Lilli Moffit was born in Germany and raised in Iowa. In the 1990s, she and her husband, Bill, moved to Reno, where he worked for Sierra Pacific (now Nevada Energy). In 1998, the Moffits bought and renovated a former Chinese restaurant at 1229 East 4th Street and opened Reno Rails, a model train store. Lilli continued to operate the business after her husband passed away in 2010. Photo by Patrick Cummings
Full Oral History TranscriptLilli Moffit, who founded Reno Rails with her husband, Bill, discusses the effort it took to renovate their building before opening for business. Recorded by Bethany Underhill.
Lilli Moffit, owner of Reno Rails, counters common misperceptions of East 4th Street, explaining that unique businesses will be sought out by customers, no matter their location. Recorded by Bethany Underhill.
Doug Quilici is owner of the Copenhagen Bar at 2140 Prater Way in Sparks. The bar was previously located several blocks to the west, and run by Doug’s father, Gino “Bear” Quilici. That location was demolished in 1966 to make way for Interstate 80. Doug became his father’s business partner even before Bear passed away in 1997. Longtime customer and bartender Ray Maldonado also chimes in with his memories of Bear and the popular bar.
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In 1958, Marilyn Marston moved from the Bay Area to Reno, where she met her future husband, photographer and artist Art Marston. He founded Art Marston Printing, renting office space until 1974, when the Marstons purchased the old Zellerbach Paper Company building at 420 Valley Road. After Art’s passing in 1986, Marilyn sold the business to Valley Print and Mail, where she worked for ten years. Since 2001, she has rented the building to a series of tenants. She also speaks of her involvement with the Reno-Sparks Business Corridor Association.
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Born and raised in Ely, Nevada, Gaye Canepa moved to Reno after completing high school. At the time of her interview, she and her husband, Fred Canepa, owned and operated Fred’s Auto Repair and Supply at 500 East Sixth Street. She was the longtime president of the Reno-Sparks Business Corridor Association (RSCBA), spearheading community efforts to promote redevelopment and resist efforts by the City of Reno to locate a new homeless shelter along East 4th Street.
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