Wax Lips, Licorice Sticks and an Homage to the Corner Store

One of the things I miss most when I return to Buffalo is the family-owned corner store.

My grandparents owned one of these wonderful stores before I was born.

One of the things I miss most when I return to Buffalo is something that is almost impossible to find—the once-ubiquitous, family-owned corner store.

I remember the delightful smell of these homey establishments, their worn wood floors emanating the aromas of the goods inside, their painted screen doors (with an ad for Sunbeam bread!) letting in the fresh summer air.

Many corner stores were multigenerational, family-run affairs, like this one established by Florence and Frank Ganci in 1926. Photo courtesy of the Ganci Family.

They were usually owned by industrious people who lived above them, behind them or somewhere nearby. You would often find the whole family busy sorting and stacking behind the scenes, while the owner worked the counter and knew every kid in the neighborhood.

Behind the counter lay boxes of penny candy and other small treats.  Around the room, deep chests were filled with cold beverages and popsicles, and shelves were lined with an assortment of groceries meant for neighborhood mothers with little ones in tow.

Nothing evokes memories of shopping with my Grandma like marinated olives, rosemary and…

My first memories of going to a corner store on the West Side are with my Sicilian grandmother. At the time, many of the stores specialized in food that made the first- and second-generation Sicilians in our neighborhood feel at home.

Fresh garlic!!

While Grandma would stand at the counter ordering freshly butchered meat (including tripe or pig’s feet—ugh), I would watch the live babbaluci (snails) climb up the sides of the large barrels from which they were sold. I knew that if I behaved, she would reward me with a small box of torrone, a sweet white nougat treat, that forever imprinted the association of “corner store” and “candy” in my brain.

Remember the excitement of opening your Mallo Cup and finding a 25 point coin?

Once I was old enough to walk to school alone, I would stop at Mantione’s on the corner of 14th and Hampshire with the nickel or dime I had earned for returning glass bottles.

I would stand in front of the counter debating which treasures I should buy—a pair of ruby red wax lips (that were utterly tasteless), a licorice stick (I preferred red, which isn’t really “licorice”), a pretzel from the cannister, a candy necklace, Nik-L-Nips in little wax bottles, or one of the large assortment of hard, soft and chewy candies, like peach stones and maple creams. The prefrontal cortex of my 8-year old brain agonized over this decision for 15 minutes while Mr. Mantione waited patiently behind the counter.

How I loved those caramel creams (notice several are missing)!

Fast-forward to teenaged summers at the Massachusetts Ave swimming pool and frequent stops at Ganci’s Grocery, a store and “super deli” right across from the pool. No longer a hesitant decision-maker, I would stride up to the counter, past the bottles of LaStrella bleach and bars of Fels-Naptha soap, and order a baloney bomber from Mr. Ganci, his son Frank or daughter Cathy, before running over to the pool. If I had enough money, I’d buy a chocolate-covered frozen banana for dessert (which would be devoured before I re-crossed the street).

Ganci’s Super Deli had the best bombers and ribs in town back in the ’70s. Photo courtesy of Rick Ganci.

They were hardly the healthy snacks parents buy and children are encouraged to eat today. But it wasn’t really about the food back then. It was all about the experience of learning to count your money (and your change, if there was any), making choices, interacting with adults in an environment outside the home, and enjoying whatever you bought with the little cash you had. It can truthfully be said that we did a lot of growing up in those stores.   

I still like to patronize family-run grocery stores, but they are harder and harder to find. On the West Side back in the day, most kids could look out their bedroom window and see a neighborhood store down the street. Now they are a novelty—like Guercio’s on Grant Street—and run by a family’s second, third or fourth generation.

What could be a more welcome sight in the aftermath of a blizzard, than to see the lights ablaze in Guercio’s, your friendly neighborhood store? Photo courtesy of the Guercio family.

Whenever I go back to Buffalo, I still like to pay Guercio’s a visit. The food, the smells, the colorful produce, all transport me back to those trips with Grandma. The only thing missing is the barrel of babbalucci. I’m quite sure the snails are happier.

Do you have a memory of a favorite store from your childhood? How old were you when you were finally able to go there on your own? Please share your stories with me and my readers. We’d love to hear from you!

Moxie Gardiner is a writer, gardener, and traveler who grew up on the West Side of Buffalo, NY. In a previous life she was a journalist, magazine editor, speech writer, and policy wonk. Back in the day she made three solo parachute jumps, flew in an F-15 fighter jet, and crawled through mud pits at the Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama. She now meditates and practices yoga. She is almost ready to publish her first novel, set in Buffalo.

9 thoughts on “Wax Lips, Licorice Sticks and an Homage to the Corner Store”

  1. Perna’s on Fargo…good green olives in the barrel that needed to be scooped out when buying some!

  2. Great article, Moxie. I can relate to all of it. Our go-to place for penny candy was Prindle’s on Elmwood and W. Delavan across the street from my father’s gas station. Next to his gas station was Chasin’s delicatessen, a general store with the greatest and freshest 7 cent bagles located between Bidwell and W. Delavan on Elmwood. Then across from Chasin’s was Thomspons on Elmwood and Bidwell which later became Bev and Sam’s. Not too far from that was Tony’s store full of penny candy and next to him was Ozzie’s on Bird and Elmwood. Ozzie’s would go on to become the 24 hour store, or the, We Never Close store as it is called now. You pointed out something that seems to amaze me to this day while looking back. I am referring to the uniform patience of the proprieties when it came to us kids taking our time in figuring out what we wanted. Their patience made the expeience much more memorable and pleasant. Thanks for all the other memories you bring up and describe.

    1. John LaDuca you have quite a memory. That is quite the list of stores you mention there. I too, am amazed by the patience of all those store owners. (Well, not all, as some have mentioned!) One of the reasons this story has resonated with so many people is that we all think back now as adults and remember not only the candy and other goodies, but the people behind the counter, who we did not appreciate nearly enough when we were kids. Thank you, as always, for your comments!

  3. Blackrock had Mychek’s on Grote, Bill’s and Mill’s on Military, Leonard’s, Ma’s and Pa’s on Germain, so many others!
    Riverside had Lier’s on Tonawanda and QuikShop on Esser.
    They all had their own personalities.

    1. Wow Michelle! You remember a lot of stores. Yes, they all had their personalities–especially the people who worked behind the counter! Some were kind and patient, and some were…well you know. Thanks for sharing.

  4. At the corner of Forest and Dewitt was Sam’s. Run by Sam and Helen Gugino for many years. Remember well selecting penny candy, Sealtest ice cream, Nehi “pop” and root beer popsicles. When I started dating my future wife Ganci’s was also a favorite. Joe the Bear ribs and the square pizza slices. Could not beat the west side as a place to grow up.

    1. I couldn’t agree with you more, Joe. “The West Side is the best side” as we used to say. I remember Sam’s. Used to go there when I lived in that neighborhood. Thanks for your comment.

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