Former ‘Best of the Best’ in Falls County Celebrates 47 Years

In 1979, Marlin was a quiet, agricultural and industrial hub serving Falls County.

The local economy relied heavily on local brick yards, stock pens and nearby turkey-processing plants. The city was supported by the Peacock Bottling Company and a water crystallization plant, keeping Commerce Street active with local hardware and grocery spots.

Local happenings, obituaries and regional news were regularly covered in the town’s local daily newspaper, which proudly served also as the community bulletin for Falls County residents.

In 1979, Marlin was widely known as “The Hot Mineral Water City of Texas.”

Future NFL Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson was born in the nearby town of Rosebud on June 23, 1979, because Marlin’s local medical facilities lacked a hospital at that time.

But another significant event taken place just two days before that birth.

On June 21, 1979, Anthony Roppolo opened Anthony’s Auto Service on 111 Craik Street in Marlin, right across from the Falls County Courthouse.

Nearly 47 years later, Anthony’s Auto Service is still open, owned and operated singularly by Anthony Roppolo.

Over the years, Anthony Roppolo has been recognized, for instance, as Falls County 2017 “Best of the Best” First Place Winner of the Falls County Reader’s Choice Award as Anthony’s Best Automotive Repair and Anthony Roppolo Best Mechanic, presented by The Marlin Democrat and The Rosebud News.

This year, Anthony’s Auto Service received acclamation with Google’s 5-Star Rating for customer reviews throughout the region.

Anthony Roppolo’s expertise in auto mechanics is surpassed only by his reputation as being “the most honest man you will ever meet, always,” described by Johnny Rogers and the late Dr. David John Fedro.

“I’ve been coming here for years, and I’m always amazed by how much care you put into your work. Anthony, thank you for your consistent quality and for being a business we can always rely on,” Jay Elliott said.