200 Franklin Ave – Rubino’s
In 1906, Joseph Rubino bought the building on the corner of 200 Franklin Avenue and ran a General Store there selling dry goods as well as groceries until 1922. Joe’s daughter Fanny Lanzi and her husband Nick took over the General Store and moved it into a new building next door at 202 Franklin Avenue. Joseph Rubino’s mother in-law decided to open a confectionary store in the old empty building at 200 Franklin Avenue.
The Lanzis closed the General Store at 202 Franklin Avenue in 1932 and opened the New Deal Bar in their new building but Mrs. Miele continued to operate her candy store at 200 Franklin Avenue until 1936 when she passed away at the age of 80. After her death, Steve Rubino took over the store, remodeled it and he and his wife Rose operated Rubinos Korner Market until 1973. When Steve and Rose closed the Korner Market, their son Joe opened an electrical equipment store in its place that continues to operate today.
Joe’s father, Steve Rubino, was born in Biano, Italy in 1877 and became one of Ellwood City’s most powerful political figures. Mr. Rubino served five consecutive terms as councilman and was eventually nominated for Mayor of Ellwood City.
If you have any memories about the Korner Market or the Rubino family, please leave a comment below or email us your memories by CLICKING HERE.
Information for this post was gathered from the book Ellwood City Houses and the People Who Lived in Them by Charles R. Moser available at the Ellwood City Historical Society.
Rubino’s! My siblings and I walked past that store every day on our way to school. I was class of 1990 so it was the era of the electric supply store. The thing we liked the best was they always had a big box of Swedish Fish candy sitting on the counter that you could buy for one cent per fish. Being little kids, we often found and treasured pennies here and there. They were made all that more special by knowing we could get a treat with it the next day on the way to school.
Another marker of days gone by, the unwrapped candy was sitting in an uncovered, open box. When you handed over your few cents you would reach in with your bare hand and grab however many you wanted. If you grabbed too many you had to put some back. In today’s germ focused world that would never fly!
Joe’s father, Steve Rubino, was not born in Biano, Italy in 1877 (that was his Grandfather, Joseph E. Rubino) He was born in Ellwood City in 1908, and became one of Ellwood City’s most powerful political figures. Mr. Rubino served five consecutive terms as councilman and was eventually nominated for Mayor of Ellwood City.
My family lived up the street from the store. I remember when my Dad broke his foot at work, Rose and Steve told my Mom to come to the store and get what she needed on credit until my Dad was able to go back to work and bring home a full pay check. They were 2 of the nicest people around