Hotelier thrives on diverse holdings

NORTH SYRACUSE - Anthony G. Mangano held various positions in his family's company before the business developed and built a Super 8 Motel.

A 1983 graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, Mangano spent two years working at Emmi-Mangano Realty's properties. About 1985, he was hired to manage

Nearly two decades later, Mangano is still managing hotels, this time as general manager of the Ramada Inn Syracuse. It's one of four hotels operated by the family's real-estate firm. It also manages Homewood Suites, Super 8 Motel, and Hampton Inn - all in Liverpool.

The company's principals, Carmen Emmi and Salvatore Mangano, are Anthony G. Mangano's uncle and father, respectively. In 2003, the company reported revenues of about $14 million. Ten family members work for the company, which was founded in 1949 by Antonio Emmi.

Throughout the company's 55 years of business, several themes have been constant, Anthony G. Mangano says - rising expenses in an increasingly competitive market. The market is so competitive that operating costs are rising while there's an inability to raise prices.

Mangano says there's "not much" he'd do differently if he were able to rewrite the company's history. He says he'd "maybe moved quicker on a few personnel changes," but doesn't elaborate.

The crux of the company's revenues come from the four hotels, though the company also operates vegetable farms, farm and hardware supply stores, an ice cream stand, and various other realestate properties.

Mangano says the company is driven by an industry saying that, "When the lights go out at night; every hotel in the world is the same. People make the difference."

"In the hotel business, people are the key, no matter what the physical plant is like," Mangano explains. "We have a staff Sat I consider the friendliest and most accommodating in Syracuse. I love working with these people, they make me proud every day."

In the hospitality industry, where new hotels - largely owned by national chains pop up every few months, it's sometimes difficult to compete when operating a building constructed in the early-'80s, as is the case with the Ramada Inn Syracuse, Mangano says.

"We have an older property that we have maintained very well," he notes. About 82 people work at that hotel. "We continue to improve our physical building to meet the needs of today's traveler, and we continue to stress customer services."

Such improvements include the addition of high-speed Internet access to guest rooms and other parts of the hotel, micro-refrigerators, and marketing to "leisure customers" instead of "business customers."

The industry's increasing dependence on technology has been the change that's most affected Mangano and the Ramada Inn he manages.

"I never used a computer until about 10 years ago, so it was a long process to learn this on my own," he says.

He says the company likely will increase its hotel portfolio. He calls the other hotels in his family's company "affiliates" and "sister properties."

"We see ourselves affiliated with more sister properties in the Syracuse and Central New York area," he says, predicting the company's future 10 years out. "And we will continue to maintain and improve the physical appearance of this hotel."