Awwww…RIGHTY…!!!

[masoParticipant]

I’m in…!!!

And glad to be here too.

I have such fond memories about The Ol’ “Rover Dog Strip” as we used to call it, fondly enough.

As much as I have to respect the speeds, times and safety standards of today’s drag racing… I still think that we had a lot more fun with it in the 1960’s… I bet a lot of us would agree with that, huh…???

Anyway… since I have been through this before over at Bill Pratt’s good web site, may I direct you there to read what I had to say about myself. just click here—> http://www.draglist.com/stories/SOD%20Dec%202000/SOD-122200.htm Now you know who I am anyway.

Like Jim Valention and Warren Chamberlin … I too am from Yonkers, N.Y. although I didn’t know them. I have had e-mail corrispondances with Jim though. Nice guy.

I have been to the track at Rockingham also, but I didn’t know anything about Dino, I only remember George “The Goose” as the announcer up in Wingdale. He had a red Corvair with a custom paint job. I wonder if he will join us here someday.

Who among you remember’s these names…

Anthony “Tinny” Vistano, Richie Prokop, Gramatan Dodge’s Bobby Gallaghar and Jay Broderick, Billy Madaus’ and his hot J/S Oldsmobile with a standard shift transmission, ( couldn’t beat it….)… those were all my buddies…!

I have never been down the track with a car of my own.

Maso

[dinoKeymaster]

The Goose was the year before me …from the info I recently got from Dennis Tate, he was only there like one year,after Darrell Humphry left to become announcer at the new New York National Speedway in Center Moriches,L.I. Darrell was Real good ! I had asked to announce and got my chance in ’65 when “the Goose” didn’t show up opening day.

[masoParticipant]

Attn: Hilo hotrodder

I got your PM. Interesting.

Does this look familiar…?

You lived on Mountaindale Rd. in Yonkers…?! Did you ever know my good buddies Steven Griff…? or The Gillette Brothers… did you know Steve Tollerico too…? You must have also known Larry Nutson and the Gramatan Dodge boys…eh…?

Do you have any pictures of Tinny’s ’40 Chevrolet…? I remember it well. Tinny lives in Colorado and is a pilot for a freight aircraft company, possibly Kalitta… but I don’t know.

[hilo-hotrodder]

I am so stoked! That car has been an insparation for me all my life.I was with Jimmy Hicky one day and we went to a house in bronxville i think and that roadster was there . I was about 17, thoughtI knew it all, saw that car up close and knew I had long way to go. I knew the Gillette bros. I lived across the street from the Gaggiano’s .If I remember Pipi Paul and Steven all used to hang together as little kids. I also remember those guys from Gramatin Dodge beating my 64 savoy.

[dinoKeymaster]

was one of the Gillette bros. named Guy and had a Rock Band ?

[masoParticipant]

quote dinotheweirdo:

was one of the Gillette bros. named Guy and had a Rock Band ?

Well… they did have rock bands in Yonkers, but now they’re sorta’ into a kind of folksey Cowboy music and own a club in Texas where Lightnin’ Hopkins used to play. Go see: http://www.campstreetcafe.com/

Pip and Guy. I knew them well.

[masoParticipant]

quote Hilo hotrodder:

I am so stoked! That car has been an insparation for me all my life.I was with Jimmy Hicky one day and we went to a house in bronxville i think and that roadster was there . I was about 17, thoughtI knew it all, saw that car up close and knew I had long way to go. I knew the Gillette bros. I lived across the street from the Gaggiano’s .If I remember Pipi Paul and Steven all used to hang together as little kids. I also remember those guys from Gramatin Dodge beating my 64 savoy.

That house in Bronxville is where my brother and I grew up. One of the Gaggiano brothers is out there in Texas now with the Gillettes. Those guys didn’t know sh*t about Hot Rodding or Drag Racing though.

I wonder if you and I know each other, seriously.

About that Roadster. Sad story. My stoopid-ass brother soon turned it into a pile of junk. He bought that from Paul FitzGerald who had it for years up in Connecticut. It was a very well known car with articles about it in those small format “Rod & Custom” type magazines. He won class wins at NHRA in Street Roadster classes and actually took Top Eliminator wins with it up in New England. Paul also drove The “Tennesee Bo-Weevil” for Ray Godman at Indy for a while.

Anyway…

Paul decided in the 1990’s to somehow recover the car with want ads… He managed to find pieces of it scattered all over Long Island and New Jersey. Paul has faithfully re-created the roadster recently and has exhibited it at the Concours d’Elegance in California. There is a book out with a lot of detailed information about it, go see: http://coolcarssquarerollbars.com/index.html

The new roadster looks like this:

[masoParticipant]

quote Hilo hotrodder:

…If I remember Pipi Paul and Steven all used to hang together as little kids. I also remember those guys from Gramatin Dodge beating my 64 savoy.

1).

You mention “Steven” Which one… Tollarico or Griff…?

2).

The Rickman brothers, Ron and Rick, Richie Klatt, Larry Nutson. There were two Gramatan Dodges, Bobby Gallaghar’s and then Jay Broderick’s. Which one do you refer to…?

[hilo-hotrodder]

This is pretty amazing I always wanted a picture of your brothers car ,now i see the car still lives in a way. I was taking about Steven Tollorico You are right those guys were not into cars at all. I only raced my savoy at dover 2x but I remember that a dodge run two brothers beat me in as/a Did a lot of racing on cental ave. with that car. Both the names you mention Stevs Griff and Larry Nutson sound familar but it has been a long time.

[masoParticipant]

265 ci Chevy. three two barrel carbs. Duntov cam, headers. Notice the A-Frame front end Paul designed and fabricated as an engineering student in college. Probably the first hot rod type with that.

[masoParticipant]

quote Hilo hotrodder:

…You are right those guys were not into cars at all. …

Yeah… but WE put the “Roll” in “Rock & Roll”… didn’t we…???

[masoParticipant]

I’m sad to report what I learned last week, that Guy Gillette succumbed to throat cancer just a few years ago… 😐

[Author]

Posts