Manhattan, but three-and-a-half years ago, it relocated to an $85 million building in the Bronx because the city wanted the Manhattan real estate. “The facility here is 10 times better,” raved Minio. “It’s refrigerated and not out on the street, but we have to give this place a personality.” That’s what the president is working on these days. Plans are for a wholesale retail operation with a cooking school and a restaurant. “The old market was dirty but it was friendly,” he said. “You had bars if you wanted to drink or restaurants if you wanted to eat. People would hang out there, but here, they come in and they buy and leave. It puts pressure on us to be faster.” Most of Minio’s morning is spent selling, but he also attends meetings and even makes his own deliveries. Smitty’s Fillet House has more than 400 customers in North Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester, Manhattan and Staten Island. They’re mostly supermarkets but Minio will also sell to individuals off the street who just want 10 pounds of fish. His only two Clifton clients are Corrado’s and the Tick Tock Diner, which has been with him since it was on John St. 20 years ago. “I don’t want them to think I’m mixing business with pleasure,” explained Minio about why he
Frank and Mary Minio on their wedding day, Oct. 28, 1992.
doesn’t service more locations near where he lives. “I go to Buco’s a lot but I never ask there because I don’t what there to be a feeling of obligation.” The Market president moved to Clifton 12 years ago after his wife’s father died. Mary Minio, a certified public accountant who graduated CHS in 1973, wanted to be near her surviving mother who lives on Martin St. Mary majored in education and accounting at Montclair State. The couple met when she became Frank’s accountant. “She married me even after she knew my books,” he joked.
The Minios have a 13-year-old daughter named Leah Rose who attends St. Philip’s on Valley Rd. Minio ends his 13-hour work day around 2 pm so he can get home to pick her up from school. He then helps her with her homework or takes her to rock climbing or drum lessons. “I like spending time with my daughter during the day,” said Minio, who has directed plays at Leah’s schools. But around 7 or 8 pm, the Market president calls it a night, grabbing about four or five hours of sleep before waking up and doing it all over again.
April 2009 • Clifton Merchant
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