’ m ▁a ▁bit ▁of ▁a ▁ho ard er ," ▁he ▁told ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁" I ▁was ▁afraid ▁I ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁die ▁under ▁a ▁p ile ▁of ▁books ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁days , ▁and ▁no ▁one ▁would ▁ever ▁find ▁me ." ▁▁ ▁At ▁some ▁point , ▁people ▁started ▁don ating ▁books ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁he ▁no ▁longer ▁had ▁to ▁purchase ▁any . ▁▁ ▁Sci oli ▁was ▁an ▁un con vent ional ▁book store ▁manager ▁with ▁an ▁" ac erb ic ▁wit ", ▁known ▁for ▁sitting ▁in ▁a ▁chair ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁store , ▁sm oking ▁c igare tt es , ▁qu oting ▁prices ▁that ▁sometimes ▁seemed ▁arbitrary , ▁and ▁un inter ested ▁in ▁giving ▁recommend ations . ▁The ▁shop ' s ▁hours ▁moved ▁later ▁and ▁later , ▁largely ▁open ▁when ▁Sci oli ▁wanted ▁to , ▁and ▁typically ▁only ▁after ▁ 5 : 0 0 ▁PM , ▁sometimes ▁stay ing ▁open ▁past ▁mid night . ▁ ▁History ▁John ▁Sci oli ▁and ▁then - w ife ▁Susan ▁Sci oli ▁opened ▁the ▁first ▁Community ▁Book store ▁in ▁Park ▁Slo pe , ▁Brook lyn , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Park ▁Slo pe ▁was ▁becoming ▁a ▁popular ▁place ▁for ▁young ▁people ▁but ▁the ▁area ▁did ▁not ▁yet ▁have ▁a ▁strong ▁commercial ▁center . ▁The ▁Sci olis ▁saw ▁an ▁opportunity , ▁starting ▁with ▁a ▁tiny ▁store ▁and ▁building ▁out . ▁Then , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁they ▁opened ▁a ▁second ▁location ▁on ▁Mont ague