Each day, more and more of Old Reno falls before the wrecking ball, houses sprout on hillsides and bulldozers push ever deeper into former pasture land. The area quickly is losing things that were familiar sights for decades. Reno Vulcanizing Works has been in business on Virginia Street for almost 80 years, owned by the same two local families, a remarkable achievement these days. In the beginning of the last century, Italian immigrant, Frank Menante was excited at the growth possibilities of the young automobile industry, and was looking for a way to get into some part of it. In the downtown area of Reno, there was a little shop that did repair work on all types of rubber articles, whether it was bike tires, footballs or boots. The Reno Vulcanizing Works recently had started selling something new – automobile tires. Menante negotiated an agreement to buy half of the business, formalized in a one-page contract that simply reads: “Reno, NV, April 26 (19)20 In 1922, the other half of the fledgling company was purchased by Augustino “Gus” Besso, a close friend of the Menante’s and a neighbor in Reno’s Italian community. Besso had owned a livery stable on Evans Street, and saw the trend of business away from horses and towards automobiles. Thus began a family partnership that continues to this day. The hole in the wall The early business was a 20-by-40-foot storefront operation at 332 N Virginia Street, and initially it catered to more bicycles than cars. Space restrictions caused Menante and Besso to do much of their work on the sidewalk in front of the building. By the late 1920s, the business had grown substantially, enabling the partners to hire several employees and increase the size of their shop. |
Gradually they stopped repairing boots as their automobile tire business increased. In late October 1929, they deposited an unusually large check in their bank. One week later, on Black Thursday, Oct. 29, the Wall Street stock market crashed; the Great Depression had begun. Saved The clearing of that check saved Reno Vulcanizing Works from failure. With the funds, the business was able to pay its bills and continue operating while many others closed. Through those difficult times, people found ways to work together and to survive. The Menantes and Bessos extended credit to their customers, and often accepted payment in produce or other goods. The Depression was just over when World War II broke out, and rubber tires were strictly rationed. People would receive coupons allowing them to buy tires. Businesses that depended on vehicles bartered with the older people of the community for their tire coupons. Thus, Reno Vulcanizing was able to keep going, utilizing the lessons learned during the difficult times of the Depression. Moving “out of town” In 1946, Menante and Besso decided to retire and turn the business over to the sons Ralph and Leland. By the mid-1950s, the business had outgrown the original building and needed to be relocated. When word of the new location got out, several customers offered the opinion that the business was certain to fail, because it was moving “out of town.” The location was at the corner of North Virginia and Sixth streets. As the time, there was very little north of the railroad tracks, except a few houses and the University of Nevada, Reno. A Dairy Queen, serving only vanilla and chocolate ice cream cones was on the property and had to move across the street, where it is still located. The “new” building opened for business in 1955, and the City of Reno has grown up around it. |
The third generation In 1986, Ralph and Leland decided to retire, and the business was taken over by their sons, Fran Menante and Mitch and Steve Besso. To see how times had changed, one simply needs to look at the document that accomplished the transfer of partnership. In 1920, a single handwritten sheet of paper and a handshake accomplished the task. Sixty-six years later, it cost around $10,000 in attorney fees to produce a 50-page agreement to do about the same thing. This is often referred to as “progress.” A time-proven formula Asked what the business had done for the community in its nearly 80 years of existence, Fran Menante said: “Each succeeding generation learned a great lesson from the one before it: treat people fairly and help them whenever you can. We still operate that way, and always will. If we didn’t, how could we sleep at night?” Mitch Besso added: “You stay in business through three generations only by earning the trust of the people who walk through your door.” He also pointed out that theirs is not only on of the oldest businesses in Reno, but also one of the four or five longest-serving Goodyear Tire dealerships in the country. The company opened additional stores on Plumb Lane in 1969 and in Sparks in 1992. An uncertain future The site of the original store is now a public parking lot south of the railroad tracks. The area where the current Virginia Street store is located has been included in the city’s redevelopment plans, with retail stores and shops planned for that location. Within the next few years, the building may face the wrecking ball, as the New Reno takes shape. Note: newspaper clippings from the Reno Evening Gazette dated April 29, 1955 were used for background information for this column. Howie Tune is a Reno freelance writer. He may be contacted via E-mail at: HLTUNE@aol.com. |