Torino’s Market, Cavallaro’s Market have been mentioned here previously, but Tisko’s Market was another small neighborhood market back when I was growing up in Branford. I was a little guy at that point, but I remember walking along Main Street in the 4th Ward neighborhood and crossing the street to arrive at 401 Main Street, the current location of P&M Deli, which has gained quite a following in its own right. Interestingly enough, my mom was always somewhat leery crossing the street in that area, since as a young girl, she had witnessed a hit and run accident in that very spot.

These were the days when you could visit the local shop and not pay an arm and a leg for a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, not like the convenience stores of today, which often have inflated prices. Walking into the market, one of the owners, Chet Tisko, stood behind the meat counter, slicing cold cuts for his customers. The lunch meats were what attracted my mom, at least, and I especially remember the tasty boiled ham, which was my favorite. Chet would always offer a slice for me to sample since my mom was a regular customer. When we would get the ham home, we would sometimes give my dog, who seemed to enjoy it just as much as I did, a tasty treat as well.

When it came time to check out, the lady behind the cash register was Zinnia (I’m not sure if that was her real name), a friendly woman with a big smile, who would always comment to my mom regarding how big I was getting. This was the norm back then, as so many “Mom & Pop” shops were around. The employees and customers would often form a real bond, so unlike many of the larger, impersonal stores of today.

In an interesting sidelight, Chet’s wife was long-time local educator Mary Tisko, who had a 55 year teaching and administrative career in town and who had the former Damascus School renamed in her honor as the Mary R. Tisko Elementary School.

Mike Russo is a lifelong Branford resident and proud parent of two children.