SCRANTON, Pa. — Inside the door of LaSalle the Image Makers in Scranton is a shop filled with vibrant memories.
"It's like a trip down memory lane, right?"
Not just in the antiques that fill every nook and cranny.
"People would come in for clothes and start looking at all these antiques, and then they would leave hours later and for get why they came in," said Theresa Scopelliti, Leo's daughter.
But, of the man who spent nearly every day of his 96 years in this very place.
"It was sort of like Mayberry RFD. It was a gathering place for his friends. So he'd be down there sewing, and he'd bring coffee," recalled Scopelliti.
Leo D'Angelo was a legend in the garment industry whose personality was as vibrant as his suits.
"You would always see him in orange and purple and lavender. He loved, loved bright colors. When someone would come in for a black suit, he would say no, no, no, you have to wear something brighter than this," said his daughter.
He added so much color to the lives of everyone he met, including his four kids who grew up in this shop. His son, Leo Jr., worked by his side.
"I measured the people, and I took them downstairs, and he made sure I did it right," laughed Leo Jr.
Through the years, D'Angelo's talent in fashion shined far beyond Scranton, and he has quite the list of clientele to show for it.
"When you travel with the Yankees, you have to have a suit, so they just came here," said his son.
Names like Jeter and Rodriguez.
"Even Judge was here, and he had a hard time walking. He was hitting the lights," said Leo Jr.
To Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe.
"The very pegged pencil pants. Her very first pair of pants," said Scopelliti.
His style even caught the attention of royalty, including Queen Elizabeth II herself.
"Low and behold, comes in a letter from the Windsor Castle," laughs his granddaughter, Dallas Shaw.
But, the most important woman he ever dressed was his wife of 74 years, Rita.
"That's where they met, in my dad's factory,' explained his daughter.
While the world is now a little more gray without Leo D'Angelo in it.
"People were coming through the viewing and opening up their jackets and showing us the LaSalle label, saying, 'I got this suit from your dad.'," said his daughter.
Scranton will continue to remain vibrant through the memories Leo D'Angelo leaves behind.
"If we ever did anything or got any recognition, he was so proud. But by the same token, we were so proud of him that he was recognized for so much that he did for this community," said Scopelliti.