On June 20th, 2025, members of the Mazzara family came into the museum to donate a plaque dedicated to the memory of Bennie Mazzara, original owner of Bennie’s Italian food restaurant in Marion. Members of the family presenting the plaque to the museum were Bennie Mazzara’s 99 year old daughter in law, Faye (White) Mazzara, her daughter, Julitta Mazzara Zolghadr, and Bennie’s grandson, Bennie Harlan along with his wife, Sheila Harlan.
Bennie was a Sicilian immigrant who brought his wife and daughter to America in 1924. Through hard work and dedication, Bennie sold ice cream with a cart in the streets of Marion in the 1920’s and 30’s. He eventually became a street vendor selling hot tamales and was immortalized as the “Hot Tamale Man” in Robert Hastings book, “A Nickle’s Worth of Skim Milk.” In 1949, Bennie and his wife Virginia opened his restaurant on N. Market Street in Marion. The business was later run by his daughter and son in law until 1985 when the Hill family purchased the business.
Thanks to the family, many photographs and Bennie’s original tamale steamer that he used to sell tamales on the streets of Marion are currently on display at our musuem.