We are saddened to share the news that John DeLuca, the owner of DeLuca General Store in the Rosebank neighborhood of Staten Island passed away at 90 years of age due to the Coronavirus.

John opened his #hardware store which also sold electrical and plumbing supplies in 1975 and used the existing Coca-Cola privilege sign just adding his own copy to it. 

We first met John in 2005 when he was 75 years old and interviewed him for our “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York” book. 

He told us that the store was his life and that he still worked full time as he had lost his wife and didn’t want to stay home alone. He also showed us the creative figures he crafted from household items including a model schooner made from malt liquor cans. 

R.I.P. John 🙏