POTW: 8 Bells Nat Sr –  the Genco Legend

The Genco Archive

Our Photo of the Week from long ago. Nick, Nat Jr and Nat Sr from some time ago. Send your POTW to on*****@ke*****.com

Mar 14, 2024

They were three personal friends for boaters in the GTA.

Genco was the go-to for years – founded by a gang of cousins with sailmaking roots in Italy (Genco is a family, not corporate name), the King Street store was a palace of parts and a sail loft and canvas works upstairs. The Gencos ran it and everyone knew them personally, counted them as friends.

It’s been some time since the glory days. Genco expanded to Pickering into what had been Neptune Marine’s store. Not long after, the Genco cousins went separate ways – the retail store and canvas works moved to Range Road in Port Credit (the retail store is now defunct) with Nat Jr at the helm and remains there. Nat Sr moved to Pickering full-time; communication was sparse between them.

Read the Genco Profile.

The Sr and Jr designations didn’t indicate a paternal relationship – they were cousins and that was to differentiate the two, although they appeared to thrive on the confusion back in the “Nick, Nat and Nat” advertising campaign days. Through the years, the Gencos have run their business, sailed occasionally and were friends, advisors, and cheerleaders to the sailing community.

Now Nat Sr has passed on Feb 21 at the age of 88. You can read the complete obit here.

-JM

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