The Niles Star

Story didn’t give Marazitas credit

Dear editor:
I found the recent article (Jan. 11, “Business sweet at 100-year-old Veni’s) to be audacious, incomprehensible and totally lacking in correct social behavior. However, I bear the writer no malice, as sometimes our words are taken out of context and end up coming off as harsh words that were never intended to offend.

Kudos go to the individual who penned the (letter) on page 3 of the Jan. 26 edition of your paper regarding Veni’s Sweet Shop. Both the Veni’s Shop, owned and operated by the Marazitas, and the Paris Candy Shops, owned and operated by the Pattersons, enjoyed the finest reputations throughout their long existence in our city of Niles.

Perhaps the reason that they both endeared themselves to the people of Niles and the surrounding communities was the fact that although competitors business-wise, they showed no animosity toward one another. If either of them lacked the product the customers was searching for, they never hesitated to refer you to their competitor.
Behavior such as this convinced me that they placed a greater importance on the satisfaction of their customers than whose cash register reaped the benefits of the sale.

Once, during a street-side conversation with Al Marazita, the subject got around to current events and I began expounding my utmost respect to the city of Niles for having made the necessary repairs to our downtown clock. As I recall, Al listened intently, but made no attempt to contradict nor suppress my remarks for the gratitude I felt to the city of Niles for footing the bill for this generous gesture.

Imagine my surprise to later, from an outside source, learn that it was Al Marazita himself who foot the entire cost of the clock repair as his personal gift to the city of Niles.

Perhaps this is what makes the Marazita candy so utterly delicious and uniquely different from those of any other competitor. They obviously incorporate a secret ingredient known as love into each and every one of their homemade confections.

Thank you Marazitas for the tremendous legacy you have left to the city of Niles.

Respectfully,
Lou Liebetrau
Niles