The London Lounge

Gentlemen,

I'm very sorry to say that I have just learned of the death of Joseph Centofanti, on All Saints Eve of last year, at 93. Members will recall that he is one of the leading subjects of the Vicki Vasilopoulos documentary, Men of the Cloth. He believed until the end of his life, as he is shown saying in this promotional film by Ms. Vasilopoulos, that his best suit was the one he was about to cut. That spirit, and the wonderful work he did, will be very sorely missed. I will always remember the pride with which he showed me the cutting book from which he trained as an apprentice in Italy in the 1930s.

Obituaries here and here.

It's a consolation that his legacy will be preserved in the film. May he rest in peace.

This is the type of Gentleman Dempsey444 is looking for in "Perfectionism".

Joe had a quick wit and was always looking for something to smile about. Add that to his tailoring skills and you find a great combination.

i recall giving a class on measuring at the CTDA convention one year, when in walked Joe to sit and watch. I offered him the floor, but he declined. We did, though, continue teaching the class together, much to my delight and those in attendance.

He was, as other have stated, a wonderful person to have known.

I enjoyed watching the trailer and got a fun sense for his passion and wit. "Other men dream of blondes and brunettes, I dream of work." That was good. I look forward to seeing more of Mr. Centofanti in the final movie.

Does anyone know what happened to his shop? I went by the station in Ardmore today and it still seemed to be very much in business, albeit closed for the day.

Not sure. I believe his daughter Helen Centofanti Peatross still runs her MTM shirt business from the shop. I read or heard somewhere that Joe's apprentice, "Young Joe" Genuardi, did not take over the tailoring business but went to work for Martin Greenfield in Brooklyn. I can't confirm either point, but the last time I stopped by the shop (a couple of months ago) there was still a note taped in the window by the door with Helen's contact info on it, so she might be able to supply a more reliable update. Her business is still listed in the Ardmore online yellow pages at the old address with this phone number: 215-642-1926. It does look like all the cloth books are still there . . . .