“That day, I won at Monopoly”: Marcel Salerno, the stages of success

At 87 years old, still good-looking, Marcel Salerno tours the city, or rather its businesses. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

OUR SERIES. They made Montpellier shine 6/8. Born in Casablanca, Marcel Salerno has established himself over the decades as a formidable businessman, today owner of around twenty strategic businesses in the city , from the Triangle to the Castellane halls via the Comédie. 

"Every Saturday, I go to his grave. I say my prayers and I talk to him. Marcel Salerno's life changed on December 27, 2001. He had two sons: Kevin and Steven . That day, Kevin left. At the age of 15.

Hit by a truck while he was riding on a scooter that Marcel Salerno himself had given him for his 14th birthday. " I spent ten years carrying my pain onto football teams, believing that it would make me forget. It didn't make me forget anything at all."Mourning then, then football. As president of AS Cannes and Arles-Avignon, having also had his eye on FC Sète for a while. Marcel Salerno even recounted his life in a book. 

With the family of Marcel Cerdan

Chapter I. Arrival. He, the Moroccan black foot born on August 13, 1936 in Casablanca, arrived in Paris in 1962, went to Montpellier in 1963, opened his first business, the Pussy Cat, rue de l’Aiguillerie, in 1967. He notably landed in France with his first wife, Carmen, her sister, Marinette, and his two sons Paul and René.

They have a prestigious name: Cerdan. Like Marcel. Their father was none other than the French boxing legend. "The Cerdan family was very united, we all arrived together in Paris, at Marcel Junior's house. Marcel had died a long time ago, I never met him." With the Pussy Cat, Paul and René were the first associates of Marcel Salerno. He had business acumen and a strong desire to succeed, almost unbeknownst to his education.

"My parents had instilled in me that you only buy things with your money, credit is not possible not too much at the time. But I have completely changed, he laughs. It was credit that made me develop, I had the trust of the banks. I took advantage of it." One thing led to another, from meeting to meeting, he opened businesses in La Grande-Motte, three restaurants in La Plagne and arrived on the Place de la Comédie when he learned that the Galeries Lafayette (in place of the  rsquo;current Gaumont cinema) vacate their oh-so-strategic premises.

Galeries Lafayette leaves for the Polygone, he arrives for the Comédie

Chapter II. 1972. "The Polygon was under construction with the&rsquo the idea of ​​becoming the most important shopping center in the city. Henri Chambon, his boss, convinced the mayor at the time, François Delmas, to bring Galeries Lafayette to the Polygone. I go to the Galeries head office in Paris, on the Champs-Élysées, I sell the three restaurants of La Plagne and I buy the premises of the Comédie. 1 200 square meters for 150 million." The agreement with Rothschild is over, his associates are locals, owners of Reganeous and the London Taverne.

With them, he opened what, in his opinion, will remain his finest business: the Grande Brasserie, on one level on the Place de la Comédie, and its nightclub in the basement, the Shimmer. He is the boss, always present. The story will last ten years. In the meantime, Georges Frêche was elected mayor of Montpellier. The two men will have a pact. "He told me: you and I, we are going to cross paths. I do politics to win votes, you do economics to make money. If what you ask me makes me lose votes, don't ask me." The two men will work together. "When Quick made me an offer of 2 million to take over the location on the Place de la Comédie, I showed him the check. He told me: I understand. Such an offer could not be refused."

“My nostalgia! Since I sold, I regret it.” On the terrace of La Grande Brasserie, its “finest affair”. Midi Libre – DR

All smiles in 1974, for Sylvie Vartan's 30th birthday, with Johnny and Carlos. “All the artists came when they were on tour in the region. That’s how Sylvie Vartan celebrated her birthday at the Grande Brasserie,” appreciates Marcel Salerno. Midi Libre – DR

"I was bulimic, everything that was sold, I bought"

Chapter III. Quick arrives at the Comedy. But Marcel Salerno guards the walls. "That day, I won at Monopoly", he smiles. No more business that he manages directly. Buying the walls and renting the funds is also good. First thing: he separates from his associates. They wanted to recover and enjoy the profits. He constantly reinvested everything. He gained his freedom there. "I’was bulimic. Everything that sold, I bought. I had the trust of the banks."

In 1982, Quick's proposal could not be refused. He sold his business, La Grande Brasserie, with a terrace in the heart of the Comédie, he remained the owner of the walls. Midi Libre – DR

In Lattes, the Latipolia nightclub, presented when it opened in 1981 as the largest club in Europe. Midi Libre – DR

Shops in the Triangle, the passage de l’Horloge, the Brasserie du Théâtre, the Hôtel du Midi… His method ? "I’was the fastest and the highest bidder". With sometimes unsavory methods ? "What does unsavory methods mean ? Don't think that&rsquo ;there are only yes-men in business, he emphasizes. His motto: "The location, the location, the location". His holy grail: the pedestrian and commercial axis which goes from the Polygone to the prefecture.

No wonder then that Georges Frêche allowed him to operate the commercial part of the Castellane halls thanks to a long lease, with a fanfare inauguration during the establishment of Virgin, with its CEO as a guest star, Richard Branson. Today, it’s Uniqlo that benefits.

With Georges Frêche, two ambitions

Chapter IV. 2001. With the Castellane halls, Marcel Salerno can savor his success. With humility. An anecdote comes to mind. He smiles: "I had so much confidence in the banks that one day a banker called me, he told me’ said:Marcel, I have a million to lend you, you do with it what you want."

Times have changed somewhat but, very recognizable with his white hair, he walks the streets of the city center every morning to make sure his businesses are doing well. With a somewhat nostalgic look: "Thank heaven, I have not had any failures in my operations. Georges Frêche had ambition for his city. I served him in the interest of his city. He wanted Montpellier to be the best everywhere. All the big brands wanted to come and were waiting for premises to become available. Today, it’s more complicated. At the national level of course, but even more so here. Look at all these empty premises, it’s a sign."

He knows the interesting available premises and does not hesitate to make a purchase offer when they are not directly offered to him. Because at 87 years old, still good-looking, Marcel Salerno is teeming with projects.

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