New York’s WATERTOWN (WWNY) – Billy Fuccillo, who became famous in the congested world of auto dealerships for his catchphrase “It’s going to be huuuuge,” has passed away.
Numerous media sites Friday morning announced Fuccillo’s death. Fuccillo passed away at his home in Florida after months of deteriorating health, according to CNY Central in Syracuse.
Fuccillo reportedly had more than 25 dealerships at his height, mostly in New York and Florida. This included a sizable business in Adams called the “Fuccillo Automotive Group.” According to CNY Central, he just sold five properties in Rochester and Syracuse.
He was a wonderful man. I believe that many people who only saw his advertisements did not come to know him in the same way that those of us who lived in the region did. Bob Simpson from the Adams Fire Department remarked, “You know, he was a part of the community.
According to Simpson, Fuccillo made significant contributions to the South Jefferson Central School athletic department as well as the fire department and other neighborhood organizations.
According to a biography on Wikipedia, Fuccillo was born in 1957 in Suffolk County. In 1978, he received his degree from Syracuse University.
According to CNY Central, he is survived by his wife Cindy and son Billy Fuccillo Jr. Details of the funeral are still being withheld.
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How did Fuccillo Billy fare?
Billy Fuccillo’s 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.
According to his dealership, Fuccillo, 65, passed away on Friday, June 18, following months of deteriorating health.
It’s going to be huuuuuge! was Fuccillo’s catchphrase. he has a great heart as well. on-air.
Along with running the Fuccillo Automotive Group, he frequently gave to charity, including $100,000 in 2019 for the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida to help fight local hunger.
Every time Fuccillo gave a gift, he appeared to be the recipient rather than the giver. Fuccillo was quite compassionate. Over the years, he donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to both the Salvation Army and the Harry Chapin Food Bank.
Billy had a reputation for unexpectedly calling and stating, “Hey, I’ve got something for you. 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.
Fuccillo knew Robert Goodman as a buddy. When Fuccillo converted Goodman’s land into his Cape Coral Kia vehicle business, the two came into contact.
He was anxious about it, according to Goodman. “He phoned me Bobby, Bobby, and he said, ‘This doesn’t work, I need you to purchase it back from me, I want to, I want to get a money-back guarantee, and I was so convinced that it would work.'”
Fuccillo became a philanthropist quite quickly. He began giving away free homes and automobiles. Free gas day was also observed.
According to Goodman, “He was you know, he had this presence on TV. “But when you got to know him, he was really, you know, a humble man.
Sandra Hamblin George, a customer, stated, “I want to thank Billy Fuccillo from Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral. We had such lovely memories of our trips to Europe and the Bahamas. ” Billy, you are appreciated and will be missed.
The Cape Coral and Port Charlotte Fuccillo Kia dealerships were sold to LMP Automotive Holdings, a Delaware-based company, in late 2020.
Visit this link to view Fuccillo’s obituary. On June 24, his funeral will take place in Syracuse, New York.
What happened to Fuccillo The Huge Guy, the car dealership?
Billy Fuccillo had passed away. For years, Upstate New York and Florida residents heard his signature “It’s going to be Huuuuuuuuuuggge” at the end of his auto dealership advertisements. CNY Central has learned of his passing following a protracted illness. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick described Fuccillo as “larger than life.”
What happened to Fuccillo Kia?
Then, in March 2021, it sold LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. two Kia dealerships in Florida. It gave Morgan Automotive Group a Nissan dealership in Clearwater, Florida, in August of last year. The Fuccillo group’s president, Billy Fuccillo Jr., did not reply to Automotive News’ requests for comment.
Where is the funeral for Billy Fuccillo?
On Friday, June 25, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., a Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church, 301 Ash St., Syracuse, NY, in honor of Billy. In the mausoleum of Woodlawn Cemetery, a private interment will take place.
Caroline went back to Fuccillo Kia, but why?
Back in 2017, she left her position. Then Billy Fuccillo sponsored a competition to choose Caroline’s replacement, and McKinzie Roth won. Billy claimed Caroline called him and requested to return.
