John Marcon

           The first things you notice in Mr. Marcon’s tiny shoe repair shop are antique tools of the trade - buffers, sewing machines, cutters, and the like.  “Most of them are between 75 and 100 years old,” he told me nonchalantly.  He continued working throughout the duration of the interview.  One got the idea that he was used to double-tasking in this way. 

Mr. Marcon has owned the shop since 1955, but he has worked there since 1942, working for his uncle when he was only eight years old.  “They don’t do that anymore, do they!” he exclaimed.  Mr. Marcon has lived in Pen Argyl for his entire life, growing up right around the corner from his shop on South Robinson Avenue.  He is married with two sons, one of whom still lives in town.  He fondly remembered the days when blouse mills ruled the area.  “There were hundreds of people in the community. A lot of the women would be on the streets walking around from around 12 to 1 o’clock, and that’s when I made my business.”  He noted that people seemed friendlier then, with fewer worries. 

Mr. Marcon’s great hope for the future is that Pen Argyl will some day get back to a state similar to what it was in the 50s and 60s, although he’s still extremely fond of his home town today.  He especially likes the fact that there are many fields in parks for children to play sports in and lots of league and school sports.  “Being a sports fan myself, I think that’s especially important to keep the young people occupied,” he said. 

Although Mr. Marcon has seen many changes in the area, he says the amount of business he gets on a daily basis has remained relatively constant, with the help of a few new additions.  Instead of only repairing shoes, for example, he now also fixes other leather items.  At the time that I was interviewing him, he was restoring an antique golf bag that was found in someone’s attic.  He has also had to learn new technologies to repair newer styles of shoes.  Mr. Marcon attributes the success of his shop to the necessity of the work he does as well as his notoriety in the area.  “I’m glad I’m in Pen Argyl because I know most of the customers somewhere along the line, my family has been here so long.  People hear about my shop and how antiquated it is, and how talkative I get some times.”

Mr. Marcon describes himself as somewhat of a loner, mainly keeping to himself most of the time, though when I got there he was talking to two friends of his, and another walked in soon after.  He told me he sees about ten to fifteen people a day, most of whom stay for a while just to chat.  “I entertain all day long,” he noted with a laugh.  He said that people he’s know for years, some of whom he went to school with, come in often to talk about sports, politics, or whatever topic they happen upon.  Mr. Marcon seems to enjoy himself, despite the fact that he’s been working for over 65 years.  He added, “Every time I try to retire, my customers get upset, so I don’t!”  It seems that Mr. Marcon will be working for a very long time.