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A Day in the Life of Harry Calimeres: Baker at Donut Connection in Exeter

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Thomas J. Roccograndi built a name for himself tearing down buildings.</p><p>With six sons, he had a ready-made workforce that built My Brother&#8217;s Place home center which closed last September. The North Sherman Street property where it was located is now for sale or lease.</p><p>Betty Roccograndi, whose late father, Tony, was one of the six brothers, ran the business after he retired. The family is concentrating on the real estate operation.</p><p>She said the 27,000 square foot property would be an ideal site for a hardware or furniture store or something similar to the original occupant.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a beautiful showroom with an attached warehouse,&#8221; Roccograndi said.</p><p>Roccograndi left the Times Leader in 1989 where she was a reporter to work with her father in the store. Tony Roccograndi died in 2014.</p><p>My Brother&#8217;s Place was located at 221 N. Sherman St. since 1972, but its origins date back to Roccograndi Wrecking Co. Roccograndi said her grandfather founded the company approximately 45 years ago and put his sons, Tony, Tommy, Frank, Carlo, Danny and Bob, to work with him.</p><p>&#8220;The brothers are among the hardest working men I ever met,&#8221; Roccograndi said.</p><p>Her grandfather&#8217;s wrecking company did work for the Wilkes-Barre Redevelopment Authority and salvaged a lot of the material such as doors, hardware and windows from the demolition, she said. That material was stored at the lumberyard her grandfather opened on Moyallen Street.</p><p>Roccograndi recalled how the home center got its name and start. She said people would ask where they could get lumber, doors or building material and they&#8217;d be told by one of the sons, &#8220;Go up to my brother&#8217;s place.&#8221;</p><p>Five of the brothers decided to go their own way and, in 1985, Tony bought them out, Roccograndi said of her father. &#8220;I worked with my father side-by-side since 1989,&#8221; she said, adding she was the only family member who worked there.</p><p>Family mattered to her dad, she said. He worked as an insurance agent in Chester before his dad put out the word he could use help with the wrecking company. Tony Roccograndi returned to the Wyoming Valley to join his father and brothers, she said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">My Brother&#8217;s Place on North Sherman Street in Wilkes-Barre closed last September. The showroom and warehouse are currently being offered for sale or lease. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL021116MYBROSPLACE-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>My Brother&#8217;s Place on North Sherman Street in Wilkes-Barre closed last September. The showroom and warehouse are currently being offered for sale or lease. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

My Brother’s Place home center in Wilkes-Barre, closed since September, currently being offered for sale or lease