Tom Kosiec- Freelance Content Writer

Eddie Glorioso, one of the three brothers who founded the Milwaukee Italian grocery store Glorioso’s in 1946, wipes tears from his eyes as he recalls when the family business opened in a new location  across from the original building.

“What happened is when we closed the store on Monday I cried,” Glorioso said. “I was there for 64 and a half years, and it was a delight to see what my nephews have accomplished for their uncle’s and father. It’s unbelievable.”

With the opening of a new store comes a change in ownership. Eddie, Joe, and Teddy Glorioso, who are all in their 80’s are passing on managing duties to Michael and Felix Glorioso, the sons of Teddy and his wife, Rosemary.

The new Glorioso’s opened on Dec. 2, and hundreds of people crowded the store as Mayor Tom Barrett cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony. Even with the larger size of the building, which is three and a half times larger than the old store, it was difficult to maneuver around the place because so many people showed up.

In spite of a troubling economy, Glorioso’s business continues to thrive. What once was a small Italian grocery store back in the 1940’s is now the largest Italian Supermarket in Wisconsin. The secret to Glorioso’s success is that they have their own identity and don’t try to compete with larger grocery stores like Whole Foods and Pick’n Save according to M. Glorioso.“The reason we’re still here after 65 years is because we continue to reinvent ourselves,” M. Glorioso said. “Staying true to our Italian heritage, and keeping us an ethnical store will keep us around for a long, long time.”

Glorioso’s New Features

The new Glorioso’s features a host of improvements that wouldn’t be possible without the expanded space.

• Indoor cafe- With Alterra coffee/ espresso bar, and fresh gelato served daily.
• Trio’s Pizza- A thin crust pizza and old family recipe that hasn’t been served in 30 years, and it was the first delivery pizza in Milwaukee.
• More fresh deli foods, with new breakfast menu and desert menu.
• Expanded bakery and wine/ beer section.

The new store is like “Glorioso’s on steroids,” M. Glorioso said. “There are a lot of differences, but the one thing that hasn’t changed, and what we’re striving to keep is our charm our ambiance, and our family feel. All the family members are here working hard together to ensure our customers stay number one, and that we don’t sacrifice any of our quality.”

Changes For The New Store

Glorioso’s moved into the new location to accommodate more space for its Italian goods and to offer more of its fresh produced Glorioso’s foods to their customers. The expansion needed to happen to ensure the survival of the family business M. Glorioso said.Tim Sampson a kitchen employee for two years at Glorioso’s says the transition from the old store to the new store has been smooth. “It’s been overwhelming with all the support from our customers,” said Sampson. “They’ve really been showing up in droves.”

Glorioso’s is synonymous with Brady Street, so it’s fitting that the new store is close to the original location. The inside of the store contains pictures of the Glorioso family, the original Glorioso’s sign, and pieces of Brady Street history cover the walls.

The architectural design is reminiscent of the old world. Elements from the Italian Third Ward and the old 1901 Harp Lamps up in the balcony adorn the building. For the food portion, the store is overflowing with pasta, wines, and the largest selection of Italian cheeses in the state.

Some customers are unhappy with the changes made to the store because they feel the place lost some of its charm and feel that Glorioso’s is just like every other grocery store in Milwaukee. Jaclyn Habck a customer of Glorioso’s for eight years disagrees.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Habck said. “I think the space, like when you walk in will actually make me come more because there’s a lot more products.  The space in here is just more homey where you can sit instead of having to take it and go.”

The Glorioso family business dates back to 1946. E. Glorioso said that he and his two brothers did everything themselves and worked 12 to 17 hours a day with just one helper. In 1968, the business expanded, and they hired more people to help out with the store.The new building used to house the old Astor Theater back in 1915. In May 2009, the theater closed and became the Brady Street Pharmacy. The business didn’t last long, and once the space opened up, the Glorioso family began renovating the place.

