Other characters in the neighborhood are, our very own Mario the shoemaker and his partner Marcel the jeweler.
Mario runs the shoe repair store and despite his tiny space Marcel was able to cut out a small corner of Mario's shop to have his own jewelry repair business. Both men have accents from far away places that make you feel, when you step into their shop, as though you've just stepped into a small village 5000 miles away. Mario knows how to work with leather and does excellent repairs. He doesn't say much unless he wants to know something about you, and then comes the barrage of questions, or he has something to sell you, something he repaired and the customer never claimed. Often times they're designer shoes or boots, or handbags that the owner forgot or replaced with a more current model. As for Marcel, people really like him, he's a craftsman, can repair just about anything gold, silver, or platinum. His thick accent doesn't get in the way of having long conversations with his interesting clients. Sometimes I wonder, when does he get his work done. He charges little to those living on a limited income and a little bit more to others. Both men, distinctly different, but equally endearing, bring a comforting quality of small town and community to this ever growing metropolis.
