Marino's Celebrates 100 Years in Hancock

D.J. married Marie, the daughter of William and Hazel (Villefrenche) Lord, in 1924. They had two children – a son, Donald and a daughter, Jeanne. In 1945, right after high school, Donald enlisted in the army as so many young men did to fight in World War II. After the war he attended college at Syracuse and Rutgers and then went to work at Bendix Corp. in Sidney where he was the director of Management Information Systems. In 1950 he married Earlene Burdick and they had two children, Donny and John.

It was Donny, who learned the clothing trade from his grandfather, and eventually took over the clothing side of the business. He worked with his grandfather from the time he completed college in 1974 until his grandfather’s death in 1991. D.J. officially turned the business over to Donny in 1983. “He was tailoring right up until he died . . . He taught me a lot about the clothing business,” said Donny. “But he didn’t teach me tailoring. He told me it was too much trouble.” es. John graduated from Niagara University with a degree in journalism and worked at The Hancock Herald for a while. “The paper was owned by the Tri-Town news in Sidney, but I worked mostly with Blanche [Leahy] . . . I did it all – from covering sports to doing the layout,” John said.

John explained that it was their father’s interest in collecting that led to the creation of the current business – Marino’s Outdoor World. “Dad was a gun aficionado,” he said. He always had an interest in guns especially anything manufactured by Winchester or Civil War era firearms. “He collected other things too,” said Donny. “Indian artifacts, stamps, coins . . .Before he got sick with cancer, he used to do historical presentations and displayed his collection in the store.”

Itmay have undergone several transformations through the years but the business that bears the name Marino’s has been a mainstay in the Village of Hancock for over 100 years. When the D.J. Marino Clothing Store celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1972 The Hancock Herald published an article about its founder Dominic “D.J.” Marino. This summer I caught up with his two grandsons, Donny and John, to talk about the longevity of the family business and how it has transformed during the 50 years since that article appeared in the pages of The Hancock Herald

Born June 1, 1902 in Teana, Italy, D.J. Marino arrived in the United States on December 27, 1919 at the age of 17. The young man first found employment as a tailor at a shop on 47th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City but a few short years later, in 1922, D.J. brought his tailoring skills and business acumen to the Village of Hancock. For over 50 years he operated a clothing store featuring custom tailored fine suits for men.

John remembers coming into the store after school hoping to get some money from his grandfather so he could buy baseball cards and Bazooka bubble gum at Kandyland. “Sometimes I’d find him napping on the big table by his sewing machine,” said John. “He wore a suit every day.”

With the growth of malls during the 1990s the clothing business began to struggle. Fewer people were wearing fine suits and companies like Levi, Carhart and Woolrich instituted minimum order policies. “If you couldn’t order in bulk, they took away the franchise,” said Donny. By 2015 Donny closed the D.J. Marino clothing store.

He can still be found behind the counter helping his brother run Marino’s Outdoor World but he enjoys having time to devote to his other interests – hunting, fishing and bowling. Donny figures he’s bowled at least 14 or 15 perfect games, but John was quick to point out that it is he who holds the high score record at Fox Bowling . . . 842.

Though the store still carries some clothing items and footwear, the business is predominantly selling guns and ammunition as well as issuing hunting and fishing licens-

When John’s father retired in 1992, he decided to turn his passion into Marino Firearms and he and John worked together for many years. “It wasn’t always easy,” said John. “I think I quit three or four times – I was young, and he was trying to teach me to be a better man. He was used to being the manager of a large workforce and then it was just me . . . If there’s one thing I remember that my dad and granddad taught me it was ‘Don’t let anyone leave with a bad impression about you or your business because it travels down the road.’”

I think I quit three or four times – I was young, and he was trying to teach me to be a better man.

~ John

So, what’s next? “I don’t see it going another generation. Especially with the regulations and pressure the state and federal governments are putting on our type of business. . . My dad always talked about the ‘Golden Years.’ I love being able to work for myself, but I’d like to have time to enjoy my retirement.”

The 2nd Annual Hancock Art Walk begins at The Campton’s Art Gallery located at 169 E. Front Street then proceeds down E. Front Street where it navigates around the Hancock Town Square on Wheeler Street and then continues west along Main Street. It concludes at the Hancock Town Hall and Dog Park at 661 West Main Street.

The River, Road & Rail Art Trail is a new project that aims to bring together tourists, local businesses, and artists in Delaware County, NY. The project is set to run from Memorial Day Weekend until the end of September 2023.

The River, Road & Rail

Art Trail will showcase the works of renowned sculpture artists –Robert Ressler, Wendy Klemperer, Ben Keating, John Clement, Motoko Fukuyama, Nora Valdez, and Harry L. Gordon – as well as other noted regional and local artists.

289 Starlight Lake Road Starlight, PA 18461

(570) 798-2519

(800) 248-2519

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MONDAY - SATURDAY

Breakfast: 8 ~ 10 a.m. Lunch: Noon ~ 2 p.m.

Dinner: 5 ~ 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

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Monday is Seafood Night & Wednesday is Pasta Night. Regular Menu Always Available

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