The new Glorioso’s building may be finished, but that doesn’t mean the Italian family isn’t done improving its business. The old building is being used for an expanded catering service, and a 12-month cooking class series where people can cook Italian specialty products with guest chefs. Also, work has begun on a new internet business that will sell Glorioso’s products online.

Even with comparisons of the new store to Pick’n Save, and Whole Foods customers don’t need to worry that Glorioso’s is abandoning the people who grew up with them by going modern. “We’re strictly an Italian supermarket, and it’s going to stay that way,” E. Glorioso said.

This article was originally published on Media Milwaukee. 

When most people think of great piano music they think of Mozart, Beethoven, and Super Mario Brothers. Wait! What was that last one again?

The Super Mario Brothers theme is instantly recognizable to video game lovers and is one of the most memorable piano pieces in video game history.

Mario and other video game tunes can be heard in the UW- Milwaukee Union near the staircase to the Gasthaus during random times of the week.

The video game pianist is Marc Pilon, a graduate student studying atmospheric science and mathematics.

“The thing with the Mario music is it’s embedded in your head,” Pilon said. “You’ve been playing that for so long it’s something you remember.”

Pilon said that back in the old days, video game graphics was primitive, so the composers had to be creative, and create memorable music that stayed with you. Pilon plays video game music because it evokes strong memories from his past.He’s a big Spyro the Dragon fan, and his cousins were too. So, every time he would visit them, they would play that game. Now, anytime he hears the music from Spyro he remembers visiting his cousins.

Another reason Pilon plays music is to get out his emotions. He compares playing the piano to something like exercise when he can release his stress and aggression.

“The piano part came pretty easy to me,” Pilon said. “If you were to put sheet music in front of me I wouldn’t be able to play a lick of it for you. Everything I do is by sound. So anything I can hear I can play.”

For example, when Pilon plays video game music he listens to the songs for 15 minutes, and then practices it for 30 minutes. He usually can perfect a song in an hour, but depending on how modern the game is or how complex the melody is it may take him longer. If he hasn’t played a tune in a while he will quickly forget it.

Pilon’s real passion is music, and it was even a surprise to him that he majored in science and mathematics. He said his best asset is creativity, and that his weakness is that he’s not much of a risk taker.

“Whatever I’m doing I find a different way to do it,” Pilon said. “I’ll build something out of nothing. Make something that isn’t there.”

He grew up in Niagara in northern Wisconsin and graduated with a class of only 35 people. Despite living in a small town, he said he’s grateful for growing up with people who supported his music. Pilon said that it was easy to find venues to play music since everyone knew him.

His other hobbies are writing, art, and anything creative. Pilon has played guitar, trumpet, chimes, and other instruments but likes the piano the best. He plays classical rock in addition to video game music. Pilon always hated playing classical music because there was a time in his life when he was forced to take lessons.“I’m the kind of person whose stubborn if you tell me to play something I won’t do it,” Pilon said. “That’s always stuck with me.”

Pilon can be difficult to find in the Union since he plays sporadically.

He plays about two to three hours daily, but he only goes to the Union when the piano is open. If someone’s there, he just goes home and plays on his own digital piano.The sign on the top of the piano that says, “don’t play after six p.m.” is directed at him Pilon said.

The people at B.O.S.S. (Be On The Safe Side) would come up and say, “You got to stop playing,” Pilon said. “Its good stuff, but my god please stop playing.”

Like other talented pianist, some people love Pilon’s music while others hate it. Pilon said he’s been complimented on his work and has been invited to play in shows. The idea of being in a band has always appealed to him, but for some reason things never came together he said.

A lot of people crack a smile when they hear him play the classic Mario theme while others like an old man who just sleeps in a chair are oblivious to what Pilon is doing.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Kelsie Pattillo a linguist teaching assistant at UWM. “You hear a tune that’s really familiar, and you think I know that, and I like it. But you can’t figure out what that piece is and when you realize it, it brings a smile to one’s face.”

This article was originally published on Media Milwaukee. Check out the original article here. http://www4.uwm.edu/mediamilwaukee/culture/union-piano-man.cfm