100th Birthday Celebration for a Great Smith Street Lady, by John Verrangia, Jr

Sophia “Fay” Liuzzi Verrangia was born on September 17, 1914 in Patterson, NJ which then was just a little town. She came to Smith Street as a young “country girl” bride in 1939 when she married John Verrangia, Sr. who was working as a clerk at a shoe store located at 218 Smith Street.

When the owner wanted to retire he offered to sell the store to Verrangia, who wasn’t sure. Sophia had confidence in her husband and in the area and convinced him that they should buy the business. Money was so tight so they lived behind the shop. Sophia took a job job nearby in a jewelry box factory to help pay off the store purchase price.

By 1945, WWII had ended, the business was thriving, and they were without debt. Friendly and gregarious Fay, who by that time knew everyone on Smith Street, was approached by the owner of 208 Smith Street who wanted to sell the building, and once again she had to convince her more conservative husband to take the plunge and become a property owner. So they moved the business a few doors down and lived upstairs over the store.

Next on Fay’s mind was having a family. Four sons came into their lives – John Jr. the oldest, then Paul, Richard, and Thomas. They all grew up on Smith Street, went to school at St. Paul’s on Warren Street, and local High Schools.

About three years after the purchase of 208 the same owner wanted to sell the building next door at 210 Smith and again approached Fay. She had to convince her husband once again that this was a worthwhile investment, that two buildings together were worth more than the value of each. So you can see that she was an astute business woman. Her husband knew the shoe business and provided well for his family, but Fay intuitively knew the business of business. The shoe store soon occupied the two adjacent storefronts.

In the 1960’s Fay and John Sr. moved to a home in Bensonhurst, providing the garden setting Fay dreamed about. Meanwhile, John Jr., who had been working in the store with his father, got married in and moved into the apartment over the store, where he raised his own family and where he still lives. Of the four boys John Jr. invested in the store, and over the years Johnnies Bootery has fitted most of the children who grew up in Brownstone Brooklyn.

In 1976 John Sr., her husband of 37 years, passed away and Fay was devastated and lonely. But after a few years she had a suitor/travel companion, John Liuzzi. She remarried and they moved to Florida which was their home base for 20 years with lots of travelling.

But then her second husband fell ill. She was in her 80’s by that time and couldn’t take care of him. He went to live with his daughter and in 1999 John Jr. brought Fay back to Smith Street. Ensconced in her own apartment – directly above that of son John – stairway chair lifts were installed and Fay loves the street life of a vibrant Smith Street. Here she sees her four sons, her two grandchildren, and her four great grandchildren frequently.

Fay is a matriarch of Johnnies Bootery, a matriarch of Smith Street and a bright spirit for whom the glass is always half full! While her actual birthday is September 17, the family is having a Birthday Celebration at John’s apartment at 208/210 Smith Street on the 27th. It isn’t every day that someone celebrates their 100th Birthday and it is even rarer that their life is so connected to our community.

Editors Note: Star-Revue founder George Fiala and then Phoenix newspaper ad salesperson sold ads to Johnnies Bootery back when Fay was a young woman in her 60’s.