Wyckoff Cobbler 'Lou The Shoe' Recognized On 95th Birthday

WYCKOFF, NJ — A cobbler who became a fixture in downtown Wyckoff and volunteered with the local fire department for decades was honored for a lifetime of service to the community on the week of his 95th birthday.

Louis "Lou the Shoe" Rizzo, the former owner of a shoe repair business and 65-year volunteer with Wyckoff Fire Company 1, was recognized two days before his birthday with a proclamation read aloud by Mayor Tom Madigan.

"The township of Wyckoff sincerely thanks Lou and recognizes him for his friendly and warm spirit, and his dedication and longstanding service to the Fire Department and to our community," Madigan read at Tuesday's town committee meeting.

Rizzo, whom — Madigan read — has a great sense of humor and is quick with a joke, accepted a copy of proclamation from the mayor, thanking him and jestingly asking "Where's the check?".

"I never thought I'd be standing in front of an audience getting applause," Rizzo remarked after a standing ovation. "They usually throw tomatoes at guys like me."

The wisecracking, firefighting shoe repairman is also a "self-proclaimed ladies' man", the proclamation said, and — each year at fire department dinners — gives dancer Fred Astaire a "run for his money."

Rizzo, in expressing appreciation to the town, also took the time to give a shoutout to the fire department, which, he said, is "second to none".

"The people of Wyckoff should be very proud to have these volunteers," Rizzo said. "They should make some noise for them sometimes and say 'We love you and thank you for all you do for us.'"

Nicknamed "Lou the Shoe", the East Harlem native got his start in footwear as a shoe-shiner in New York at the age of 12. After years of military service — first in the Marines and then the Army — and overseeing several sports programs (while on duty), he married and moved to Wyckoff once stateside, the proclamation said.

He joined the fire department in 1957 and started his shoe repair business a year later. He retired from mending shoes in 1999.

Over the years, the proclamation added, Rizzo has become immersed in Wyckoff, making many connections and friends, and raising his and his wife Dolores' four children.

Family has always been a "priority" for Rizzo, who, Madigan read, can often be heard boasting about his great grandchildren.

Rizzo finished his remarks with a quip: "Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I hope to run against you one day."