Mark Kotora Interview, 8 August 2007

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Mark Kotora, Vice President of the Gust Gallucci Co., discusses the company's history and philosophy. An Italian grocery store located in Cleveland's Midtown Corridor, Gallucci's began in 1912 as a fruit vending company. Forced out of the downtown area by Cleveland's Gateway Project, the store moved into Midtown in the mid 1990s. Kotora discusses personal memories while working at Gallucci's, including interacting with customers, and immigrant stories. He also discusses Gallucci's customer base, market strategies, and the rationale for moving into the Midtown area. Other topics include family history, different store locations, growth, popularity, and strategies for continued success.

Participants: Kotora, Mark (interviewee) / Calder, James (interviewer)
Collection: Midtown Cleveland
Institutional Repository: Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection

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Midtown Cleveland

15 Interviews

In 2007, the Center was contacted by MidTown Cleveland, a community development organization dedicated to revitalizing Cleveland’s Midtown Corridor. Together, the Center and MidTown Cleveland worked to locate business owners, developers, activists, clergy, and residents with ties to the area. Center staff then conducted a number of oral history interviews, each of which tells a story about the area’s rich history and prospects for the future.

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