GOD is Watching the Apples

by Chuck Miceli, John Salerno, Betsy Tooker

Overview

Capturing the central theme of this book, John Salerno shares a story he told as a church youth leader to illustrate the point that God constantly watches over us, even when we are unaware of it, and even in spite of our doubts.

A young boy going through the cafeteria line notices a sign that reads, "Take only one apple. God is watching," so as he passes the cookies, he makes up his own sign and places it front of them. "Take as many as you want...

God is Watching the Apples

Journey with John Salerno and Betsy Tooker in this often heart-warming, sometimes heart-breaking, and always inspiring book. In unflinchingly honest first person accounts, they share with author Chuck Miceli and you the reader, their individual life stories intermingled with their faith, and the surprising and sometimes incredible History of Tops Marketplace.

GOD is Watching the Apples provides a deeply intimate look into people who devoted their lives, their fortunes and their relationships to making a business succeed and explores in-depth, the themes that marked this incredible journey:

Grit: George and Julia Topshe opened Tops Market in 1951. The tiny 'box' store with a single cash register sat in a very rural area of the state. Some of the locals chided them, "Who ya gonna sell groceries to: The cows?"

When John and his partner, Jack Kastner, bought Tops, they dedicated ten percent of their profits to charity. John later shares, "I was the numbers man and became convinced that at the rate we were going, we'd soon be out of cash and out of business. Do you know what this means?" Jack replied, "Yes, we just have to give more."

Grief: John and Betsy chronicle the sacrifices and lives of so many loved ones they lost along the way. In particular, John relates the toll that business stresses took on his relationship with his wife, Nancylee, and lays bare his failures for the reader to assess.

Then, just when it seemed as though hope could triumph over ordeal, Nancylee was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver. John laments, "My soul mate, my traveling companion, confidant and lover, was gone; her life cut short by a careless, senseless, merciless act, and I didn't know how I could go on living without her."

God: Betsy Tooker recalls clearly her impression of the new Tops owners, "When John and Jack bought the store in 1979, in plain English, they didn't know a damn thing about the grocery business, but they were hell bent on dedicating it to God."

John recalls "When the hospital finally released me, I was still delirious and I couldn't walk. I was convinced that they had sent me home to die but then Jack came to visit me and after hearing me complain, he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me violently while shouting, "God isn't finished with you, John. God is not going to let you die!"

Groceries: (Chuck) "When John and Betsy first approached me about working with them on writing this book, I hesitated. After all, how much of a story could there be about a grocery store? I couldn't have been more wrong.

(Betsy) "On march 3, 2019, we experienced a devastating blow that we thought might finally signal the end of Tops... For me, the tipping point occurred after they demolished the burned out shell of what used to be our store... As I looked over the empty lot, I saw a single, beautiful flower that had pushed its way out of the ground and was growing through the dirt and in that moment, I knew. I pointed to the flower and said, 'There's your answer. We have to rebuild.'"

Read GOD is Watching the Apples and let it make you laugh, and cry, and even more than that, let it inspire you with the power of its enduring story of faith, hope, and love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997698671
Publisher:	Author Chuck Miceli
Publication date:	07/19/2025
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

When John Salerno and Betsy Tooker first approached me about working with them on this book, I hesitated. After all, how much of a story could there be about a grocery store? I couldn't have been more wrong!

For more than a year, we met weekly to capture their experiences and assemble their story. The more we met, the more impressed I became. Through hearing first-hand what they and so many others involved in Tops have faced and overcome, the challenges and grief they have endured, the complexities of surviving as a small business, and most of all how their faith guided, nurtured and sustained them through it all, I became convinced that this was a story worth telling.

As for me, Chuck Miceli, I am a multi-genre author, poet, and playwright. More than anything else, I seek to focus my writing on unique and meaningful projects.

My co-authored textbook, "Fire Behind Bars," (a restricted publication), was the first book in the US to address the causes, dangers, and prevention of deadly fires in secure institutions. That book put me on the national stage as a speaker and consultant, and launched my love of writing.

The most frequent reader / reviewer comment for my paranormal thriller, "Amanda's Room," is that "It is unlike anything I have ever read before." The story features a young woman's spirit who communicates by manipulating the environment, especially violent weather. A unique feature is that each chapter begins with a weather-related fact that foreshadows what unfolds within the chapter.

My literary novel, "Wounded Angels," moves from Brooklyn New York to the Bristol / Southington Connecticut area. While I initially published it as a novel, I based the book on real-life people and events. A distinctive feature is that I tell the entire story in the first-person narrative of the female lead character.

In "GOD is Watching the Apples," my goal was to capture each random piece of the story, told through John and Betsy's own words and then to carefully assemble the pieces chronologically and thematically into a mosaic of their remarkable lives and the inspirational history of this "community and faith-focused" market. I trust that you will find this to be a significant story and well worth the time you take to read it.

For more information on me and my work, visit AuthorChuckMiceli.com.

John Salerno is the primary force behind God is Watching the Apples. As a young boy, he experienced a profound act of generosity that helped shape the man he would become. The impetus for the book began with the sudden and tragic death of his beloved wife, Nancylee, killed by a wrong-way drunk driver on Connecticut Interstate I-84. That caused him to reflect on their years together, their marriage, children and family life, his career, and eventually the purchase of Tops Market, which became a central feature of the rest of their lives. John also relates the impact of his faith and that of the many important people who influenced the business and his and Nancylee's lives, especially his confidant and business partner: Betsy Tooker.

Betsy Tooker worked hand-in-hand with John Salerno in relating the story behind God is Watching the Apples, just as she has partnered with him throughout their personal and professional lives. Long before John and Jack Kastner bought Tops, Betsy had been working at the market since she was 15 years old and has been a part of the business ever since. She brings to their story the rich history of Tops from its very beginning, and the people who created and sustained the business. Following Jack's Kastner's death, Betsy relates how she bought into the business as John's full partner and co-manager. Together with John, she recounts the trials and tragedies, as well as the accomplishments and triumphs associated with running this business dedicated to being an instrument of God's goodness in the community.