Talk to any longtime Northeast Valley resident, and they will tell you a story about Cassell’s Music. As the only music store in the area, it has been the genesis, inspiring and supporting musicians in the community for generations.

After 78 years of business, longtime owner Ed Intagliata has decided to retire, and the City of San Fernando institution will be shuttering its doors mid-July.

“Thank you for your support for the store and your continued love of making music,” wrote  Intagliata in his announcement. “I’m grateful we were able to start so many of you on your journey as musicians and hope you have benefited from the enrichment music provides to your life.”

Local musician Juan Cardenas rushed to the store after hearing the news.

“Music changed my life,” said Cardenas, who got his first flute from Cassell’s Music over 20 years ago, when he started learning to play music at James Monroe High School. He has continued to frequent the store for all his musical needs ever since.

“This is a gift that he’s [Intagliata] been giving to the community,” Cardenas continued. “It’s going to be missed.”

Recognized twice by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) as one of the top 100 music stores in the world, Cassell’s has held a significant role in the community, developing a lifetime of devoted customers, including some notable figures in musical history along the way.

The independently owned and operated music store is one of the few left. Without the pressure of corporate quotas to meet, Cassell’s Music was able to build deep relationships with the community, which, in turn, brought it the most loyal customers.


A Place in History

“It was a historic store when we bought it, and it’s become even more so since we’ve taken over,” said Intagliata, who has owned and managed the store for 48 years.

Founded in 1948 by Albert Cassell and relocated to the corner of Maclay Avenue and Lucas Street in the mid-80s, Cassell’s Music was originally on San Fernando Road in the mall.

It is where the forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Ritchie Valens, bought his first guitar – a Gibson ES-225 electric guitar.

“I still have a receipt for the guitar we sold him in 1958,” said Intagliata, which he proudly shows to customers who question the claim.

Cassell’s Music gained even more notoriety after being featured in the hit 1992 film “Wayne’s World,” when the protagonist, played by Mike Myers, repeatedly visits the shop to pine over a pristine white 1964 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar.

Phillip Medina, who grew up down the street, recalled how he rushed to the shop one day when his friend told him “Van Halen’s at Cassell’s!” It turned out to be the filming of “Wayne’s World,” but Medina was just as excited. He called out “Party on, Garth” to Dana Carvey and left with Mike Myers’ autograph.

Over three decades later, tourists still pose in front of the shrine dedicated to the film, decorated with memorabilia and an encased replica of the Fender Strat below a sign reading “No Stairway to Heaven.”

“We’ve actually become a destination for movie fans all over the world. They come from New Zealand, Australia and a lot of European countries,” said Intagliata. “We just had a family visit a couple of weeks ago from Finland.”

Last year, Cassell’s Music had another on-screen appearance in the rebooted three-part TV special “Paris & Nicole: The Encore,” which follows reality stars Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s production of an opera based on their childhood one-word song. In the show, they visit Cassell’s to learn about the instruments needed for the opera. With his infectious personality, it’s no surprise that Intagliata won over the two women, which led to his appearance throughout the series, and he even played his accordion in the final opera in episode three.

“So I got my 15 minutes of fame with Paris and Nicole,” he laughed.


Much More Than a Music Store

Many attribute Cassell’s Music to being their introduction to music. One of those people is Esteban Andrade, whostarted taking classes at Cassell’s Music when he was just four years old, after wandering into the store with his mother and spotting a violin displayed on the wall.

“Now he’s one of the top mariachi violinists in LA,” Intagliata proudly boasted.

Andrade recently completed his recital final at California State University, Northridge, which earned him a Master of Music in Performance degree.

“Cassell’s more than well prepared me,” said Andrade, who took classes at the store for over a decade. “It was nice to have a community member that takes a part in nourishment for the younger audiences, because I felt like that’s what I needed when I was a kid.

“It’s kind of sad to see it go,” he added. “It’s the end of a legacy.”

Cassell’s Music was a one-stop shop for musicians in the Northeast Valley.

“It was our first stop for just about everything,” said Andrade.

Musicians could pick up everything from drumsticks or a reed for their saxophone to a brand-new electric guitar. Intagliata also understood the community’s wide musical culture and carried Mexican instruments, including vihuelas, guitarrons and button accordions. He even learned Spanish to better serve his clientele.

Beyond purchasing new instruments, Cassell’s would also purchase old instruments and do repairs. Intagliata began accumulating a back room full of used instruments that people would drop off and decide not to get fixed because of the amount of work needed.

“I started fixing them up and giving them to families of kids who couldn’t afford an instrument,” said Intagliata.

This became the Play-It-Forward program, where parents who may struggle to afford an expensive musical instrument for their children could pay just $1.00. The program survived and grew through the generosity of Intagliata and the numerous customers who began donating old equipment. One local neighbor has been anonymously donating a check for the program every month since 2019.

This isn’t the only way they gave back to the community. When Intagliata’s son was four years old, the preschool field trip his church had planned got canceled. His wife suggested they bring the kids to the store and show them different instruments.

“For the next 30 years, I did that same preschool program, plus word got out to other churches that had similar programs,” said Intagliata. “I was doing five to six field trips every February in here.”


The End of an Era

Intagliata was appointed to run the shop by his father, who purchased Cassell’s Music in 1978 after seeing an ad in the Los Angeles Times. He had just graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a music degree, and at 24 years old he jumped at the opportunity to stop working at the complaint department at Sears and instead manage his younger siblings as his employees.

The second oldest of eight children, Intagliata joked that his father bought the business because he was “looking for a way to pay for their college education without using his money.”

Cassell’s Music has been at the center of Intagliata’s life ever since. He met his wife of 45 years there after hiring her to teach violin classes, and his son is now a musician thanks to the influence of the store.

“He was able to not only provide for himself, but for his family and positively impact the entire area,” said Intagliata’s son Eddie.

“This was his dream, what he wanted to do,” he continued. “He’s one of the few people that I’ve ever known in my entire life to actually pursue and live it – their dream.”

On May 21, Ed Intagliata publicly announced on Facebook that he would be retiring, closing down Cassell’s Music and selling all available items at huge discounts. He told the
San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol
that despite his search, he was unable to find a buyer committed to purchasing the building and taking over the store.

He later announced that the developers buying the building are open to leasing the business to anyone willing to continue operating a music store.

“It’s time for me to retire and move on,” said Ed Intagliata. “I really haven’t done much traveling, so someday soon I want to do some traveling.”

Italy is on his list of destinations – to see where his family came from. He pulled up a photo of an orchestra playing on a stage in Ravello overlooking the clear blue water off the Amalfi Coast.

“I want to see a concert at this theater,” he said with a glimmer in his eyes. “Yeah, that’s on the bucket list.”

After the announcement, the store was flooded by hundreds of messages, phone calls and in-person visits from loyal customers. Humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, Ed Intagliata began to understand just how influential he was in the community.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, every minute,” he said. “It’s gonna be different having this go.”

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The Beloved Cassell’s Music is Closing After Decades of Serving the Northeast Valley

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