where it had opened in 1939, two blocks north on Long Beach Road. He kept the name of the business in honor of Grasso, and came to be known as "Sal" by many of his regular customers.
"All of my success was through my hard work and the customers, dealing with the nice people of Oceanside," Mammoliti said in his still-thick Italian accent. He kept the store open six days a week, often working from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., employing two or three others and repairing everything from shoes to leather goods. After Grasso retired, Mammoliti's wife, Silvana, helped out up front.
Silvana first walked into the store to have her leather pocketbook repaired in 1964. "She turned my head," Mammoliti recalled. "And I inquired who she was, and I talked to her father, and we went out from there on." Two years later, the couple married. They went on to have two children, a girl and a boy, and moved to Oceanside in 1969.
When Mammoliti closed his shop on Sundays, he went to church and spent time with his family. But the other six days of the week, the store was a home away from home. His daughter, Roe Woodiwiss, remembers going to the shop to play and do her homework after school. "They were all positive memories," she said, recalling how customers often visited during the holidays to drop off presents.
But Woodiwiss most vividly remembers the hours and effort her father devoted to his shop. "I remember that he was there a lot," she said. "He worked very hard, and he was also very talkative with everyone who came in."
Mammoliti became known not only for his craftsmanship and honesty, but for the friendly demeanor with which he daily greeted patrons. "Franky has always been the same friendly person he was since he came from Italy 50 years ago," said Bob Towers, owner of Towers Funeral Home, who had patronized his friend's store for years. "He was just very open to people, and welcomed them into his store." The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce awarded Mammoliti its "Favorite Merchant" award in 1979.
Among Mammoliti's cherished memories are the visits by Telly Savalas during his years as the star of "Kojack" whenever he was in New York. Grasso's son, Vinny, played Sergeant Rizzo on the popular 1970s show.
Mammoliti decided to call it quits now because, he said, the time is right. He has reached retirement age, and the need for shoe repair has declined considerably in recent years. "I never did this before, so I'm not really used to this," he joked about his retirement. "But I hope to spend more time with my four grandkids, do some traveling to North Carolina and do other things I never had time to do. And I pray to God me and my wife stay healthy."
Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287
