The Spitaleri family: Jill, Anthony J. “Skeeter” III (back row l-r), Anthony J. IV (sitting), Jennifer and Justina (front row l-r). Inset: Kayla, Gabriella, Carmella Spitaleri. SOUTH RIVER — At the turn of the 20th century, the borough was a bustling town with a thriving business community.
There were brickyards, embroiderers, clothing factories. Products were easily shipped to New York and, from there, around the world. And South River was an American destination for immigrants from all over Europe.
Anthony Spitaleri, from Palermo, Italy, was among those newly arrived residents. In 1905, he founded Spitaleri Furniture on Ferry Street, a business that the family continues to operate 105 years later.
Anthony J. “Skeeter” Spitaleri, who is today the third-generation owner, believes he knows the secret to the store’s longrunning success.
“Honesty, good-quality furniture at a good price, and keeping customer service a top priority,” he said.
Skeeter began absorbing those fundamentals of the family business long before he was old enough to have working papers.
“I went to school right over there at Saint Mary’s,” he said, pointing down the block toward the St. Mary of Ostrabrama School, which closed in 2002. “On my way home my father would have me stop by and do little things to help out.”
As he got older, Skeeter took on more and more responsibility and eventually took over the business upon his father’s retirement.
Skeeter never got to meet the man who started it all.
“He died the day I was born,” he said.
He did know his grandmother. She was the one who gave him the nickname that has stuck through the years.
“When I was little, she wanted to say I buzzed around like a little mosquito, but she couldn’t pronounce it, so instead of saying ‘mosquito,’ she said ‘skeeter.’ ”
Spitaleri Furniture remains in the same building where Anthony Spitaleri began selling furniture and appliances more than a century ago, but inside, things have changed. The store has been expanded to four floors of dining rooms, bedrooms and living rooms on display in styles ranging from country to contemporary. Homeowners looking for decorating ideas will find finished rooms complete with artwork and accessories in each of the displays. Customers can choose from hundreds of colors, fabrics and finishes to ensure they get exactly what they want.
“One thing that has never changed is the quality of the furniture we sell,” Skeeter said. “Almost all of our products are American-made and from the best manufacturers, such as Broyhill, Berkline, Craftmaster and Vaughan-Bassett, to name a few. Being in the same location has helped us keep the prices down. We pass that savings on to our customers,” he said.
Another thing that has never changed, he noted, is an emphasis on customer service. But, according to Skeeter, keeping the business in the family has been key.
“We don’t have competitive salespeople who are only interested in getting a commission and serving their own customers. We all work together to take care of the customer,” he said.
While his wife Jill has long worked at his side, their three children are also following in the family tradition. Each has carved out a niche. Anthony “Tony” Spitaleri IV oversees all aspects of warehousing, shipments and delivery, and also performs factory-authorized furniture repair for all manufacturers. Jennifer, who runs the office, is the voice customers hear on the phone. And Justina is a certified designer.
“She has such vision. She puts things in ways I would never think of. It’s just beautiful,” Skeeter said.
His pride in his children is obvious.
“They all get along,” he added, happily.
A curio that stands outside the office on the second floor contains family and business mementos. There is an old receipt from when the business first started, pictures of family and friends, and tokens from past promotional campaigns. One might expect the collection to expand as another generation of Spitaleris continues the operation.
Skeeter said his children have already learned the core values:
“Honesty — that it’s important to tell the truth. That it’s important to take care of people. And the value of a buck,” he said with a smile.
To learn more about Spitaleri Furniture, visit the company’s website at www.spitalerifurniture.com.