Sam Marrazzo, 76, the long-time owner of Marrazzo’s Market in Ewing, died on Feb. 23. Marrazzo was also the proprietor of Marrazzo’s Thriftway in Robbinsville, which he sold in 2006.
Although Marrazzo was semi-retired at the time of his passing, he was still frequently seen in his store greeting customers and making sure that the location was maintained to his high standards.
Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann remembered Marrazzo in a statement made to radio station New Jersey 101.5. “He was a hard-working guy. He was a hands-on owner,” said Steinmann. “He’ll be sorely missed. He certainly paid a lot of attention to the to his facility, kept it clean, kept it neat. It was just an enhancement to Ewing Township.”
Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried spoke highly of the businessman in a social media post.
“In the wake of Sam Marrazzo’s passing, on behalf of the Robbinsville community, our hearts and prayers go out to his family,” said Fried. “His humor, kindness and generosity touched the lives of all who knew him. He was a giant of a personality, and nothing was more fun than to walk into the store and be greeted by Sam!”
The family has been in the business world since 1947, when Sam’s father, Don, opened Centre Fruit Market in downtown Trenton. In 1961, the family opened Marrazzo’s Quality Market on South Broad Street in Trenton.
Marrazzo became involved in the business shortly after graduating from Pennsbury High School, and he was later made a partner. A number of years later, the Marrazzos bought several nearby buildings with the intention of expanding the market, but the plan never progressed due to challenges with parking.
Instead they opened Marrazzo’s Thriftway in Robbinsville in 1989, followed by the location on Parkway Avenue in Ewing in 2000. In addition to the supermarket, the Marrazzos also own the surrounding Serenity Plaza shopping center.
Steinmann said that in recent years, Marrazzo had talked with him about the possibility of developing a mixed-use center on the shopping center property, similar to the Ewing Town Center across the street on Parkway Avenue. Those discussions never left the preliminary stage.
“Mr. Marrazzo, as many called him, was always in the store,” said an article by Communitynews.org in 2018. “He greeted every single customer, always asking how he could make your experience better and went out of his way to make the experience of shopping at his store like you were family.”
Many area residents paid tribute to Marrazzo in posts on social media.
“I will have to say (he was) the first man I EVER met that never had one ounce of bullsh*t in him,” said Bob Rapciewicz, a former employee for a number of years. “He gave many people more than second chances. (More than) than they deserved—including me. He was old school—’If you got time to lean you have time to clean,’ (Sam said).”
“I was pushing carts, bagging groceries and selling seafood at his Robbinsville store when I was a kid. He was a good man, and I definitely have a lot of memories as a result,” said Timothy Leonard Rura.
Said Tony Giordano: “This was a wonderful man with a big heart, always at the ready to help others with food donations, whether it be school, firefighter, police or EMT charities.”
“On a personal note, a few years back my mom was in the hospital during Thanksgiving, and Sam knew for sure that my father was going to be by her side, bypassing dinner with the rest of the family,” Giodano added. “So at around 4 p.m., two of his workers came to the hospital room with Thanksgiving dinner for two with all the trimmings. Even a small floral arrangement.”
His obituary, posted on Legacy.com, sums up Marrazzo and his appreciation for his customers best. “One of his greatest pleasures was greeting his customers each day. They became his friends, and he took a very personal interest in each and every one of their stories. Everyone was aware of his high personal and professional standards. He always believed his customers deserved the best of himself and his employees.”
Said Marrazzo to Communitynews.org in 2018: “I love Robbinsville and all of Mercer County. They’ve been so good to us. We started in 1947—just two weeks after I was born. The Marrazzo family is honestly and sincerely thankful for every one of our customers.”In addition to running his markets, Marrazzo also sat on the board of Yardville Bank and First Trust Bank in addition to the board of the Retail Marketing Group.Marrazzo is survived by his wife of 54 years, Margaret Marrazzo (Scott); daughter Mary Marrazzo Saltzman and her family, husband Josh; loving granddaughters, Samantha Christine and Mary Catherine; and his brother Joseph Marrazzo and his family.According to his obituary, Marrazzo did not want a funeral. “Instead, he wanted everyone who knew him to remember their conversations, laughter and good times.”Arrangements were under the direction of the Buklad-Merlino Memorial Homes, Hamilton. Donations in Marrazzo’s memory can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the donor’s charity of choice.
Sam Marrazzo stands in the produce section of his market in Ewing on April 26, 2018. (Staff photo by Rob Anthes.),
