Right up their alley

By DON SHILLING

shilling@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

An Austintown firefighter and his wife, who met at Wedgewood Lanes 28 years ago, have bought the bowling alley and part of Wedgewood Plaza for $1.2 million.

Ed and Kathy Carrozzino bought the Raccoon Road property last week from Wedgewood Plaza Inc., which is controlled by the Shutrump family.

Besides the bowling alley, the couple also gained control of the building that houses it. Other tenants are Club Gossip, Designing Lifestyles and Aadam’s Appliance. Other parts of the plaza were not involved in the sale.

Carrozzino said he met Kathy nearly three decades ago while they were bowling in separate leagues at Wedgewood. They started dating and were married three years later.

The couple has continued to bowl there weekly. They bowl in separate leagues and participate in a mixed double’s league.

They started to get involved in running the alley after a former manager died in 2008. Ed Carrozzino said he approached the plaza owners about taking over as manager.

Carrozzino, who has been a firefighter since 1978, said he enjoyed upgrading the alley as the manager, so he arranged to buy the business.

“I love it. It doesn’t seem like work,” he said.

He has hired a company that has resurfaced the lanes, and he has renovated the bathrooms and kitchen. Randy Cornelius has been hired as a cook to upgrade the food offerings.

Also, bands have been brought back to the alley’s lounge, the Grist Mill.

The Ursuline and Canfield high school bowling teams have made the 50-lane alley their home recently, joining the team from Fitch High School.

Wedgewood Lanes employs eight full-time and 10 part-time workers.

Carrozzino said he will continue to upgrade both the inside and outside of the building.

He said the regular bowling business has been good despite the recession.

“Bowlers are going to cut back somewhere else if they have to. They’re going to bowl,” he added.