Soon after the Second World War, local truck farmers Tom and Louie Forte completed construction of an apartment building on the southeast corner of Mace Avenue and Eastchester Road. The residential entrance to the building faced Mace; the side that faced Eastchester Road offered retail space at ground level for six small stores, beginning with Mace Chemist Shop on the corner.
A. J. & R. F. DeFilippis, R.Ph. read the small letters printed on the plate glass window next to the recessed entryway, which cut across the corner of the building. In contrast to the high energy emanating from Vinnie’s, this shop exuded a hum of calm. Light traffic and soft lighting enhanced the aura of serenity.
It took only a few steps to span the distance from the entrance to the counter, or to any of the fully stocked shelving units lining the walls. Behind the counter, tall shelves overflowing with more health and beauty items shielded the rear of the store where the pharmacists filled prescriptions. Low shelves at the base of the counter held smaller personal care products. This cozy nook of a shop stocked all the essential drugstore merchandise, but each product at its most basic rather than in every variety available.
Mr. DeFilippis was the elder pharmacist. A sliver of a man with a pencil moustache and a gray lab coat worn over his shirt and tie, he was courteous but solemn, clipped and formal. His son Ronnie, robust and of average height, smiled easily and greeted customers by name.
As you stood at the counter waiting to pay for your purchase, you had no way of knowing which of the DeFilippis men would emerge from behind the shelves to help you. As a young girl, I sagged inwardly when confronted by the stern countenance of the elder gentleman. But seeing Ronnie approach, smile sliding across his face, brought forth a smile of my own. Ronnie, with eyes as blue as the wild chicory that squeezed through the cracks in the sidewalk, dense dark eyebrows and eyelashes, and thick black hair brushed back from his forehead, made the business transaction enjoyable.
The prices at this independent pharmacy were high, but the shop filled prescriptions and met other needs of a loyal customer base. Saving a few cents at one of the larger chain drugstores was not always the priority, especially if it meant a trip by bus. Eventually, one of those chain stores did open further down the street, advertising low prices and weekly specials. Nevertheless, Mace Chemist Shop continued to serve the community for many more years, closing for business on December 13, 1983.
© Barbara Cole 2020. All Rights Reserved.
