Leaning back into his plush chair in front of a wall adorned with appreciation letters and achievements, Mr. Parente recalls, "It was very hard for me to get my mechanic's license at first because the tests were all in English." His first break came when he was offered a job at Junior Cellucci's Oldsmobile Dealership on Washington Street in Hudson, MA. Junior, father of Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci, realized that Mr. Parente's determination and skill could prove to be an asset to his business. Naturally, when Mr. Parente was learning cars as a young man, most of the cars he was exposed to were foreign, mainly European cars. As his work experience increased, Mr. Parente began to round off his mechanical abilities by mastering American cars as well. Nodding his head and cracking a smile, he reflects, "Once I knew American cars like I knew European cars, I realized that I could start my own business someday."

Parente's opportunity to start his own business presented itself in 1982 when a small gas station went up for lease. Gathering his savings from years past and receiving a small loan from the bank, Parente leased the station and converted the run down building into an auto repair garage. Mr. Parente contacted Texaco to provide the gasoline and agreed to a deal that would keep him in business for five years. Because of his reliable and friendly service, Mr. Parente quickly gained a significant following. One customer comments, "I'm not surprised he has done so well over the years. When he first started, he was already pretty well known and liked by everybody in the town." As clientele increased, a growing number of customers began to trust Mr. Parente with repair work, as well as basic service needs such as oil changes, tune-ups, and inspections.

Meanwhile, a competitor's gas station located directly across the street began to lose business and was forced to put the station up for sale. Mr. Parente invested in the new station and doubled the size of his business. With the expansion, Parente's Texaco evolved from a simple service center to a full auto repair station capable of handling a larger volume of cars. It also provided new opportunities for unemployed mechanics and high school students. Long-time employee, Robert Crawford, has been with Parente Service, Inc. for over eight years working as a gas attendant.  Mr. Crawford has been witness to the many vast changes of the business over the past several years.  He describes working for Mr. Parente as a "rewarding experience". Elaborating his point, Crawford adds, "[Mr. Parente] isn't exactly like a boss, he's more of a fellow employee. He treats the customers very fair and straightforward."

While business is an important part of Parente's life, his family takes precedence over everything. With four children and a supportive wife, Anna, Santino Parente has a lot of support. His oldest child, Emma, is married and currently lives in Italy. Next in line is his daughter Daniela, who recently wed Charles Freeman, service manager and contractor. Charlie is not only Mr. Parente's son-in-law, but he works side-by-side as Service Manager of Santino Automotive, Inc. Charlie jokes when he says, "it was definitely a hard family to get into. There is such a tight bond between he and his children that I felt compelled to stay and work for him because, in a sense, I was taking away his daughter."

With a big smile and a warm handshake, Mr. Parente shows me out of the office of the Service Center. While I was walking out I noticed one of the many customer appreciation letters on the wall. It read:

                              "Dear Santino,

I am pleased to let you know that my car is still running like the day I brought it back from your shop. It's not every day that I write thank-you letters, but the service I received at your station was nothing less than first-rate. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Janet Grasso"

 

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