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Suffern Shoe Repair Shop Will Keep Vintage Sign

SUFFERN, N.Y. --  The neon sign in the window of Rocco's Shoe Repairing on Lafayette Avenue has been there for 65 years. It appears it will remain a village fixture, despite a recent visit by a code enforcement officer who said the sign violated the code.

Rocco's Shoe Repair has been in Suffern since 1952.

Rocco's Shoe Repair has been in Suffern since 1952.

Photo Credit: Facebook

In September 2015, village officials undertook an initiative to enforce a building code that requires store windows to have no less than 10% coverage. Too many windows were being plastered with posters or signs, which was both an obstruction for law enforcement and a blight on the aesthetics of the street. 

The initiative came from the Suffern Chamber of Commerce and downtown business interests.

In recent months businesses were sent three warnings that the code must be enforced. For some, that may have required pulling down posters, but for Dominick Ferrera, whose father founded the shop, it was a surprise.

Ferrara was a bit peeved by the code enforcement officer's visit but he said he went to the village hall and filled out paperwork. He said he expects that to be the end of it.

In the meantime the issue came to light because his wife, Paulette, posted an angry outcry on Facebook, which elevated the issue.

"Maybe a little more discretion could have been used with Rocco's but the code enforcement officer was just following the directive," said Mayor Edward Markunas. 

Markunas said he expected the Rocco's sign to remain where it's been for more than six decades.

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