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Colettas was founded on Feb. 1 1957. The founder and my grandfather, Miguel Coletta, born Jan. 4 1893, had immigrated to the United States in 1922. Miguel immediately started work in the jewelry industry saving all his money so that he might someday bring his family to the United States from Cassino, Italy. In 1926 Miguel put a deposit on a 3 tenament house on Sutton Street in Providence and returned to Italy to make the voyage back with his family. One of his sons was left behind in Italy until he could afford the voyage, that would be later in 1938. All his sons served in Wolrd War Two and upon returning from the War, the boys started in the automobile service business. Feeling inspired to start a new life in America, Miguel's sons Mario and Antonio along with their Dad opened a Sunoco gas station on the east bound side of George M. Cohan Blvd, East Providence, RI. Within a few months they expanded to a second location, a large Mobil Gas station. Well as luck would have it, the State of RI aquired both gas stations in order to built Interstate 195 across the Blvd. Back in those days I drove a hand crank tow truck our first tow truck. I wasn’t old enough for a license but the police understood I’d only stay on the Blvd. and they needed the busy highway cleared.
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With the aquiring of the gas stations in 1959, my grand father Miguel started looking for a new location in the vicinity . It was about this time that my uncle Mario started his Atlantic Richfield gas station on Angell Street on the historic East Side of Providence. Miguel, Antonio and Mario located an empty building on Richmond Street, purchased and renovated the building complete with gas pumps, lifts, overhead doors, windows and a large storage lot. |
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In the following years the Coletta boys purchased 3 additional joining parcels totaling almost 2 acres. As years went on the fleet of Coletta's vehicles expanded to 11 trucks. |
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In 1979 our Grandfather Miguel Coletta passed away. |
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The founder of Coletta's Garage, Antonio Miguel Coletta,
passes away on April 08,1996 leaving the business to his children Anthony and Michael. They say it’s unusual to see a business pass on to 3 generations but we are doing it and we get along very well. Fact is we have grown to two additional locations with over 40 employees and 16 trucks .
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One of our our new aquistions in 1997 is the 12000 s.q, collision center on Allens Avenue operated by my brother Michael. |
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Another aquistion in 1999 gave us 55000 s.f. both in and outdoor storage off Eddy Street overlooking Rte. 95. |
The
Present |
Coletta’s never closes with our drivers on duty at the Richmond Street location 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
It’s no wonder that Colettas is considered R.I.’S LARGEST. |
