05/24/2026
Built by Brothers in Business
Swipe through the years and you’ll understand why this one means so much.
Some stories do not start with a business plan.
Some start in 5th grade at Sacandaga Elementary School.
That is where I met one of my best friends, Joe Marcello. We grew up playing baseball separately through rec ball, but around 12 years old we linked up for travel baseball, and that is where everything became real.
From 12 years old into our teens, we played everywhere together. Cooperstown, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ohio, the Capital Region, and everywhere in between. But it was always bigger than baseball.
It was road trips, sleepovers, video games, late nights, and building the kind of friendship that turns into family. Joey was the best man in my wedding, and he is the true definition of a brother.
Fast forward to our 30s, and I watched him open his own barbershop, 19Cuts. I was beyond proud because I knew how long he had been working toward it. Watching him take that leap lit something in me.
That is when the ideas started.
At first, it was a bait and tackle shop locally in the village. Then that idea turned into something closer to my heart: a local sporting goods business built for youth athletes, parents, coaches, and the community.
Through every idea, every doubt, every late-night conversation, and every “what if,” Joey was there with the same wisdom:
“When it happens, you’ll know. Everything will fall into place.”
After hours of planning, support from my wife Ashley, and a lot of faith, here we are.
DukesPlex Sporting Goods & More is here, operating, growing, and ready to serve Scotia, Glenville, Schenectady, and the surrounding communities.
And today, I am proud to say that Joey and 19Cuts have officially become the first sponsor of DukesPlex Sporting Goods & More.
That means more to me than words can explain. Not just because of the support, but because of who it came from. A brother. A best friend. Someone who has been part of the journey since before DukesPlex even had a name.
This is bigger than gear.
It is family.
It is legacy.
It is community.
It is believing in each other before the rest of the world sees it.
Joey, thank you for being my brother, my best friend, one of the people who helped inspire this dream, and now the first official sponsor of DukesPlex.
Built by brothers in business.
DukesPlex Sporting Goods & More
Where Family Meets Legacy
