Caruso Music was founded in 1929 by a 17-year-old aspiring musician named John Caruso. John picked up an accordion in his hometown of Heilwood, Pennsylvania and became fascinated by the possibilities. He quickly found out he had a natural talent for music making.  Those were difficult times, the beginning of the great depression. John's neighbors asked him to teach their kids how to play; they didn't want their children to suffer the same hardships they were going through.  Music was a child's ticket out of a lifetime of almost certain drudgery.  He gave into their constant request and began instructing the local kids on the accordion.  It wasn't uncommon for parents to pay him with their government subsidy checks (today's welfare).

Heilwood was coal country.  The death of John's uncle in what were daily mine accidents was the wake up for his mother.  She didn't want her sons ending up working the same dangerous hand to mouth job as her generation had.  They packed up and moved to NYC.  John opened what would then become one of New York's largest music schools, with over 1000 accordion students.  The success was fulfilling but he was unsure about New York.

It was 2:30 am on a hot summer night in Flushing Queens.  John was trying to cool his crying son down by pushing his carriage back and forth in front of their apartment.  It was at that moment he realized city life wasn't for him. He liked country life, he was an avid fisherman and hunter.  That weekend he went hunting in Connecticut. He came back to New York and decided that the family was moving. He closed the school in New York and made their new home in Bozrah, CT.

John began teaching accordion door to door and then opened a small teaching studio in the neighboring town of Norwich.  That city served him well but the growth of the US Navy in New London had much more promise.  In 1960,  25 Main Street, New London became the new home of Caruso Music. In 1963, a bakery fire next door forced John to relocte. He moved the store to 20 Bank St.

In 1973 my brother Larry and I took over the business. Our father spent the next few years teaching us how to run the show, finally retiring in 1978. We had many great years at that location but needed more room. In 1995 Caruso Music purchased its newest location at 94 State St. The new location is 22,000 square feet and not only houses the guitar shop but is also home to Caruso Piano Gallery, The Caruso School of Music and Caruso Audio Video Installations. There's always a Caruso here instilling and protecting the high moral values that our dad insisted were at the core of our success.

 
We respect your time, it's a precious commodity these days.  When you visit, call or email us, you'll quickly find out that we are more then happy to share our 82+ years of business experience with you. Many people find it refreshing to find out that a business like Caruso Music still exist in this day and age.  We are not so amazed by the business' longevity.  We see it as a simple formula: sincerely care about your customers, understand that if you tell the truth you only have to tell it once, and realize that we are fortunate enough to work in an industry that supports a most amazing and inspiring art form. We look forward to working with you.

Fine Fretted Instrument Department

John - Richard - Theo