For as long as Donovon Piscopo can remember, he and his father, Anthony, have been skateboarding. Raised in Covina, California, Donovon grew up in a scene that wasn’t started by his father but has been 100% cultivated by him.
Their family business, Pawnshop, has been around for 16 years, but it wasn’t the first skate shop in town. In fact, Anthony worked at the shop under a different name in the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, during the time Donovon was born. Anthony remembers that first shop as a sort of “housing project,” serving as a much-needed positive place for kids in the community — including himself. Today, Pawnshop serves Covina in that same way.
“My entire skate career is because of Anthony and Donovon,” says John Fitzgerald, reflecting on the efforts the Piscopos made to help him and so many others.
Donovon hopes to one day take over Pawnshop from his father and eventually pass it on to his daughter. One thing is for sure: They don’t do this for the money.
“It was built on my dad’s faith and love of skating.”