For the past 54 years, family owned and operated Bayview Florist & Montage has been providing Massapequa with pretty petals and colorful arrangements for all occasions. It is the passion, loyalty and pride for his hometown that has kept owner Mark Marrazzo in the flower business, and he isn’t leaving anytime soon.
Bayview Florist was founded in 1961 by Marrazzo’s parents, Joseph J. Marrazzo and Gloria Fenaroli. It is now owned by Marrazzo and his sister, Marion Terwilliger.
“They [my parents] opened a small shop on Bayview Avenue—that’s where my father got the name from—right across from St. Rose of Lima church,” said Marrazzo, a native Massapequan, of the shop, which was there before the church was built. “As a kid, I used to climb around the catacombs when they were pouring concrete. My father passed away four years after we started, but he was a very hard worker.”
The shop stayed at Bayview Avenue for four years before moving to Merrick Road. After doing well, Marrazzo decided to relocate to a bigger storefront at 4736 Sunrise Hwy., Massapequa Park and has been there for the past 11 years.
“Our Merrick Road location was only 500 feet, now we’re 3,000 feet. It’s a major change,” said Marrazzo, who added that his brother, Stephen, who used to be with the business until 1995, helped to develop the “montage” aspect of the shop. “My mom still works with me…she’s 86 and doesn’t want to retire because this is what she loves to do.”
Bayview Florist & Montage is a full service florist and more. The shop has everything from chandeliers and jewelry to clocks and candles and adorable baby items. Although Marrazzo left the business for 20 years, he returned in 1984 when his daughter was born and has been there ever since.
“It’s a roller coaster of emotions,” he said of his job. “I can talk to someone about flowers for a wake and we’re crying with them and then the next customer could be a new dad who had his first baby, so he’s up on cloud nine. You can’t go out there with tears unless they’re tears of joy.”
Bayview Florist & Montage is closed three days a year. As a service business, they need to be there for the community. Regardless if it’s a sad or joyful occasion, Marrazzo said as a florist, he is always delivering happiness.
“You’re making someone sick feel better, a bouquet, a fruit basket, anything to lift their spirits,” he said. “No matter what it’s a happy business, but it’s a hard business.”
In the refrigerator, Marrazzo has a large assortment of flowers, carrying everything from roses, orchids and peonies, to lilies, carnations, tulips and anything else you can think of. He deals locally and doesn’t have anything flown in.
“I strongly believe in taking care of the people around here,” he said of where he shops. “If I can get something cheaper someplace else, it doesn’t matter. That doesn’t help my fellow business owners.”
When asked about flower maintenance, Marrazzo said it all begins with how you cut a flower.
“The proper way to cut and display flowers varies, but my preference is to cut everything on an angle with a sharp knife,” he said, as some flowers get food and others, like bulb plants and tulips, do not as the food shortens the life of the flower. “Think of a stem like a straw; it’s drinking water and it has to be open, so either cut it under the water or put it directly into water after you cut it. If you see a wilted rose, it’s because an air bubble got in and is cutting off the water supply. Take the roses out, lay them flat and then they’ll be brand new.”
Room temperature water is best for flowers, even though they can live in 100 degree temperatures. Marrazzo noted that some bulbs, like tulips and lilies, like cold water. As for plant care, they can live in pure water, but not mud.
Aside from being very educational, customers come back to Bayview Florist & Montage for the quality and service, but mainly for the level of personal detail that Marrazzo and his staff pay attention to, especially during a funeral consultation.
“I sit with people and it’s the worst time of their life, but I get to be the one to make it better,” he said. “We make it personal and I sit down with the family and find out about the deceased and what they enjoyed in life.”
For brides and grooms to be, Marrazzo encourages couples to look into florists a year in advance, that way they will get a good understanding of what flowers are not only in season, but which ones are sizable enough for a beautiful display.
“We book appointments with coordinators here, but I also have Bayview Florist Wedding Studio in Sayville that we opened two years ago,” said Marrazzo of the boutique, which is operated by his sister, Marion at 70 Browns River Rd., in Sayville.
Not too long ago, Marrazzo and his team began the campaign now known as “Paint the Town Blue,” which showed his support for police officers.
“We gave out more than 1,000 blue bows to support the police and I bought a bench for Bayview Florist at the Freedom Towers,” said Marrazzo of his loyalty to Massapequa. “I also belong to the Massapequa Kiwanis, which is the love of my life. We do good things and we have fun doing it.”
Bayview Florist & Montage is always happy to donate when they can, giving certificates and arrangements to baseball teams, Chinese auctions and other organizations.
“The Massapequa community is so important to me. It’s because of them that we’re still here,” he said, adding that a location on Sunrise Highway doesn’t hurt business either. “My employees are the most important part of my business, because without them, I am nobody. They mean the world to me,” he added of his staff, which includes operations manager Lorraine, designers Bonnie and Doreen, delivery men Willie and Ryan, bookkeeper Nancy and driver Wyattt.
Visit Bayview Florist & Montage at www.bayviewflorist.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bayviewfloristmassapequa. They are currently looking for a designer and if you think you’ve got what it takes, pop in, call 516-799-7222 or send an email to bayviewflorist@aol.com.
