click for large picture

who: The two boys are Philip and Salvatore Migliore
what: Migliore garage
where: South Main St (formerly Millstone Road), heading toward Weston
GPS: 40.535525, -74.590312
when: 1923

The Migliore garage was one of Manville's first. This is now the Manville Spa. Weston RR Station is on the hill.

Photo by Paul R. Collier.

From http://67.88.43.59/fdata/70s/news-record/1979/1979-04-26.pdf, page 30:
Philip and Salvatore Migliore proved that Manville's second generation could start from scratch, the hard way, just as the first had done. Called up to fight in World War II, the Migliore boys returned home to find the family's garage business was no more. But this was the business they knew; they had grown up in it, and they were not about to call it quits. Migiore's had been a Standard Oil distributor on the Millstone Road at Weston since the days when daisy fields bordered the pavement clear up to the school house. Their father Ignatius Migliore had worked at various jobs after coming to America, always trying to better himself. Finally, the oldest son, James, full of youthful enthusiasm for cars, persuaded his father there was a chance to make money operating a service station. At the time Migliores were living in Belle Mead, and knew Manville to be a likely place to get a start. All four Migliore boys, Jim, Steve, Phil and Sal, worked in the garage at one time; But during wartime their father found himself without help. He made the best of a bad situation and transformed the garage into a tavern. For years.it was known as the Green Light, today it is Colonial Inn. After the war, Phil and Sal started over again next door. They put up a tent, bought a second-hand lift from D'AIessio in Somerville, set it up in the open, and went to work. When it rained, to keep dry, they had to stay under the car they were repairing. Business built back up again, as they were confident it would, and a sleek, white garage bore the Migliore name. Inside is a plaque from Exxon, commending them for 55 years as a company distributor. Actual running of the business has devolved on Sal's two sons, Joseph and Robert, and they have now expanded operations to a second Exxon station at the north end of town.




Click the picture for the extra large view >

reference: Shandor006MainStWeston

Back to Art Shandor pictures
Back to Main Page