When Santino Smiroldo turned over the keys to his auto shop to the new owners last week, he thought of the magnificent journey that he and his family had been on for more than four decades.After all, Smiroldo, 63, knew only two words of English when he came to America from his native Sicily.He was newly married to Tina, also a Sicilian who had immigrated to Akron in 1967. The two were married in Sicily and arrived together in the United States on Oct. 14, 1970.In his wallet was $74.50. He carried a box with a few personal items and wore his army shoes.His wife had about $120.“We were scared, I’ll tell you that,” said Smiroldo, a veteran of the Italian army, who worked as a Fiat auto mechanic in Sicily. He started work at age 15 on the day after John F. Kennedy was killed in 1963.“We had no luggage,” he said. “Can’t read. Can’t write. It’s either go back where you come from or just dig in and hope for the best, and that’s what we did.”He began to work on Volvo cars in Akron.Eventually, he and his wife had two daughters, Sabina and Linda.In 1985, he started his own foreign car repair business called Santino’s Foreign Car Service at 1266 E. Archwood Ave. in Akron. He specialized in repairing Volvos.He and his wife, 65, who worked for 40 years as a cook for Vaccaro’s Pizza and Catering, now live in what he describes as a “quarter-million- dollar house on seven acres” in New Franklin.For Smiroldo and his wife, life in America was nonstop work.“That’s the American Dream,” he said. “Work, work, work and shut the hell up.”One time, he said, “I spent three days and two nights in this place [the auto shop] and didn’t go home one minute.”Smiroldo has sold his building to Jimmy and Jamie Aronhalt of Coventry Township, who plan to move their Automotive ER car repair business from 1549 S. Main St. to the East Archwood location. The Aronhalts hope to open there by the beginning of 2012.Jimmy Aronhalt, 43, described Smiroldo as “a very interesting person.”Jamie Aronhalt, 42, agreed, saying “You can listen to him all night long.”Smiroldo is a man who is not afraid to let people know his opinions.“The politicians, they scoop out of the bushel one for me, one for you, three for me, forget about you!” he said.It was a hard decision to close his shop, he said.“She cry yesterday and so do I,” he said, referring to his daughter, Sabina Marcin, 39, who worked as a secretary at the shop.“I started here in 1989 and I was still in high school,” she said.When the keys were turned over to the new owners, she said: “I pretty much lost it. This is part of my family, too.”Two mechanics also worked at the shop.For Smiroldo, coming to America as a young man changed everything.The American Dream is an easy concept to describe, he said.“Hard work,” he said. “There is a lot of opportunity in the States, as long as you are willing to work. There is a place out there to offer you what you want.”He said he believes too many people do not save for the future and live paycheck to paycheck.“If you are hoping the ceiling will open and a box of gold is going to come in your hand, it is not going to happen,” he said.Smiroldo said he is ever thankful for the support he has had in 26 years of business at Archwood and Kelly Avenue from his wife and daughters and two grandchildren and from all of his customers.In fact, the only two words of English he knew when he arrived in America 41 years ago are words he still keeps close to his heart.“Thank you,” he said.Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or at jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.