Scirto Jewelers was started by my father, William Scirto, over 70 years ago in 1946.
He was born to Italian immigrants, the youngest of six children. One of his brothers, Joseph, was a paratrooper in World War II, and was killed in action, leaving $10,000 in insurance money to my father. His other brother, Anthony had gone to watchmaker school and wanted to open a jewelry store. My father and uncle used the insurance money to start the business. The brothers opened Scirto Jewelers on Pearl Harbor Day in 1946 – December 7, 1946. They chose One Main Street. The business has been there ever since.
My father, a veteran himself, worked at the jewelry store part time while going to college, He graduated in 1952, and for the next couple of years, he worked at Harrison’s Radiator as an industrial engineer, while keeping his hand in the jewelry store. In 1954, he left Harrison’s to become a full time jeweler with his brother. In 1958, Anthony desired to relocate to Texas, to go into the jewelry business with a friend. My father purchased his interest in the store and building.
My father passed away this summer, and I inherited the store and the store’s legacy. The store manager, Debra Williams, had been with my father for 30 years. After much discussion, we decided to carry on. While I had worked at the store in high school and college, I am enthusiastically learning the business after being a practicing attorney for the last 30 years.
My father had seen downtown Lockport as a bustling retail center in the 50's and 60's, a shell of itself in the 70's and 80's, and its current’s redevelopment. He had seen the Lockport Mall come, and go. Through it all, Scirto Jewelers has been open for business at One Main Street for over 70 years.
We are excited to carry Scirto Jewelers’ tradition and legacy as we write our next chapter. To all of our loyal customers, thank you, and I hope that you continue to be part of our story. To anyone in the market for an established, honest and reputable jeweler, I hope that you give us the opportunity to put your trust in us.