Monday was a landmark day for a family that’s owned businesses in Rochester’s Dewey Avenue neighborhood for well over a century. After looters destroyed DiJune’s liquor store in late May, the future looked grim. Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, the store is now open again.

Finding reason to celebrate can be tough these days. For Sammy DiJune, the message he’s spray painting on the boards covering the windows of a building celebrates the reopening of the family liquor store.

"It definitely means my dad’s going to stay a bit busier a little longer," he said.  

Dad is Sam DiJune, Sr. DiJune took over the liquor store from his father, one of several businesses the family has owned in this neighborhood over the past 125 years. The liquor store opened 65 years ago.

"We’ve been here for a while," he said.  

It’s been a while since DiJune’s has welcomed customers. That they were even able to Monday morning is reason to celebrate. On the last weekend of May, DiJune’s was one of several stores in Rochester targeted by looters. They smashed windows and broke down the door, and once inside, stole bottles of liquor and wine. They cleaned out the place. DiJune says losses from theft and vandalism totaled $250,000.  

It was nearly enough to cause him to walk away.

"Anyone walking in here would have said, 'oh my God,' " he said. "It was that bad."

It took three weeks and six dumpsters to clean up the mess. The community stepped up with donations. Sam’s employees worked hard to get back to opening day.

"I’d like to thank them," said an emotional DiJune. "My staff, they were there for me."

It is no coincidence DiJune’s Liquor Store reopened on what would have been Sam’s late father Joseph’s 88th birthday. He died in 2017.

"It would have meant a lot to him," he said.

Giving this family, a longtime fixture in the neighborhood, plenty of reason to celebrate.