Shortly before midnight on Sept. 29, police said, a man walked into the store, pulled a gun and ordered Elleman and Alaty to lie face down.
The robber took some cash, then shot each man once in the head.
The killer has not been caught.
Yesterday's service was held in front of the shop, because ``this is where people knew them,'' explained Mary Apostolidis, who along with her husband, George, started Holiday Pizza 15 years ago.
``They were part of my family,'' she said of Elleman and Alaty, neither of whom had any relatives in the United States.
The Apostolidises arranged a multidenominational ceremony, with the Rev. John Limberakis of St. Sophia's church in Valley Forge representing the Greek Orthodox religion and Imam Qasim Rashad, a Muslim, representing the religion of the victims. Many in attendance said they came not only to mourn the dead but to urge the couple to keep their shop.
Others said they came to express their outrage that such a crime could happen in what has been considered a safe and tightly knit area.
``This is by far the worst thing that has happened in this community,'' said Arnold Hall, who lives nearby.
The shop is sandwiched in the midst of a mattress shop, a Chinese restaurant and other small businesses on Stenton Avenue.
``Business owners here had a very good relationship,'' said Billy Kim, who for 11 years has owned Paradise Beauty Supply two doors down.
``Some paradise,'' he said.
``It's not safe here anymore.''
``This used to be a good area,'' said Virginia Hodges, who has lived for 12 years behind the strip of shops. ``Lately some bad gangs of people are hanging around the alleyway.''
Holiday Pizza was hit by armed robbers last summer, said George Apostolidis. ``We've tried to work with the district - to get more police protection,'' he said.
Though still reeling from the shock, local residents said they hoped to stand their ground and do whatever they could to keep such a crime from happening again.
``To kill a person unjustly is to kill a whole community, Imam Rashad told the crowd. ``No more should we lay idly by and watch people be slaughtered,'' he said.
