Customers Outraged After Modern Shade & Awning Owners Disappear

A Greenwich man is out $5,600 worth of awnings and cushions he left at Modern Shade & Awning Co. in Port Chester last October, according to a police report he made earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Modern Shade customer dropped off his items for cleaning in October, and when he returned for them in April of this year he found the decades-old store had closed, according to Port Chester Lt. James Ladeairous. The customer was left with no idea where his awnings and cushions were and was unable to reach the owner of the store.

As of May 8, police have received 10 similar complaints from customers. Over the last several months, police and customers have attempted to contact the owner, whom police believe is J.P. Maguire, but he is unreachable, they say.  Other than attempting to contact the owner and keeping a list of names of complaining customers, police are not investigating the issue because it is a civil matter, Ladeirous said.

“It would need to be addressed by the Better Business Bureau,” he said. If police learned the owner had sold the customers items without their permission then it could become a criminal matter, he said.

Today, a detailed sign sits in the window of the location at 29 Willett Ave. that provides the names and numbers of J.P. Maguire, Carol Schiro and Phyllis Schiro-Maguire (see attached photo). The number given for JP led this reporter to a voicemail identifying the number as his, but the voicemail box was full. The number for Carol was not active and the number for Phyllis lead to a voicemail, where I left a message inquiring about the business.

The sign acknowledges that some information may be inaccurate, but states that J.P. is believed to be working at Two Door restaurant in Greenwich, Ct. and Let it Rain Sprinkler in Greenwich. The sign also provides addresses for all three people associated with Modern Shade and Awning. 

The Schiro family owned the business for decades, Ladeairous said, but he was not sure of J.P. Maguier’s relation to the Schiros.

“It was always a reputable business, that is why people went there,” Ladeairous said.

Police are keeping a record of the names of customers who call with the same complaint. If this happened to you, call Port Chester police at (914) 939-1000.  

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