Bill Greene’s love of fur has kept Mineola warm for decades. His commitment to his store and the craft promises to continue keeping the community warm for years to come.
“People get a joy out of wearing their coats,” Greene said. “That’s my favorite part.”
Greenem is the longtime owner of Tsontos Fur, which sells real fur coats, jackets and accessories, and has been a staple in the community since 1947. He purchased the store in 1999 after working in the fur industry for almost two decades, a passion he said found him unexpectedly after he graduated from high school.
“I actually fell into fur by accident,” Greene said. “A neighbor’s brother owned a fur store and I was out of high school and looking for a job. I started sweeping floors, running errands, things like that, and just worked my way up.”
“I learned, I watched, I observed how people run businesses,” he continued. “Then one day I just finally said, ‘I’ve got to do this on my own.’ So 26 years ago, I took the plunge, and I bought this business and built it up to something even bigger. ”
Greene and his five to seven-person Tsontos Fur team continue to craft fur coats and jackets by hand and from scratch, a rarity in an age of ever-increasing automation and an emphasis on making the most products the fastest. Greene shops across the country and the world for raw furs, which he brings to his shop and prepares, stretches, cuts, sews and fits into custom winter wear.
“People don’t realize what goes into making a fur,” Greene said. “It goes through a lot of different hands. You need a pattern to make it. You need a mechanic who can lay out the skins. You need somebody that blocks it, then someone to put in linings and zippers and hooks and rings, plus the salesperson…It’s not a pizza pie that you throw in the oven and in 15 minutes it’s done. It takes time, and the finished product is beautiful.”
He said it takes his team about a week to assemble one coat or jacket, which are primarily made from mink fur, but run the gamut of fox, lynx, beaver, cheetah, monkey, coyote and more. All furs are obtained ethically and in accordance with guidelines from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he said. About 40% of his stock is made by hand in the store, and 60% is purchased by Greene on scouting trips to different fur markets.
Greene’s coats and jackets are an investment, frequently falling within the range of $2,500 to $4,000, with a selection priced much higher. However, it’s one he says is well worth it.
“They could last upwards of 20 or 30 years if they’re taken care of,” Greene said. “If you look at all these fake furs, or even cloth coats, those last a season or two, and they end up getting either donated or thrown into the landfill. That doesn’t happen with furs.”
He’s committed to the craft and to making fur last, offering high-quality coat storage for the summer in refrigerated rooms, proper coat cleaning services and coat modifications, where he and his team will deconstruct an existing fur coat or jacket and repurpose the fur into a differently styled jacket or accessories.
“I’ve got customers that have passed their coats down to their kids and to their grandkids,” Greene said. “I’ve got a couple of mink coats that are 40 years old that have been worn by three different generations. That’s pretty cool.”
You don’t see many fur businesses quite like Greene’s anymore, which he said he believes is a loss to the industry, which was a once lively, crowded business, with many shops on the island and about 150 in Manhattan in the 1970s. Now his is one of a handful in the entire downstate area that survive after decades of protests by animal rights activists have dramatically reduced the ranks of fur merchants.
“There’s only five retailers like me left in Long Island, where there used to be 50, plus the department stores,” Greene said. “I’m certainly one of the last of the Mohegans, as they say, but it’s just great. It’s great to be able to service customers from all over.”
It can be a hard business, Greene said, as people aren’t always in the market for luxury products.
“Obviously, furs are not something that you just buy every day,” Greene said. “It’s not a commodity, like going to the grocery store once a week. But, I’m very blessed that I have a lot of people who come from all over.”
People from across New York and the world seek out Greene’s craftsmanship, with his team filling orders from down the block, to Florida to Greece and Italy. It’s the people, Greene said, that have kept him in the business for so long.
“I love people, and I love meeting different people,” Greene said. “I like the retail side of it. I like meeting the actual person who’s buying my fur and helping them. I love when I can find the perfect match, when somebody picks out a garment that they love and they enjoy it.”
“My biggest thrill is when they come back the next year and they bring it in in the spring for storage, and say, ‘I loved wearing it. I get a million compliments,’” Greene continued. “I think that’s the part that I like so much [and] probably what keeps me going. I meet so many great, interesting people.”
He said he makes shopping an experience, cracking open a bottle of wine, brewing coffee, offering snacks, playing music and providing personal attention to each person looking for their perfect fit.
“My recipe for success has been that we give really great customer service,” Greene said. “I love what I do.”
Those looking for a fur this winter can visit Greene at Tsontos Fur’s 224 Jericho Turnpike location from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
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