Tony Anderson is the type of guy who everyone seems to know. Ask just about any local leader whether they know him, and you’re likely to get an enthusiastic yes. The same holds true among everyday citizens as well, friends and acquaintances he’s met along the way who know him as the big, friendly Italian who always has time to stop and talk, share a smile and call you "pal.” 

"He’s a very proud Italian and a first-class guy. That’s Tony Anderson,” said Franco Marchio, known better around town as Franco the Tailor. When Marchio was 19 years old, he came to the U.S. from Italy and opened a tailoring shop in downtown Tacoma, now located in the Stadium District. The year was 1964 and Franco remembers 7-year-old Tony coming into the shop holding his mother’s hand.