From Molfetta to Miami: Vito DeGennaro
It wasn’t the snowstorms themselves that finally pushed Vito DeGennaro to leave the Northeast. It was what came after; the endless gray slush, the salt-stained boots, the quiet toll that months of winter took on his spirit. He and his wife would escape on weekend trips to Miami, trading scarves for sunshine and shovels for palm trees. One afternoon, Vito turned to her and asked, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
That’s how a son of Italian immigrants, raised in the New Jersey tri-state area, came to call Miami home. Today, more than a decade later, he and his wife are raising two children in the city they love, living not just a dream, but the one they built together.
The Path to Fashion
Vito didn’t just stumble into fashion; he fought for it. Working full-time retail while finishing a degree in fashion studies, he quickly realized that the buying side of the industry couldn’t support the life he wanted. So, he threw himself into retail, climbing steadily until he became Regional Manager for a luxury fashion house.
But ask him what makes him proudest, and he won’t point to titles or boutiques. He’ll tell you about the people.
“The highlight has always been the connections,” Vito said. “Clients who become friends. Teammates who grow into leaders. Business relationships that become personal.”
That’s exactly how he describes his bond with Sudsies.
When Business Becomes Personal
Jason Loeb, CEO of Sudsies, first walked into one of Vito’s stores years ago, introducing himself and his services. Most people might see that as a vendor transaction. Vito saw something more.
“Jason doesn’t just handle our garments. He calls on birthdays, anniversaries, after trips. He cares. And that matters,” Vito said. Over time, the partnership grew into a friendship.
And Vito trains his teams in a similar fashion; why not take them on field trips so they can better understand the careful process necessary to care for high-quality garments?
“Whenever I hire a new team, I bring them to Sudsies to show them the standards, the care, the detail,” Vito said. “They need to understand the quality, because Sudsies understands our quality.”
Roots
Vito’s drive comes from a deeper place: his family story. His father immigrated from Molfetta, Italy, in the late 1960s, arriving without English, without a diploma, but with calloused hands and the ability to build a house from the ground up. He built more than homes; he built opportunity.
That legacy is why Vito took his children, his 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, back to Molfetta last summer. For his daughter, it was a first-time experience; for his son, it was the first he could truly remember. The trip became more than a vacation. It was language immersion, cultural connection, family history; an inheritance far richer than anything material.
“The people there welcomed us as if we’d never left,” Vito shared. “They made us feel like family.”
He plans to do it every year now, so that his children will understand where their roots originated, and so that they can experience that feeling of place, belonging, and shared history.
The trip reminded Vito what he values most: warmth, connection, and the belief that relationships should never feel transactional. The same values that drew him to Sudsies.
The Team Is the Secret
If there’s one lesson Vito carries into every part of his life, it’s that success is never a solo act. “We’re only as good as our team,” he said. “Seeing people grow, knowing I helped them get there; that’s the reward.”
It’s no surprise he sees that same spirit reflected back when he walks into Sudsies. Like family in Italy, like colleagues in fashion, Sudsies greets him not just as a client, but as part of something bigger.
Because whether it’s a luxury garment, a career, or a life in a new city, the best things last when they’re built with care.
