|
|
|
|
Jane
Pirone, founder of Happy Mazza Media, named the
company after her grandfather, Dominic "Happy" Mazza.
In the 40's, Happy, whose disposition earned him
his nickname, sold the family's confectionery store
and opened a syrup company. This was not the syrup
of pancakes and waffles but the old-fashioned kind
that was used to flavor sodas and ice cream, desserts.
The Happy Mazza Syrup Company occupied a storefront
on Myrtle Avenue in Stamford, Connecticut, and Happy,
his wife Clara, and their children lived in the
apartment upstairs. Happy enlisted all kinds of
people to help him promote his company. In one Happy
Mazza syrup ad, an Army private enthusiastically
endorses the product as "the best syrup in 46 states."
To draw attention to his store, Happy had a huge
neon sign made that portrayed him pouring syrup
from a pitcher. The company stationery read, "Be
happy, drink Happy's. The taste tells." Although
the store has long been closed, it was only recently
that Happy's neon sign was dismantled. The local
newspaper came out to photograph Clara in front
of the building on Myrtle Avenue the day the sign
was removed. Now Happy's granddaughter has set about
on her own business endeavor, and she chose his
name for the company. It's a way to carry on Happy
Mazza's legacy. The family business has come a long
way since its syrup days. |
|
|
