Pilgrim Pharmacy continues serving Pelham Bay community after 90 years
Owner Ray Macioci took over the pharmacy in 1976 and said he never expected to spend decades running the business.
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For more than 90 years, Pilgrim Pharmacy has remained a staple in the Pelham Bay community, serving generations of customers from its longtime location beneath the Buhre Avenue train tracks. The family-owned business, which first opened in 1934, has become known not only for its service but also for its close ties to the neighborhood — even making an appearance in “The Equalizer.”
Owner Ray Macioci took over the pharmacy in 1976 and said he never expected to spend decades running the business. He credits the community for keeping the pharmacy thriving through the years.
“The impact that the community has had on us is really where it’s at,” Macioci said. “People come in and put their trust and faith in us, and it’s important for us to reciprocate.”
Macioci said the pharmacy’s family atmosphere is reflected in the loyalty of its employees, some of whom have worked there for decades. One of them is co-owner Michael Coscia, who began working at the pharmacy as a teenager.
“Customers that I’ve known since I was a kid — I used to deliver to them when I was younger — now I see their kids and grandkids,” Coscia said. “I think everyone likes walking into a place and feeling like people know who they are.”
Despite competition from larger chain pharmacies, Macioci said the business continues to succeed because of its personal approach to customer service.
“Have people be satisfied with the kind of service that they get, with the kind of attention that they get,” he said.
As for the future, Macioci hopes the pharmacy’s legacy will continue for decades to come.
“I’ve been around 50 years, and hopefully I’ll be around another 50 years and we can do this interview again,” he said.
