Business is slow for Downtown retailers these days, but Marcos Moreno still finds plenty of good as he works the counter at Marcel Ties at 707 S. Los Angeles Street. That’s where this son of immigrants from Guadalajara, Mexico, goes to work each day, arriving from his home in South Los Angeles to help take care of customers as they shop for menswear and accessories. Moreno says that his boss, Marcel Safarti, has given him valuable lessons and increasing responsibilities. “I’ve learned that you have to show respect in order to get respect—from customers and everyone else,” Moreno says. Moreno also gets a steady paycheck, helping him provide for his wife, Diana, and the couple’s five-year-old daughter, Yesenia. And Moreno says that he’s been able to save some money toward his goal of going back to school at Los Angeles City College, where he hopes to resume studies in engineering. Meanwhile, he adds that he also works hard at home in hopes of passing the lessons Safarti has taught him along to little Yesenia.
Local Hero - 02/22/2008
Jim and Julie Lao have an anniversary coming up. The two natives of Bangkok, Thailand, have been married since 1973—but th ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 02/15/2008
Noel E. Pallais’ connection to the Los Angeles Dodgers began before he was born, back in 1966. That’s when his mother, Viv ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 02/08/2008
Mr. A.B. Jackson has seen a lot of the action in the Fashion District over the past 40 years. He started working for the U ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 02/08/2008
Mayra Ramos is making the most of the opportunities she has earned over the past six years while working her way up from c ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 01/25/2008
Yolanda Rodriguez likes it fine Downtown—and she liked the area back in the 1980s, too. That’s when the native of Guadalaj ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 01/18/2008
Pablo Campos had a busy time last week, but he’s not complaining. Campos is a native of San Miguel, El Salvador, who has l ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 01/11/2008
Conni Pallini of the city’s Planning Department and Don Spivack of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/ ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 01/04/2008
The job of police officers is to protect and serve the public, but they also have a long tradition of looking out for each ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 12/21/2007
George Flores doesn’t have a long white beard, and he doesn’t wear a red suit. But he does have something in common with S ... [ Full Story ]
Local Hero - 12/14/2007
Julio Mendoza is a resident of the Echo Park district northwest of Downtown, a graduate of the Downtown Business Magnet Hi ... [ Full Story ]
The Los Angeles Garment & Citizen is the community newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Arts District, Chinatown, Echo Park, Little Tokyo, Pico-Union, Silver Lake and Westlake.The Garment & Citizen reaches more than 20,000 readers weekly, an audience that spans the demographic makeup of the city and serves as the leading edge of statewide and national trends.
