Rusine's Christmas Ad – Dec. 15, 1956

Here's a nice Christmas-themed ad for Rusine's from the pages of the December 15, 1956 Lorain Journal that should bring back some pleasant memories.

As you probably remember, the popular store at 822 Broadway was the local outlet for Russell Stover Candies, and that fact certainly dominates the ad. (I posted Jack Tiller's photo of his ultimate Rusine's collectible – the store's Russell Stover Candies sign – back here.)

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I recently heard from Jennifer, the granddaughter of Michael and Elizabeth Rusine. Jennifer wrote, "This 2013 Christmas, I am sending out Christmas cards to family and friends that were sold long ago at Rusine's store."

On each card, Jennifer was also adding the link to the two-part blog post (here and here) containing the excellent and touching tribute that Robert Rusine wrote about his father Michael.

Jennifer is also making sure a part of Rusine tradition lives on. As she wrote, "Tomorrow, I will be making Grandma Elizabeth's spritz cookies with her other granddaughter, Lindsey. As a surprise to Lindsey, I will have Grandma's Christmas apron all ready for her to wear."

She also posted a special holiday message. "Merry Christmas to all. I love you, Grandma and Grandpa."

Tiller's Treasures: Russell Stover Sign

Shortly after my posts last week about Rusine's, I received an email from Jack Tiller with yet another photographic goodie attached: the vintage Russell Stover Candies sign that hung in the store (above).

As Jack explained, "This was given to me by Mr. Rusine as the place was closing down. I was always buying the latest Hot Rod Magazine and my dad would buy the Sporting News."

Jack knew exactly what souvenir of the store to ask for from Mr. Rusine. "Hated to see the place go, so I asked him if I could have this sign which hung behind the counter," said Jack. "I can still remember where it was."

Russell Stover Candies were always in our Easter baskets while I was growing up – along with Faroh's candies, of course!

Thanks again to Jack for sharing yet another of his great Lorain collectibles!

Rusine's Part 2

Vintage postcard

Did you know that, in addition to the bookstore, the Rusine family also operated a motel?

As Robert Rusine explained, "Our motel was on Route 6 and 2. Motel Plaza, across the street from the Crystal Beach roller coaster. For ten years I mowed the lawn on our property, which was 11 acres.

1950s phone book ad

"The sounds of the roller coaster which faced our property were enticing. Slowly the chain would pull the roller coaster to the top, and then it would make the curve before its long descent with people screaming at the top of their lungs.

"But I was mowing the lawn, which took all day."

Robert obviously inherited his father's strong work ethic.

"Coming from an ethnic Russian background," he explained, "my dad was born poor, did not speak English when he started school, but worked tirelessly all his life, and when he died all his properties were fully paid as was our custom."

Motel Plaza is still there out on Route 6 in Vermilion. As Robert notes, "Still in business. Same name and same rooms after fifty years."

"My dad worked both of those businesses each day, every day of the year for almost his entire adult life," said Robert. "Never a vacation."

Michael Rusine passed away on June 20, 1989. He had owned and operated his bookstore for more than 6o years. He was also a former Lorain Jaycees Man of the Year, and was a state award winner for selling bonds during World War II.

Robert Rusine sums up his father simply and lovingly.

"My dad was a good guy."

Special thanks to Robert Rusine for sharing his memories.

Modern views of the motel 

Rusine's Part 1

Rusine's sign still above 822 Broadway

I've said it many times: the best part of doing this blog is getting emails from people who want to share some of their Lorain memories.

Robert Rusine recently emailed me with some great reminisces about his father, and the business that his father ran for many years that should be familiar to many Lorainites: Rusine's. 

"My father, Mike Rusine, operated our bookstore on Broadway," said Robert. "Our store sold cigarettes at the cheapest price in town, along with books, cards, Russell Stover's candy, Buxton wallets, and even Dunhill smoking accessories.

"We had the largest collection of books, tobacco pipes, comic books and candy bars of any store in the county. The Cleveland Press delivered their evening addition, the last edition, on the Cleveland Lorain Highway Coach."

Why was that edition so popular?

As Robert explained, "Customers would line up to buy it because it contained the numbers, the winning numbers for those who played the numbers."

The bookstore at 822 Broadway as it looks today

Robert also told me about a little game his father used to play with some of his customers. "He would have the customer roll the dice, double or nothing, to get the hardbound book for free or pay two times the cover price."

It was a colorful time in Lorain's past, and the customers at Rusine's would fit in perfectly in a Damon Runyon short story.

"We knew all the customers at our bookstore," explained Robert, "by their first names or nicknames. There was Carter Hall, Peachy John, Bull Durham, IBX, Burnt Toast and Speedy. Many of them were retired pensioners from United States Steel plant, or habitual gamblers. Others were pimps or prostitutes, and alcoholics who frequented the bars in the area."

There was also a particular clientele who favored the girlie-type magazine: the men who sailed the cargo ships on the Great Lakes who found themselves in Lorain.

"It was interesting for us, as the six kids of Mike, who waited on the customers in my dad's store as we grew up," noted Robert.

Christmas time was a good time to promote the store, and Robert and his siblings did their part, although some of their marketing tactics would be frowned upon today.

"Each year just before Christmas, my brother and I would distribute ads for candy and greeting cards from our store, by placing them in the mailboxes in the entire area," he recalled, "and also in the cars parked throughout downtown Lorain, by opening car doors and placing the ad on the front seat!

"One time we couldn't get the door of the car closed. It would not budge. So we took the advertisement off the seat of the car. Try doing some of these kinds of things today!"

According to Robert, his father was a real visionary. "My dad foresaw that people did not like to pay at the meters on Broadway. He had an architect design a plan for downtown renewal. It contained a parking garage for free parking, and anchor stores such as the Hudson store which was popular at the time. It would have been built, of course, before the Midway Mall and preserved downtown as an ongoing business district. However, no one took notice even though he placed the architect's design in our store window."

It sounds like Mike Rusine's idea was ahead of its time.

Next: Rusine's other business