There are lots of reasons Mavis Discount Tire has been a fixture on Route 6 in Mahopac for over 30 years, but the biggest one is an Italian immigrant with a love for people—and a knack for doing things the right way.

Born in Italy, Vinny Papa arrived in the United States with his family when he was 9 years old. Papa grew up in Elmsford, got married in 1979 and moved to Somers. In 1986 he had an opportunity to own the first Mavis store franchise, and the rest is history.