Mario Cipolla, 94, Owned Westwood Mobile Homes

Mr. Cipolla was born to Gaetano "Anthony" and Grazia "Grace" (nee Presti) Cipolla in Bronte, Sicily on October 31, 1910. With perserverance and hard work he ultimately became one of Lorain's most successful businessmen.

While in his native Sicily he attended school for only three years. At the age of ten his father sent him to a farm where he labored as a shepherd seven days a week. During his adult life he always regretted not completing a formal education. On May 27, 1927 at the age of sixteen Mario arrived in America at Ellis Island. He could not speak or write English so it was very difficult for him to communicate. With dogged determination, he ultimately conquered the language barrier.

Mario worked at his father's grocery store at the corner of East 147th and Bartlett in Cleveland and fulfilled all tasks there. In 1933 he met Evelyn Kermode and married her in 1937 after eloping to Ripley, New York. In the 1940's Mario drove semi trucks for Erie Freight Lines. He gradually purchased his own trucks and formed his own trucking firm with routes ranging from Cleveland to New York. For a short time he was the proprietor of Marty's Tavern which was located at East 130th Street and Miles Avenue in Cleveland. Quickly becoming bored with a lack of challenge, he moved his family to Lorain in 1946 and founded the Lorain Music and Vending Company. Although modest in its beginning, he built the entity into a firm which today is widely recognized throughout the state of Ohio. He remained active in the day to day operations of the business until 1998.

In 1958 Mario diversified his business interests by forming a partnership with William Bauer in a mobile home park in Amherst, Ohio. At that time it was known as the B Bar B Mobile Home Park. He eventually acquired his partner's financial interest and changed the name to Westwood Mobile Home Park. Mr. Cipolla retained Mr. Bauer as manager and together they developed the park. When it began, the community consisted of only six lots. The partnership layed out the streets, plotted the lots, secured access to water and proudly watched their enterprise grow to 460 mobile home lots. Today,Westwoods is widely acknowledged as one of Ohio's biggest and best mobile home parks.

In 1970, while vacationing in Florida, he added to his business empire by purchasing a tract of land and proceeded to erect three forty-unit aprtment buildings which were ultimately managed by a former employee of his.

For recreation, Mario enjoyed bowling, golf, and playing cards with his friends. His favorite hobby, however, was driving his yellow tractor at the mobile home park.

Survivors include his daughter: Marilyn Cipolla of Amherst, a son: Thomas residing in Katonah, New York, granddaughters: Christina Higgins of Avon Lake, Michelle Zappa of Amherst, Maria Miller and Marilyn Cipolla both, of Colchester, Vermont, nine great grandchildren, and a brother: Samuel Cipolla of Brecksville.

He was preceded in death by his wife: Evelyn A.(nee Kermode) in 1989, by his parents: Gaetano “Anthony” Cipolla and Grazia "Grace" (nee Presti) Cipolla, and by brothers Joseph and Biagio Cipolla.

Visitation will be Monday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. in the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel – 3224 Broadway Avenue – Lorain. Funeral services will be Tuesday beginning at 9:30 in the funeral chapel and will be followed by the celebration of a funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. in the Catholic Church of Saint Peter – 3501 Oberlin Avenue – Lorain. The Reverend Kenneth Wolnowski, pastor of the parish will officiate. Burial will follow in Ridge Hill Memorial Park – Amherst Township.

Please make donations to: Either the Saint Peter School Endowment Fund – 3651 Oberlin Avenue – Lorain, Ohio 44053 or to the New Life Hospice – 5255 North Abbe Road – Elyria, Ohio 44035.