SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- "I knew the DeJulios when they lived in East Syracuse. That goes back about 40 years ago,” said Michael Marko, a longtime DeJulio’s customer.
Even then, DeJulio's Army and Navy Store was an institution. Dominic DeJulio opened his business on Burnet Avenue in 1929, but not as the store people know today.
"He was a shoe cobbler,” said Rick DeJulio, Dominic’s grandson and current owner of the store. “And then he got into selling surplus, because back in the day, there was a lot of surplus around."
From shoe repair to military surplus and now mainly camping and outerwear supplies, the inventory may have changed, but one thing has stayed the same.
"They've got a good service here,” Marko said. “They've always been friendly and usually had what you needed, so that's why I come."
Now living in Saratoga Springs, Marko says a trip to DeJulio's is well worth the effort, but he wasn't expecting to see the closing sign in the window.
"I was coming up Burnet Avenue here and my wife says 'Oh my goodness, they're closing.' And I said this is the only Army-Navy store that has stuff I used to like,” said Marko.
Marko, like so many others, will make his last purchase at DeJulio’s in the coming weeks. It's a goodbye that hasn't been easy for Rick DeJulio.
"I worked with my grandfather in this business, and then my father and my uncle,” DeJulio said. “I've gone through the years. I know a lot of the customers, and I've helped them throughout the years. I knew it would be a hard thing to do, and some of them, I can't even look in the face right now, but we'll get through."
DeJulio says it's become harder and harder to compete with online retailers. He's put the business up for sale, but the closing date is open-ended.
"When things are gone. At this pace here, I think it's going to be sooner than I expected,” said DeJulio.
"I am sad to see them go, yes. Now I've got to go find another place,” said Marko.