The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘Don’t give up,’ ‘Jungle Jim’ Bonaminio tells those at International breakfast
Going after what you want and never giving up was the message behind James O. “Jungle Jim” Bonaminio’s speech June 21 at the 51st Lorain International annual breakfast.
Sponsors, this year’s International Princesses and residents gathered for a hot breakfast at German’s Villa, 3330 Liberty Ave. in Vermilion, to hear Bonaminio, who interjected humor into his presentation. The Italian community is the spotlight heritage this year.
Bonaminio, a Lorain native and owner of Jungle Jim’s International Market with locations in Cincinnati and in Fairfield, said he has been interested in business since a young age.
By age 6, he said he was doing odd-jobs for neighbors. He also said he held many jobs long after his first one.
Bonaminio joked how he was the only youngster in his neighborhood with a business.
“I think I was the only 8-year-old who had a red wagon and business cards,” he said.
One business Bonaminio reminisced on was when he was selling apples he picked at a creek and sold to his neighbors.
“The next door neighbor two doors down, Mr. Queen – he was a really big guy – and Mrs. Queen, a little southern girl,” he said. “So, I was at the creek picking apples and they were nice size apples and thought I’m going to sell them.
“I put them in my baskets, I got my little red wagon and started going down the street. I knocked on the door and I told Mrs. Queen, 10 cents a basket and she asked ‘What do you do with them?’ I said you make pies out of them.
“Then, the next day, she calls up mom and says ‘What kind of apples where they? I made pies with them and Mr. Queen hasn’t left the bathroom.’”
After that incident, he said his father, Clemente Bonaminio, told him to stop working the streets and to get a real job.
“I don’t know why, but I love the action of business,” he said. “It’s business, business, business.”
Bonaminio said going through so many jobs has taught him that no matter what, “you must keep going.”
“For the young people here, we’ll talk about when you want something you gotta keep on going,” he said. “You hit the wall and keep hitting the wall and some people quit. But the people who don’t quit, you’ll be surprised you hit the wall one more time and it opens up.
“Don’t give up. When everybody else is laying down, you get up and hit that wall.”
That message resonated with some of this year’s International Princesses.
“Personally, it inspired me to push no what circumstances I may be in or put in, and I hope to open my own business,” said Alicia Washington, 18, who represents her African American culture.
African American Princess, Lindsey Williams, 17, added, “It’s nice to see someone from Lorain that has become successful and I really enjoyed his motivation.”