Hey folks, Tom Park here, the catchphrase he used in years of television advertisements for vehicle sales titan Billy Fuccillo, entered living rooms in upstate New York. A decade after Southwest Florida first felt his outsized presence, legendary car dealer Billy Fuccillo has died at 65. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Then Billy Fuccillo sponsored a competition to choose Carolines replacement, and McKinzie Roth won. More:Billy Fuccillo, Kia Soul transform driving in Southwest Florida, More:It's huge: Billy Fuccillo surprises food bank with $100K donation. LMP Automotive, which is selling a portfolio of six dealerships, still owns what are now called Kia of Cape Coral and Kia of Port Charlotte. WebFuccillo Automotive Group is one of the largest privately held automotive groups in the United States and we are expanding rapidly in the Florida market as the #1 Kia Dealer in the WORLD! No free cruises or TVs, according to the contract that was listed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. and test drove several different vehicles before ending up at Fuccillo Kia. Neighbors on Northwest 29th Terrace in []. After Fuccillo died in June 2021, his company sold his dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte for a combined $36 million to LMP Automotive Holdings. A lot of it is just normal stuff. [6], Fuccillo died in his Florida home on June 17, 2021, after months of declining health and battling a long-term illness. it would be liquidating between $115 million and $126 million to its shareholders. Billy was a legend, man. Back in 2017, she left her position. On Friday, June 18, Fuccillo died at his home in Sarasota after a long illness. I was so glad to have met him, she said, and always tell people he was much different in person than he appeared on TV. Smith plans to return to the restaurant soon and raise a toast to his memory. All rights reserved. Price: $36 million. The sales man, Loo, was the best car salesman we have EVER dealt with and his. He then expanded westward, working his way into buying dealerships. 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CNY Centralreported the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association announced Fuccillo's death Friday morning in an email to members. The late Billy Fuccillos company sold his dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte for a combined $36 million in 2021. He defended the dealerships practice of catering to consumers with low credit ratings and didnt hesitate to offer cars to individuals getting over the crisis. The woman wrote on Facebook, My man, Tom Park, married to for 48 years, rock and rolled for our best younger years, had two sons who brought him the most joy in life, a proud Papa to his 5 granddaughters, car commercial G.O.A.T., hottest guitarist, puppy to his kitty, lover of fishing and golf, passed away today from cancer at 6:21pm surrounded by family. Thank you for the love, music, laughs, and the craziest journey of a marriage ever, darling! "How are you going to get people financed?" In 1989, he went out on his own and opened his first dealership. Today, the Fuccillo Automotive Group owns more than 25 dealerships throughout Florida and New York. Biography. They could be willing to pay more to get a return on their investment.. And as a result of that, Richard LeBer, CEO of the Harry Chapin Food Bank, stated, You know, he fed many thousands of people in Southwest Florida. I believe that the word big will simply become part of everyday speech for a very long time to come. Every time Fuccillo gave a gift, he appeared to be the recipient rather than the giver. Before earning a degree in marketing, Fuccillo played tight end for the football team at Syracuse University, according to the News-Press. WebFuccillo Automotive Group is one of the largest privately held automotive groups in the United States and we are expanding rapidly in the Florida market as the #1 Kia Dealer in the WORLD! Organizations like the Salvation Army and the annual Big Backpack Event also benefitted from his generosity over the years. According to CNY Central, he is survived by his wife Cindy and son Billy Fuccillo Jr. Fuccillo was born in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York in 1956. In a profile of Park by the Associated Press from two decades ago, it was mentioned that he would record advertisements for automotive markets across the nation one after the other in a single day, noting that he would tear through 21 spots in an hour without a flub.. Over time, the business grew to over 25 dealerships in New York and Florida[2] selling a variety of brands. A buffalo plaid shirt is a wardrobe staple. What for almost a decade had been Billy Fuccillo and Kias best-selling dealership in the world, off Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, is being sold for the second time in two years. Roughly 100 Fuccillo employees will be joining Matthews 850 team members and additional employees may be hired as business needs dictate. Billy claimed Caroline called him and requested to return. Going through the application and getting the approval. I discovered I was proficient at it. Fuccillo was born in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York in 1956. On June 24, his funeral will take place in Syracuse, New York. In an interview with the Times Union in 2008, Fuccillo stated, My mum says she mutes me when my advertisements come on.. And then down south just got destroyed. Sandra Hamblin George, a customer, stated, I want to thank Billy Fuccillo from Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral. Despite the threat not getting confirmed, a large police presence will be at [], Former Billy Fuccillo Kia dealership sales fall through in Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, After Fuccillo died in June 2021, his company sold his dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte for a combined $36 million to LMP Automotive Holdings. Fuccillo, who died at age 65 in June 2021, opened the Cape Coral dealership in 2011, resurrecting it from an out-of-business Saturn location. In 2022, Fort Myers police were tipped off that child porn was on an account belonging to Michael Burkhart, an 18-year employee of Cape Coral. 