GIRARD -- When he came to the Mahoning Valley from his hometown of Kalymnos, Greece, in 1968, Gus

GIRARD -- When he came to the Mahoning Valley from his hometown of Kalymnos, Greece, in 1968, Gus Patris thought he was just visiting his brother.
Patris liked the area so much, however, that he decided to stay. He eventually opened his own business here -- R & amp;R Tailors in Girard.
Since age 7, Patris has been surrounded by the tailoring business, starting out as an apprentice at the family business.
"I went to school, then to the tailor shop and did my homework when I got home," he explained. "I watched the master tailor and tried to imitate what he did."
Patris and one of his brothers later opened a tailor shop in Greece.
After moving to the Mahoning Valley, Patris found work at the Strouss' department store in downtown Youngstown, where he worked for six years. Afterward, he became a supervisor at a J.C. Penney store. After that, Patris decided to open his own business. He has owned R & amp;R Tailors for 11 years.
Patris' shop sells men's suits and specializes in doing alterations to men's and women's clothing, which includes wedding gowns, suits and pants. The business also offers same-day alterations, and Patris said he's kept his prices the same since opening in 1992.
Loyal customers
Patris said he has developed a strong and loyal customer base, which includes people from as far away as Toledo and Steubenville.
"If I go on vacation, they'll call my home to see what happened to me," he said.
Part of his experience here has been mastering the English language. While in Greece, Patris took night classes to help him improve his English for the trip. Once here, he continued his studies by taking similar courses at Youngstown State University.
Patris' English improved, and eventually he met his wife, Rose, at a dance. The Struthers schoolteacher also helped him with the language.
Patris said he's happy being the only person to work at his business and that a strong work ethic and high job satisfaction mean more to him than making a lot of money.
"This is no work for me. This is fun and when you create something and see the finished product, it's satisfying," he said. You'll never see me in a bad mood. That's my nature."