Turns Out Huntington Was Tailor-Made For Mario

Down a back alley, off a side street in Huntington Village, far from his roots on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, sits Mario Aloe, tailor extraordinaire.

Amongst the tools of his trade — scissors, thimbles,  dozens of  spindles hung on a thread rack creating a rainbow on the west wall,  not to mention piles and racks of clothing — are indications of his most precious treasures: familia.

With the sun streaming in through the two almost floor-to-ceiling windows, Mario modestly spoke of his passion for his family, his trade, and the village of Huntington. 

Mario first put needle to thread, and then to fabric,  as a young boy in Italy. He would go to school for half a day, and then apprentice with a tailor in the afternoon. At age 25, he and his wife, Rita, decided to leave Italy for the United States.

Rita, also from Italy, had been to the US and was enthusiastic about the move. Mario, on the other hand "really didn't want to come here."

He was surprised to find that "from the first day here, I loved it. Huntington is a beautiful town." They have now been here for forty years.

Mario worked as a tailor for Marsh's on Main Street for a few years, before opening his own shop. He has been at his current location since 1989, working six days a week, tailoring and fitting and adding to the satorial splendor of our community and beyond.

He said he used to be located directly on Green Street when he first opened his shop. "But then the rent went way up, up, up," he said. "So I moved here to the back."

Several hand-crafted 'Mario the Tailor' signs point the way and customers don't seem to mind taking a few extra steps. Some of his long-term customers come all the way from Manhattan.

He serves one and all, from the people who can't pay for his services, to those who bring in suits costing thousands of dollars. Over the years, his customers have included  Giants quarterback Eli Manning—Mario calls him "a fine young man"—Gary Carter, Al Arbour, Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders, as well as many other Islanders.

The "regulars" are just as important to Mario as the famous clients. He says he doesn't do this for the money, and is happy to help those in need. Twice a year, he hems a large quilt, made up of squares decorated by families, schools and organizations affected by autism, on behalf of Autism Speaks Long Island. When first approached to work on the quilt, Mario didn't hesitate to say yes. He refused to be paid for his work.  That's the kind of man he is.

Mario sets a strong example for his family - his wife Rita, his two sons, his daughter and his four grandchildren - three boys and a girl. They truly appear to be his pride and joy. Their pictures are posted around the shop and he gladly shares them, along with a large color photo of his original, beautiful hometown in Italy in the one place he looks when he's waiting on customers.

His cousin, formerly a tailor in Huntington Village, returned to Italy years ago. Mario said he will stay put.  His roots in his adopted town of Huntington go deep. He has become part of the fabric of our village - pun intended!