2023 www.news-press.com. LMP Automotive Holdings, based in West Palm Beach, announced Monday it will be liquidating and dissolving assets of between $115 million and $126 million to its shareholders, CEO Sam Tawfik said in a news release. Going into the pandemic, and coming out of the pandemic, these dealers are making really good money. He remarked, We love him and greatly appreciate Billy and Fucillo Auto Groups assistance. Man, Billy was a legend. [1] Following college, he worked at various car dealerships. He was anxious about it, according to Goodman. LMP Automotive and the two dealership general managers could not be reached for comment. Those dealerships will be getting new owners once again, likely by October, Tawfik said. Although he appeared in those advertisements, he was always giving back to the community says he. But when you got to know him, he was really, you know, a humble man. Biography. How are you going to finance people? In a 2017 News-Press story, Fuccillo posed the question. When he sold 523 automobiles in a single day in 1996, Fuccillo claimed it was his best day as a dealer. No free cruises or TVs, according to the contract that was listed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Used cars are another matter, but they're trying to focus on the new-car side of the business it seems. He was a large man. There arent a lot of sellers raising their hands. Fucillo Automotive provided hundreds of meals at a time to front-line staff at hospitals around Western New York during the COVID-19 outbreak. Tom Park passed away. Fuccillo Hyundai and Fuccillo Kia, both in Greece, were the only two dealerships remaining. Following a stroke, Fuccillos health had deteriorated during the previous year, and he sold the Ruane family his property in Cape Coral, Florida, for $2.25 million, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. Biography. Roughly 100 Fuccillo employees will be joining Matthews 850 team members and additional employees may be hired as business needs dictate. When Fuccillo converted Goodmans land into his Cape Coral Kia vehicle business, the two came into contact. Ali Ahmed, owner of Miami Lakes Automall and Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, confirmed via email his company is no longer under contract to buy the dealerships. As of 2019, when he last published a commercial to his YouTube channel Tom Park Media, Park stated that he would continue to appear in Fuccillo advertisements. WebBilly Fuccillos booming voice can be heard on the radio, on television, or on the lot if you live in Southwest Florida or close to one of his other dealerships. Matthews bought five dealerships in all, including three others in the Syracuse area. According to his dealership, Fuccillo, 65, passed away on Friday, June He was a wonderful man. The late Billy Fuccillos company sold his dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte for a combined $36 million in 2021. Free gas day was also observed. The margins and the profits, even with reduced inventory, have been strong. Remembered as a car-selling legend by Kia executive Percy Vaughn and many others, Fuccillo made sure to help others along the way, said Vaughan. It doesnt happen very often in todays market, because the markets just hot, she said of deals falling through. and pitch partner Caroline Renfro. Owner Billy Fuccillo became a celebrity in Central New York, often appearing in the dealerships commercials with the tag line describing his sales as Its HUGE. Fuccillo was born in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York in 1956. An East Naples man was arrested Thursday morning after deputies say he violated his sex offender registration. The fact that the sale of the dealerships fell through surprised Courtney Bernhard, a Tampa-based broker with Performance Brokerage Services. Within a few years, the Korean-owned company recognized his Kia dealership as the world's top-seller. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Web161 reviews of Kia of Cape Coral "You've probably seen the ads proclaiming that "it's huuuuge," and while I'll agree that it's a fairly painless place to buy a car, it's actually not all that big, surprisingly enough, although they have a fine selection of new cars. Webselmon brothers bbq sauce recipe; best websites for tesla browser; lacerta files debunked; sass background image: url; how can the identifiability of personal information be reduced WebWilliam Bruce "Billy" Fuccillo Sr. (January 9, 1956 June 17, 2021) was an American car dealer who ran a network of car dealerships called the Fuccillo Automotive Group. Because everyone knew his name, that man was among the smartest men I have ever met, Perrella told the Times-Union. In terms of marketing, he did an excellent job. Hes appeared in countless commercials on television and radio, never neglecting to use his Its HUGE! catchphrase. He had a strong personality, according to Kim Perrella, vice president of member relations and auto shows for the Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers, Inc. Fitzpatrick claimed that Fuccillo, an enthusiastic golfer, attracted attention everywhere he went. 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