Garo and I loved when celebrities would visit our store. There was always so much excitement! If they called ahead, which they usually did, I would make sure we had a special wine for them and of course, their favorite appetizer- Hummus! We always went out of our way to make it a special occasion for them.
Bob Hope loved my eggplant dip. When he called to let us know he was coming, he would add, “Make sure you have plenty of that ‘A-Rab souffle’ because you know how much Delores likes it!”
We had plenty of celebrities come shop with us over the years. But the best celebrity story by far involves none other than Ol’ Blue Eyes.
One morning Pat Henry, the comedian, called us to ask a favor. “The Boys” were coming in from Chicago with a gift for “Frank” (Sinatra) and they needed a good jeweler to repair a part of it that was broken. Later that afternoon we received a phone call from someone who told us to lock our door so that Frank’s entourage could bring in the piece. They came in with a huge antique-looking solid gold car! It took the entire group to carry it in.
The piece was truly incredible, and the detail was beautiful. But there was a piece broken off that they did not have– meaning that Garo would have to make something to fit into the empty spot. Very intricate work. Garo spent most of the night creating a piece to put into that space. When I called them to come and pick it up, Pat Henry said “Are you kidding, it’s done already? Give us an hour to round everyone up, so we can carry it out.”
When they came in, they could not believe what a beautiful job Garo had done on that magnificent car. It looked perfect!
“That is amazing!” was their reaction. I must say the “Boys” were very grateful and very generous to Garo. The jokes and conversation that we experienced during our time with them was priceless. And most is unmentionable! It was a truly wonderful experience- thank you “Frank!”