At the corner of Route 1 and Knox Road, the red lights outside of Ratsies’ Terrapin Eatery are seen by many as a landmark of downtown College Park. Inside, amidst a collage of historic images adorning the walls, one staff photograph in particular tells the story of this city landmark – just look for the balding man at the center with the widest smile.
Thomas James Paradiso, 46, former owner and founder of Ratsies’ and a fixture in the city’s business community, died October 17 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident, according to The Washington Post.
Ratsies’ was founded in 1984 by Paradiso as a family business. The restaurant was named after his grandfather, according to The Odessa File: News of Scuyler County, a news website from his native county. He decided on the College Park location because he loved the campus lifestyle, enjoyed the young customers and wanted to be close to his brother Greg, who was studying at the university to get his master’s degree.
Paradiso made his active spirit known in downtown College Park as he tried to clean up the community and promote the growth of local business.
“You’d see Jim walking down the street in his hiking boots and shorts picking up trash,” said John Brown, owner of R.J. Bentley’s.
Paradiso also promoted student involvement when he recruited fraternities and sororities to clean graffiti off the walls in the downtown area, Brown said.
“He cared for his staff, he cared for the students, and he cared for the entire area,” said Brown. Paradiso’s lasting mark was left with the most important parts of his business – his employees.
“He ran his restaurant and his staff like they were family,” said Greg Paradiso.
“It was more than just an employer-employee relationship; he really took his role as an educator seriously,” said university alumnus James Wilkinson, one of four Wilkinson brothers to work for Paradiso. Wilkinson said Paradiso trained his employees constantly not only in how to run the restaurant, but in skills that can be used in all aspects of life.
“[As a business owner] you can still be a mentor, you can still be a pillar in the commmunity, and give back to those who have helped you,” said Wilkinson. Paradiso helped comfort Wilkinson when his mother died in 1996.
Wilkinson’s father, George Wilkinson, entered the seminary after his wife’s death and is now a Catholic priest. Father Wilkinson, a personal friend of Paradiso’s, will preside over the memorial.
Former employees are coming from as far as Florida to pay their tribute to Paradiso at his memorial service, his brother said.
“We, as a family, were surprised by the response of people in College Park,” said Greg.
Paradiso’s humanity extended beyond the tiny walls of Ratsie’s and into the College Park community.
Leslie Corrigan, former owner of Bikini Splash, recalls blustery snow days as Paradiso and his staff would hit the sidewalks with shovels for the other nearby businesses.
“He was really educating his employees beyond the pizza shop,” said Corrigan.
Paradiso, a founder of the College Park Merchant Association, a group that promotes local businesses, was also one of the first business owners to take advantage of city-provided grants for store-front facades to improve the appearance of downtown College Park, said Terry Schum, director of City of College Park Department of Planning.
“[Paradiso’s] willingness as a small business owner to play a role for the betterment of downtown – he really understood what was good for the whole downtown area – that really made him stand out,” said Schum.
Paradiso sold Ratsie’s in 1998 and moved to Arlington, Va., and worked for Coyle and Associates as director of client services, according to The Washington Post.
“This all happened too soon, he crammed a lot into 46 years,” said Greg Paradiso.
Paradiso is survived by his parents, James Paradiso and Liza Paradiso of Watkins Glen, N.Y.; his brother, Greg, of Parkton, sisters Anne and Julia of Burlington, Vt. and Olivia Paradiso of Watkins Glen, N.Y., grandmother, Angeline Specchio Paradiso of Watkins Glen, N.Y.; close friend, Rosanne Conway of Annendale, Va.; many relatives and friends, according to The Washington Post.
A memorial service is being held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 5, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in College Park. A reception will follow at the Best Western from 8 to 10 p.m.
Contact reporter Will Skowronski at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.
