LaCarrubba's Is Sold

Although LaCarrubba's clothing store, a fixture on Amagansett's Main Street for more than 60 years, has been sold, one of its new owners said customers can expect things to remain pretty much the same.

"I want to sell quality clothing at competitive prices, provide good service, and cater to the local clientele," said John Pawlukojc of East Hampton.

Mr. Pawlukojc owned the Southampton Outdoor Store and formerly managed a store in Huntington. He and his partner, Barry Adelman, who also owns a clothing store in Chester, N.Y., took over the business on Saturday.

The LaCarrubba's name will remain, at least for now, because "I wanted to keep that hometown feeling," said Mr. Pawlukojc. "I don't want people to think it's some fancy-schmancy shop."

Won't Retire

The former owners, Joe and Sal LaCarrubba, grew up in an apartment behind the store and worked there since graduating from high school in the 1950s.

"It was time," said Joe, who will turn 65 in June. Sal added that he was ready to try something new after being in the clothing business all his life and will open a small home-repair business. Joe said he would also seek some type of part-time work. The brothers still retain ownership of the building, however.

While the new owners plan to sell a similar type of casual, outdoorsy merchandise for men and women, Mr. Pawlukojc said the store's existing lines, like Levi's, Woolrich, Timberland, and Carhart, will probably be expanded to include Patagonia and Polo "just to add a little flavor."

Coveted Dump Shirts

But the LaCarrubbas have already advised Mr. Pawlukojc not to tinker with success: One of the store's staples and a much-sought-after item, the East Hampton Town Dump T-shirts, available in navy blue and red, will still be sold.

The dump shirts have been spotted as far away as San Francisco, according to Joe LaCarrubba. Another customer spotted a LaCarrubba's T-shirt and hat in Moscow, to boot, he added.

Over the years, "we went through all the fashions," he said, recalling how style had changed from chinos, to blue jeans, to bell-bottoms, and back again. "Everything goes in cycles," he said.

'I wanted to keep that home town feeling. I don't want people to think it's some fancy-schmancy shop.'

John Pawlukojc

LaCarrubba's New Owner

"There was the time when everyone was wearing polyester," added Sal. "Now you can't even look at it." The memory of early 1970s garishly colored leisure suits, arguably the low point of American fashion, caused him to chuckle. "And people actually wore them," he said.

Began With Shoe Repair

The family business was started as a shoe repair shop in 1932 by the LaCarrubbas' father, Salvatore. He soon expanded. "Right after he open ed, the salesmen came out and said, 'Why don't you sell some shoes?' " said Joe. Their father quickly moved into clothing as well and enlarged his building in the 1950s.

Joe joined his father after graduating from East Hampton High School in 1951, Sal in 1957. Both "took two years off for Uncle Sam," said Sal.

The brothers eventually expanded to Southampton, building the store that now houses Deerfield Clothing in 1957, before selling out 25 years ago. For 16 years, starting in the early 1970s, they also ran a bicycle shop in the space next to the clothing store that now houses Cycle Path. "We've still got a lot of bikes pedaling around," said Sal.

The two biggest changes to come to Amagansett during their years in business, both men agreed, were the widening of the Montauk Highway in the early 1950s and the development of the Amagansett Square shopping center starting in the 1980s.

First Aid, Too

Although community groups had sounded the alarm that the retail complex with its factory outlet shops would siphon local business when it expanded in the early 1990s, "we didn't think it would affect us," said Joe. "If anything, it has helped us because it has brought more shoppers to Amagansett," he said.

Over the years, the LaCarrubbas developed the trust of the community. "Parents would send their kids. They knew we wouldn't oversell them. Everyone was a friend, but you happened to do business with them," said Joe.

The store became something of a village center, with people stopping in to ask directions, get the name of a good carpenter, or have a package or fax sent - a practice Mr. Pawlukojc said he would continue.

Others have come in seeking more serious help: "Once a guy cut his hand badly and came rushing in," recalled Sal. "We bandaged him right up." The LaCarrubbas, who are both members of the Amagansett Fire Department and ambulance squad, even took regular blood-pressure readings for some customers, according to Joe.

The brothers have promised to pitch in during the transition. "You're still going to see us around here once in a while," said Sal LaCarrubba.