Retired touring studio musician Michael Verni abandoned his rock roots to sell heavy metal.
The city-raised Southold resident opened Silver by the Sea (29 Front St., 631-477-6548) in Greenport, two summers ago. He is finding his footing after 34 years of selling artisan silver jewelry in Freeport and making the move to Greenport that he had always dreamed of.
“I learned to swim 64 years ago when I was five, less than a quarter of a mile from where we’re standing,” says Verni. “My earliest memories are coming out here [to Greenport].”
Verni’s story starts at six years old when he picked up a guitar. Through his late teens, twenties and thirties, he toured with well-known artists and bands, as well as groups of his own.
While on the road, he purchased a plethora of jewelry, feeding his love for accessories. He started selling some of his collection at pop-up shows.
His father, Frank Verni, was an artist who grew in popularity later in life.
Before his death in 1986, Verni’s dad was curating and collecting pieces for an art gallery. When he died, he left behind a storage unit full of frames, paintings and prints. Verni and his mother were at a loss as to what to do with the art.
At the time, Verni was making decent money touring and selling his jewelry collection. His accountant advised him to find a tax write-off. That suggestion sparked the idea for a shop to sell his father’s collection.
“I’m thinking in my head, I need a tax write-off, what loses money? Art sales,” he says.
He and his mother, Anna Verni, opened Frank’s Art Shop on the Nautical Mile, along Woodcleft Avenue in Freeport, in 1991.
“It was a little cottage over the water on pilings,” says Verni. “You had to walk on a little bridge to get to the shop. It was so cool.”
He started selling jewelry from the shop as well, renaming it Frank’s Art and Jewelry Boutique. Verni, still a touring musician at the time, was buying and selling pieces from Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Thailand.
The business took off, and Verni took a step back from the music industry in 1994. That same year, he went back to school to become a silversmith.
In 2018, crime skyrocketed around his store. He decided it was time to move out East to his Southold home which he had been renting out since 1991.
After a few new potential shop locations fell through on the North Fork, COVID put a halt on Verni continuing his silver business.
As soon as shops opened back up, he found his current location, placed next to Ralph’s Italian Ices, just like his Freeport store was.
“I knew god was trying to send me a message,” he says.
Silver by the Sea, an artisan silver jewelry store came to be. He reestablished industry connections, continued acquiring fresh antique pieces, and went back to school to become a silversmith.
Swing by now and find historic products, vintage and costume jewelry, guitars, handmade chains from Tasco, Mexico, Harley Davidson garb, old monk’s belongings and other interesting accessories.
“I specialize in odd stuff,” says Verni.
His silver cross collection is so vast that it attracts priests and ministers from afar.
Some other items include 1850s watches in mint condition, eyeball rings made by Verni and 1930s modernist movement necklaces, to name just a slim portion of his stock.
The vibe of the shop is that of a gallery. Plenty to explore and discuss with Verni, who’s either at the counter or at his bench, repairing jewelry for customers.
“I’m just blessed to be back to work and to raise my family out here,” he says. “I couldn’t pray for anything more.”
Silver by the Sea is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Give the store a ring before you stop by, says Verni, just in case.
