Gattuso’s Music Enters a New Era Under First Female Owner

Gattuso’s Music & More, a family-owned music retailer in Canton, Ohio, is entering a new chapter under Marcella Petry, the store’s first female owner. With a history dating back to 1936, the business will continue under Petry’s leadership as she builds on the foundation established by her late father, Richard “Rick” Gattuso, while exploring new opportunities for community engagement and music education.

Gattuso’s offers a wide range of instruments and equipment, including vintage guitars, acoustic models, synthesizers and accessories. The store also provides music lessons, band instrument and sound equipment repairs, sound installations, and rentals for instruments and sound equipment.

For Petry, taking over the business represents both a professional milestone and a deeply personal responsibility. She said she has been preparing for the transition with her father’s guidance before his illness changed the course of their plans.

“My dad was a second generation owner, and in 2018 he was starting to think about retiring,” Petry said. “With his guidance and as my right-hand man, I decided to go for it. Fast forward to early August 2025, my dad ended up getting sick with esophageal cancer and we lost him a month later. After my dad’s passing, I was heartbroken as not only our family was, but a majority of our customers,” Petry said. “He was in this industry his entire life, so his name is well known, not just in this community, but to people in the music industry. It’s a big pair of shoes to fill. He gave me a lot of tools, and I know that I’m capable of carrying on the legacy of the store.”

Petry’s connection to Gattuso’s began long before she assumed ownership. She grew up in the store and started teaching piano lessons there at age 15, making the business a familiar part of her life. That experience, combined with the knowledge she gained from her father, has helped prepare her for the demands of running the retailer. She also credits the store’s staff with helping maintain continuity during the transition.

“I am confident in the knowledge and guidance that I was given from my dad,” Petry said. “I have an awesome team of people around me. Everyone has just really stepped up to the plate when asked, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be working for me. I do have confidence that everything that my dad taught me will keep me moving forward in this position.”

While Petry intends to preserve the values that have guided Gattuso’s for decades, she is also bringing her own perspective to the business.

As the first woman in her family to take on an ownership role, she sees the transition as an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and independence, particularly to her daughters.

“I am so proud to be the first woman in my family to take an ownership role on, coming from a very male-driven family, it feels so good to show not just people in the community, but my girls, that they are capable of anything that they put their mind to,” Petry said. “It’s definitely a labor of love. This business is not for everybody, for certain. I have all these big brothers around me, and they are just boosting me up, and they’re really embracing this journey with me, and making this all feel like it was supposed to happen this way.”

Petry aims to bring her strengths and experiences to the business that will help distinguish her leadership from her father’s while still honoring the foundation he built. As a woman and a mother, she believes her experiences can help her connect with parents who are introducing their children to music, particularly those navigating band programs, choosing instruments or figuring out how to support music practice at home.

“Obviously I’m a woman, but I’m also a mom,” Petry said. “When there are parents coming in, specifically new parents whose children are going to be introduced to band, or they want to get their child involved in music, I can easily make connections with these parents, especially moms, which is a very helpful stand that I can take with people. It makes them feel seen, heard, and understood, with the different fears that they might have introducing their child to an instrument or getting into the world of music. One of my main goals is to make sure that when people leave this store, that they want to come back, and they want to come back because we’re good people and we care about them.”

Growing Gattuso’s
Petry hopes to introduce more programs and workshops that provide guidance for families and encourage people to explore music, regardless of their experience or financial circumstances.

“I’d like to grow some community-based programs within the store, something where they can come in and learn how to help their child practice at home,” Petry said. “We do have a recording studio here in the music store and I like to have workshops and do little things where it builds people up.”

Petry also wants to address barriers that can prevent families from pursuing music education. She hopes Gattuso’s can help make instruments and learning opportunities more approachable for people who may be concerned about the cost of getting started.

“Canton, it’s demographically where we’re located. It’s maybe not the most high end part of our city or community, but I do like to cater to the folks who may feel like they couldn’t afford to get their children involved in music, or for themselves to try an instrument,” she said. “We just really want to be all inclusive for everyone and give them the opportunity to learn an instrument or try something new.”

As Gattuso’s continues under Petry’s leadership, its long-term direction will center on maintaining the trust it has built with customers while creating additional opportunities for the Canton community. The store’s nearly 90-year history remains central to that mission.

“I want musicians to realize that this store has been here for 90 years for a reason, and it’s built on honesty, integrity, fairness and professionalism,” Petry said. “But besides that, everyone here is going to be treated like family.” MI