Loyal customers say 'so long' to John's Liquors in Ladera Loyal customers say 'so long' to John's Liquors in Ladera (January 19, 2005)

By Ted Bache

Special to the Almanac

The weather should have prompted many to stay home, warm and dry, but the number of customers who showed up at The Country Shopper in Ladera on January 7 to say goodbye to the owners of John's Liquors -- and get a little wet in a way having nothing to do with the rain -- was nothing but impressive.

It was 48 years later for John's Liquors and its last day of business. Four Ragnos were there: brothers Brock and Matt, who have been running the store of late; their father, Don, and his brother, Larry, both of whom worked the original store in East Palo Alto.

John's Liquors was one of the first two stores doing business when The Country Shopper opened in 1957.

About 150 customers came to Friday night's party, many staying until 10 p.m. amid the bare shelves, feasting grandly on the deli dinner spread prepared by next-door Bianchini's Market and partaking of a generous and well-stocked bar. There was even a lively, three-piece blues band, The Pleasure Kings, from Sunnyvale.

Brock and Matt have said they have no big plans afoot, and are just going to take it easy. George Thaler, who joined John's from Roberts Market in Woodside several years ago, told everyone he is already in a new job. He's the wine specialist at Piazza's Fine Foods on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.

The television set was on throughout the party and, as ever, tuned to a golf tournament. Don Ragno is a regular at the Stanford Golf Course, and has passed the habit along to Brock.

Among longtime customers was a woman who had an old ID card from Wisconsin attached to her sweater. She braggingly told Matt Ragno that she bought her first bottle of wine at the original John's Liquors in Whiskey Gulch, East Palo Alto.

She used the card to prove she was 23, which, she now allowed, was total baloney. She was only 18, and a freshman at Stanford. Matt, who is probably the same age as the woman, rolled his eyes and said: "You just may be one of our longest old-time customers."

At around 8:30, with the rain pouring steadily, a long stretch limo pulled up outside and Brock announced that if anyone was a little too unsteady to drive home, the limo was at their disposal.

Many of the party attendees were overheard saying what a wonderful and great party it was. Fun and interesting people. Great food and drinks, Good noise and music.

And you can be sure that among them was this reporter.
Ted Bache has lived in West Menlo Park 17 years and has known the Ragnos for as many.

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