Published by Donna Ardizzoni
Ardizzoni Photography, Business Manager, Grandmother, love living in Gloucester, love to swim, kayak, walk and of course take pictures. Our company does computer networking, Office Management, Medical Billing, transcription, networking software updates and virus protection
View all posts by Donna Ardizzoni
Good Morning Gloucester 
Great shot, Donna. Mr. Mondello’s shop is in my neighborhood. He’s a really nice man with great stories of old Gloucester and shoeshine machines from just after World War II. Whenever I visit his old-timey shop, I feel like I should also visit the haberdasher or the millinery or something. Old school.
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Mr. Mondello is our family’s cobbler and he once even re stitched a suitcase that was trashed by the airlines. Thanks Donna for sharing!
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He’s a cutie patutie ! Nice man too.
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This gentleman is a total gem. Talented, hard-working and personable, with a ready smile! Thanks for highlighting him – he deserves recognition!
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Brings us all back to our childhood and present thank you
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Thank you so much feel the same
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Delightful! He repaired all of my shoes and my boots for St.Ann’s Band – forever.
Always had a story to tell – So high energy!
A Gloucester icon!
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Mr Mondello is always entertaining and has great stories. In years past if you left your shoes you would still have to wait for them so after a while you figured out to just wait. He has fixed many pairs of high heels for me in the 60’s.
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Mr Mondello fixed a pair of my shoes when I was a student at St Ann. They were flats and the heels were all run over. I wanted “stacks” so badly I could taste them. And he put them on for me. What a great guy.
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Thanks for the information
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Great young man!
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Excellent!
We should always treasure the widsom passed forth by a person has walked the path ahead of us that we can learn from it requires being heard and then listen and Learn!
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All of the above, PLUS…a father of lobstermen !!!
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Thank you Toby
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I was just telling my husband about Mr Mondello’s cobbler shop a few weeks ago (we live in Michigan)! What a pleasant surprise to see his smile on GMG!
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Thank you for your kind words.
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I can remember as a kid going to Mondello’s Shoe Repair with my mother. We always got shoes fixed in those days; you didn’t just go buy a new pair! He would let me come beind the counter, where I’d ask 1,000 questions about the old Landis machines that were there. He was patient, but still let me know when enough was enough. What a great guy, and a genuine Gloucester character!
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Thank you for the post, when I go in there the smell of leather brings me back to my childhood
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I know we always went to a cobbler and had our shoes fixed,
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Thanks
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Nice photo Joe! You and I go back 60 years?
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Thanks for the post.. Donna
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I can remember visiting Mr Mondello at his store as a child and love to have an excuse to visit as an adult. He is a wonderful story teller and often shares stories about my grandfathers while he repairs my shoes…his shop has remained the exact same over the years. Stepping into his shop feels like you just stepped back in time. He is such a nice man and I love that he still enjoys doing what he does after all theses years.
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Thank you Felicia
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What a “Flash from the past”….brings back many great memories. He is a wonderful person-
thanks for sharing.
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Thanks
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Mr Mondello is great man. I love to stop by his shop on my lunch break very often for a great laugh… Thanks Donna
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you are welcome
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He also sharpens skates. When he was open on Saturday’s he would always have a line of kids waiting to get their skates done.
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Thanks for the post and the info
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So glad for Joe, fixing shoes and much more in our throw away society he is so refreshing to have right in my neighborhood.
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Thanks Patti, he is terrific
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Cobbler Joe
By Peter A. Todd
Through our years he has worked his craft
Of repairing the Heals and Souls of all
Never was there complaining of his tasks
He has been my friend since I was small
He is a doctor of wisdom ready to heal
The problems of those who come through his door
A Priest of the conscience so human and real
A soldier of histories little told wars
Cobbler Joe has saved many tired and lost souls
Just as in Life he has come upon many heels
Yet! In his goals he never grows old
Of his many friends, to the hearts this man steals
From Salesman to Doctor, to the stitching of tongues
A Professor of knowledge that is rare
The Savior of souls of many he has won
With a mind as sharp as the skates in his care
A big Thank you from The Shoe Shine Boy
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That’s great, Peter! I’m always amazed at how you come forward with a verse to cover almost anything Gloucester related!
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We also go back a long, long way. Used to bring our shoes in to be fixed on our way to St. Ann School back in the 50’s. They don’t come any finer than Joe – always has a story and a big smile. Thanks, Joe!
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I love reading all the nice things people have to say about my Grampy. I don’t think there is a better man to walk this planet. Thank you for all the things you’ve all said.
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What a sweet comment from a loving grand daughter. He must be very proud of you.
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