Did Fuccillo play football in college?
Billy Fuccillo, the charismatic owner of a New York-based car dealership who was well-known for his advertisements, passed away on Thursday in Sarasota, Florida. He was 65.
Fuccillo was made famous for using the word “massive” in exaggerated car advertising, but those who knew and loved him best remember him for his less well-known altruistic side.
Fuccillo laboriously and painstakingly grew a national car industry empire. The largest privately held auto retailer in the state and the largest Kia dealer in the world, the Fuccillo Automotive Group, was where he held the positions of president and chief executive officer.
Near Watertown, in Adams, the franchise got its start. He left behind aftershocks that reverberated in New York, where he had a profound effect. The neighborhood is becoming increasingly aware of his quiet manner away from the spotlight and his covert compassion.
For years, Fuccillo would begin his day at Tonys Family Restaurant, which was close to one of his Syracuse dealerships. The proprietor of Tony’s and Fuccillo’s friend, Tony Albanese, is aware of Fuccillo’s routine.
According to Albanese, “He would arrive around the same time I would.” “morning at seven. We would take a seat and chat for hours. Here, he met several of his friends. His marketing personnel were also present in the morning.”
Fuccillo is credited by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick for being the first to significantly donate to the Forman Park-based Syracuse Police Memorial for Fallen Officers, which was established in 2002. He remembered Fuccillo as a very kind, humorous, and kind man.
“He helped so many people in the background without ever looking for recognition. He will be sorely missed, Fitzpatrick said.
The Sisters of St. Francis Assumption Food Pantry and the Ronald McDonald House were among the nonprofits that benefited from the generosity of the private philanthropist.
Billy Fuccillo was very kind. He contributed a lot to this neighborhood. His absence will be felt, “Member of the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association’s board Mike Romano spoke.
He was a great man “stated Albanese. “One day, as I’m sitting here, two men wheel in a TV that I received as a friendship gift from him. He was just a very kind man.
His absence will be felt in this community, “Albanese went on. “He and my brother and I were extremely close friends, and we will both miss him terribly.
The Thomas J. Pirro Junior Funeral Home in Liverpool will host a wake from 3 to 7 p.m. on June 24. On June 25, Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Syracuse will host a funeral Mass at 11 a.m.
What happened to the Cape Coral Kia’s proprietor?
Billy Fuccillo, a famed car dealer, passed away at the age of 65, ten years after Southwest Florida first felt his imposing presence.
According to CNY Central, the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association informed its members via email on Friday morning of Fuccillo’s passing.
Percy Vaughn, a Kia executive, and many others remember Fuccillo as a legendary vehicle salesman who always thought of others.
“Billy was a trailblazer. He accomplished feats that other auto dealers only imagine. Although he appeared in those commercials, he was always giving back to the community “said he. “Man, Billy was a legend. Billy won’t ever be replaced.”
His Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral was sold in March for $13.1 million, bringing an extravagant era that included rock concerts, cruise giveaways, and broken lease agreements to an end.
Fuccillo sold his Cape Coral house to Kevin Ruane’s family trust for $2.25 million last year after realizing that his health had deteriorated over the previous year. Kevin Ruane is a Lee County Commissioner and the former mayor of Sanibel.
He first gained notoriety in Southwest Florida thanks to his Pine Island Road Kia dealership and its commercials that featured his trademark “Huuu-ja!” and pitch partner Caroline Renfro. After a short while, the Korean-owned corporation named his Kia dealership the best-selling in the entire world.
Long before the Pine Island Road boom, when Cape Coral was the focus of the national housing crash, and in a Southwest Florida still reeling from the Great Recession, he gambled on property that housed an abandoned Saturn dealership. He defended the dealership’s practice of catering to consumers with low credit ratings and didn’t hesitate to offer cars to individuals getting over the crisis.
Kia-branded automobiles have quickly climbed into the top 10 of new car sales in Lee County since the Fuccillo Kia car dealership debuted in December 2010.
