Born in Anderston in Glasgow in 1919, Marino Sisi, the owner of the Lido Cafe came to Creetown with his parents in 1922, and is so steeped in the time honoured traditions of cafe culture jokes that he often claimed he was “serving fish suppers when he was three years old!”
Making traditional Italian ice-cream every day, even after he celebrating his 90th birthday, Marino still worked from 8.30am to 5pm, seven days a week. The secret recipe he has been using was passed down to him from his father and is known only to him and his wife Betty.
Interviewed in 2010 for the Galloway Gazette he expressed fears for the future of small family businesses like the Lido. He explained: “The supermarkets are killing places like this”.
Asked what will happened when he dies, Marino answered without hesitation: “The recipe will die with me. To make good Italian ice-cream is first to thing you need to have good milk and then the secret bit is the love that goes into making it.”
The cafe was his life. Sadly, Mario passed away in 2012.
Source: http://www.gallowaygazette.co.uk/news/marino-makes-a-the-best-ice-c