The Man Behind the Jingle

Ask Morrie and Steve DeZara to describe their father's business endeavors, and they can sum it up in two words: American dream. The Cinderella story of a struggling salesman culminated in the creation of Luna, the successful flooring company known by its familiar name and catchy jingle.

Salamon DeZara, a young man who dropped out of school to work for a wholesaler in a large open-air bazaar in Istanbul, founded Luna, which has provided quality carpet and flooring and impeccable customer service to Chicagoans for nearly fifty years. Since Salamon's retirement in 1988, Morrie and Steve have served as President and CEO, accordingly, and manage the day to day operations and sales in their steadily growing business.

It all began in 1956, when Salamon first moved to Chicago from Istanbul, Turkey to live with his sister. He was already multi-lingual and learned English through his friends and neighbors. His first job in Chicago was working in a bookbinding factory for minimum wage. The next year, Salamon began working for a plastic slipcover company as a cutter and deliveryman. He labored at the slipcover company during the week and at the bookbinding factory on the weekends. In 1958, Salamon quit the bookbinding factory and launched his company, naming it Luna ("moon" in Spanish) after the moon over the water in his native country.

Luna began as an in-home shopping plastic slipcover company run out of Salamon's two-bedroom apartment on Chicago's West Side. He eventually rented a small storefront on Armitage Avenue on the city's Northwest Side and began advertising on the then exclusive Spanish station WCIU. He relied on his native Spanish to build a clientele for Luna that focused exclusively on the Hispanic community, who eventually adoringly referred to him as Señor Luna.

In the 1960s, Salamon bought a building at 3531 West Fullerton Avenue for his growing business. A few years later, he decided to add carpets to Luna's offerings. In the 1980s, the growing company expanded into the building next door to accommodate a larger clientele base. The brothers fondly recall accompanying their father on sales calls, where Salamon would give them each 50 cents if he secured the deal.

Since their early exposure to the business world primed them for their future careers, Morrie and Steve have worked in nearly every capacity of Luna's operations, from installation to sales and marketing to warehouse operation, eventually landing them in their current positions upon their father's retirement.

Salamon DeZara died in 2005 at the age of 81, but he would surely be proud of the legacy his sons carry on through Luna. Morrie and Steve joke that their distinctly different personalities have added to the success of the business, giving their executive decisions two separate viewpoints prior to making the choice most appropriate and beneficial for the company.

Since expanding from its solely Spanish-speaking market to the general public in 1997, Luna has developed a strong presence in the Chicagoland market through its comprehensive advertising campaigns featuring their catchy jingle, serving a dual purpose by setting their phone number to a simple, easy-to-remember tune. More recently Luna has expanded into the Baltimore, Boston, Milwaukee and Washington D.C. markets.

Luna specializes in shop-at-home carpeting and flooring, providing customers with high quality products and speedy installation, all in the convenience of their own home; however, they have recently branched out into the retail market in the Chicago area with locations in Naperville, Schaumburg, Addison, Deerfield and Lake Zurich. Their patented "Sure Quote" computerized laser measuring system guarantees an immediate and accurate quote for the floor coverings a customer wants in each room.

Now a household name, Luna leads the flooring industry by offering stylish, top-quality products and continues to revolutionize the way consumers shop for carpet, hardwood and laminate. Since 1958, this family-run and operated company has been known for its convenient and friendly buying experience. Luna is the innovator in the shop-at-home experience, allowing consumers to view flooring samples in the comfort of their own home, with their furnishings and their lighting. The company can be reached at 877.241.LUNA or online at luna.com.