“How are you going to finance people?” In a 2017 News-Press article, Fuccillo posed the question. “I believe we made a lot of efforts to help the neighborhood turn itself around, and they in turn assisted us. We’re here to sell automobiles, that’s what we do.”
He was the well-known figure in Southwest Florida, the one with the welcoming smile you could just walk up to and strike up a conversation with.
Sue Smith of North Naples, who met Fuccillo at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House happy hour in Estero a few years ago, is one who did exactly that. He was cordial and kind as Smith excitedly approached him to introduce himself. She remarked, “I was so happy to have met him, and I constantly tell people that he was really different in person from how he appeared on television. Smith intends to toast him when he eventually makes it back to the eatery.
In what Florida city did Billy Fuccillo reside?
This week in Syracuse, funeral services will be performed for Billy Fuccillo, owner of a car dealership.
William Bruce Fuccillo Sr., who was well-known for his commercials promising “substantial” savings, passed away on Thursday at his home in Sarasota, Florida. Fuccillo’s death, according to CNY Central, came after a protracted illness. He was 65.
On Thursday, there will be calling hours from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Thomas J. Pirro Jr. Funeral Home in North Syracuse. On Friday at 11 a.m., Syracuse’s Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church will host a funeral mass.
The Fuccillo Automotive Group, which was well-known for its ongoing marketing campaign of “massive” discounts, was led by Fuccillo, who also served as president and COO. According to the company’s website, it has 21 dealerships in Florida and New York. The company, based in Syracuse, declined to comment.
Fuccillo is a Long Island native who graduated from Syracuse University and was an All-American football player. After graduating, Fuccillo started selling automobiles and discovered he was really excellent at it, according to an Albany Times-Union article.
According to the newspaper, he acquired his first wholesale auto business in 1981 and his first new store in Adams, which is close to Watertown, in 1989.
According to his obituary, Fuccillo was immensely pleased of selling 500 vehicles in a single day at the Fuccillo AutoMall in Jefferson County and 2020 vehicles in a single month at Fuccillo Hyundai of Syracuse.
Fuccillo, who was a philanthropist as well, was best known for his radio and television advertisements, where he claimed his catchphrase, “It’s going to be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge.”
Fuccillo was a sports fanatic and racehorse owner who also enjoyed golfing, fine dining, and wine.
Fuccillo received $2.25 million for the sale of his estate in Cape Coral, Florida, last year. Additionally, he recently sold a number of dealerships, including two Fuccillo Kia dealerships in Florida in March and five New York dealerships, including two in Greece, in January. He quit making advertisements last year because his health had gotten worse over the previous 12 months.
His wife Cindy and son Billy Jr., the current head of the Fuccillo Automotive Group, are his only surviving family members. His parents, siblings, and other family members are still alive.
Who ruled Fuccillo after?
New York’s WATERTOWN (WWNY) – There has been a huge shift in the neighborhood auto industry.
Wally Darwish now owns 12 Fuccillo Automotive dealerships around New York, including the Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Mitsubishi dealerships in Watertown and Adams.
“When I learned that I could and had the chance to buy these dealerships, I really pursued it and pursued it hard,” Darwish said on Tuesday.
Darwish acknowledges that he must step into very huge shoes, but the New Jersey native claims that his love of the spotlight is similar to Fuccillo’s.
“Man, you remind us of that man Billly Fuccillo,” people would frequently say to me when they saw me on television when I would say, “Come on down, have fun, and get a wonderful price, woo hoo,” Darwish added.
Darwish wants all of his clients and colleagues to continue to exhibit the same compassion and consideration that Fuccillo was known for.
I’m very thrilled that the people that are here will have the chance to grow alongside me, he remarked.
Darwish gave every employee at the places it acquired the opportunity to work for him or her going forward.
In addition, Darwish claims that he plans to buy successful dealerships like Fuccillo’s in order to achieve his goal of becoming a household name in five to seven years.