This Friday our neighborhood garage, the Echo Bridge Mobil will be closing their doors for good. Mike and Eddie are draining the tanks and putting down the wrenches.
Mike’s been running the Mobil for the last 47 years. Eddie is a newcomer. He’s only been there for 44 years.
These last couple of covid’y years have slowed business way down at the garage and they thought it’s just time.
The garage has been sold. We’ve heard that the buyer owns a garage in West Roxbury so it sounds like its likely that it will remain a garage.
We’re going to miss these guys. They’ve been keeping our old cars on the road since we moved to Newton. We’re big fans of Mike and Eddie and even produced a radio commercial for them for Nomad Radio, our imaginary radio station.
If you’re a customer of the Mobil, come on by at noon on Friday to send them off with your best wishes. We’ll have some refreshments, some reminiscences, and no doubt Mike will crack us all up with his wry commentary.
Oh shoot! I’ve since moved but when I was in grad school I lived next to the station and walked my dogs by, we always shared a laugh and it was nice having them there. I hope they enjoy whatever comes next
Phil and I will miss Mike and Eddie too! We’ve been stopping by this station for over 37 of their 47 years! Alas – we won’t be in town on Friday – but can stop by today!
I have been in abutter to the Mobil gas station for 42 years. It is been a distinct asset for the community.
Jerry Reilly did a nice job on that article.
I’m not sure, but believe i read many years ago that this station was first owned by John Muzi, who then moved his retail auto-sales business to where Muzi Ford was for the many, many years after.
I was wondering the same thing. I know Muzi had an auto business at Echo Bridge, is this the same location?
I’ll ask Mike when I see him on Friday
Yes, Greg, it’s the same location. I found this entry in an online scan of a 1936 Newton Business Directory: “Muzi John (Bertha) (Echo Bridge Filling Sta- tion) 1010 Chestnut UF” . That’s the address of the Mobil station.
Photographic proof of John Muzi’s gas station on the site of Echo Bridge Mobil. The last two photos are from a brochure about the history of Muzi Motors of Needham, MA.
1936 photo: John Muzi, at left, with his new diagnostic equipment and two employees at the Echo Bridge Tydol Station in the summer of 1936.
1935 photo: The Echo Bridge Tydol Station as it looked in 1935, just after John added the two bay garage to the original building.
1932 photo: Echo Bridge Tydol, 1932
Mr. Henderson, Thank you for the verification and photos.
I seem to remember that hunting rifles and ammunition were sold as a side business, but I’m pretty certain this was way before Mike and Eddie took over the business. At one point in the mid 50s, I was a member of the Newton High Rifle Club where I learned how to shoot different kinds of hunting and military rifles at the West Newton Armory although nothing remotely like an A-15 . I can’t recall anyone voicing concern about gun sales or weapons training in the schools. On the other hand, nobody could have imagined today’s carnage.
It was a great send off this afternoon with lots of regulars stopping bye to say goodbye to Mike and Eddie.
One very strange and mysterious detail … Mike arrived early this morning, his last day to be at the station and discovered that the big Mobil sign on the tall post facing Chestnut St had snapped off during the night, crashed into the building and shattered during the night. Everyone agreed it was one strange omen.
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I had been a customer for about 30 years and they never said a thing to me about retiring. I bought gas there a few days before they closed, Didn’t say a word to me. Kinda sad I didn’t get to say good bye. They were the BEST, MOST HONEST, service station around. I knew nothing about their last day Just my opinion but they were the only place I could go to get my car fixed and not get cheated or worse. I don’t know what I’m going to do now. Have a great retirement, You guys deserve it.
All this information is very nice to read and brings back some memories My grandfathers brothers owned the Charles river sand and gravel pit.aka(Nardone sand and gravel )Then it was sold to the Muzi for over 60 years it was a ford and Chevrolet dealership,then the family sold for $57.5 million dollars to be developed.Homes and buisiness