Michael Dominic Grano
Jan. 27, 1952 – Nov. 23, 2022
After a long career working in the auto industry, Michael Dominic Grano decided to explore his interest in real estate, starting his own apartment lease and rental management company.
Already dabbling in real estate for years, he used money from the sale of his two Napa auto parts stores to reinvest in additional rental properties. He flipped some of them, while other properties have remained with his family.
His daughter Michelle said her father always used his wisdom and imagination to plan for the future.
“He got into real estate because it’s just something he enjoyed doing and saw it as a good investment opportunity,” she said. “He always had a vision for things.”
All the while, he was a devoted family man to his five children and wife and had a “larger than life personality” with the smile, charisma and booming voice to match it, his family noted.
Mr. Grano, of East Amherst, died Nov. 23 of leukemia while surrounded by his wife and children. He was 70.
Born in Buffalo, he attended St. John the Baptist and graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School and Canisius College.
He owned Logan & Younger Napa Auto Parts in the Village of East Aurora and South Hills Napa Auto Parts in Springville until 2005, after serving as a sales manager at the family business Grano & Sons in Tonawanda.
Mr. Grano then became a real estate entrepreneur and started Grano Management Inc. until his retirement in 2016. He turned his passion for cars into a sales consultant position with Basil Ford and won the Best of the Best Award at Basil Ford in 2016.
He married the former Martha Ann Merck on Jan. 21, 1984, at St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church, where the two were parishioners. They were married for 38 years.
A pancreatic cancer survivor of six years, Mr. Grano was a Cub Scout pack leader and hockey coach, member of the Corvette Club and former chairman of Catholic Charities for St. Gregory the Great parish. He started the St. Greg’s hockey league as well.
Among his hobbies, Mr. Grano enjoyed fishing, golfing, boating and dancing and sang the national anthem at a Buffalo Bison’s game. He also played Santa Claus during the holiday season.
His family said Mr. Grano was a people person who loved talking to customers and getting to know potential tenants. He was not only a landlord, but helped mentor the people who bought and rented property from his company.
He also assisted them if they needed it, even after they’d move out, his family said. There was one tenant, in particular, who Mr. Grano would always make sure was cared for, whether that meant buying him a winter coat or a new pair of boots, his wife said.
In addition to his wife and daughter Michelle, he is survived by three other daughters, Lisa Perry, Andrea Thaxton and Annie Downs; a son, Michael Jr.; three brothers, David, Joseph Jr. and Robert; a sister, Angela Downing; and seven grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday in St. Gregory the Great Church, 200 St. Gregory Court, Williamsville. Burial will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheektowaga.
