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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What happened to Billy Fuccillo?
1956 saw the birth of Fuccillo in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York. He earned a marketing degree from Syracuse University in 1978. [1] After graduating from college, he worked at several auto lots. He went independent and started his own dealership in 1989. Over the years, the company expanded to have over 25 dealerships in Florida and New York. [2] distributing a range of brands. [3] His catchphrase, “It’s HUGE!” is frequently used throughout his advertising. [4] [5] Tom Park, who served as Fuccillo’s production director and the straight man in many of the company’s advertisements up until 2018, remarked that the line was first improvised by Fuccillo in response to the large turnout at a sales event. The two liked it so much that they adopted it as their trademark from that point forward. [6]
On June 17, 2021, Fuccillo passed away in his Florida home after months of deteriorating health and a protracted illness.
[7] Almost precisely one year later, Park passed away. [8]
What became to the Kia Fuccillo guy?
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.
Billy Fuccillo did he pass?
Billy Fuccillo, a legendary automobile salesperson who became well-known throughout the Capital Region for his “larger than life” TV commercials, has suddenly after a protracted illness. He passed away at his Florida home following “months of deteriorating health.” At 64 years old, he was.
“It is with great regret that we tell you of the demise of former member and friend, Billy Fuccillo,” the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association said in a statement on June 18. In Upstate New York, the illustrious auto salesperson co-owned multiple businesses with his son Billy Fuccillo Jr. Numerous lives have already been lost in the year 2021. This year’s departures include authors Janet Malcolm, Heidi Ferrer, Dick Stolley, and Lisa Banes, as well as writers for “Dawson’s Creek” and other television shows.
Billy Fuccillo sold his auto dealership, right?
WATERTOWN
The world of north country auto dealerships has seen a significant upheaval.
Nearly a year after William B. “Billy Fuccillo’s passing, his local auto dealerships have been sold.
A Mitsubishi dealership in Watertown as well as Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep dealerships in Adams have been sold by Fuccillo Automotive Group.
According to Kevin Hadley, sales manager for the Fuccillo Auto Group, the purchase excludes Fuccillo Import in Watertown and Fuccillo Chevrolet in Adams.
He indicated the future of the Chevy location would become apparent in three to six months, but the new owner was not interested in the import dealership.
Wally’s Auto Group, whose New Jersey and Long Island businesses are owned by Wally Darwish, is taking over.
His first name will appear in the title of the dealerships for the New York showrooms. For instance, Wally’s Ford of Adams will be there.
Mr. Hadley stated, “I spent 22 years working for Billy.
I’m reminded of Billy by (Wally). He is a fantastic person.
The employees of Fuccillo have been through a difficult period since his passing in June, as they have grieved and worried about the company’s future.
Employees were able to breathe easier, he claimed. “I believe that the employees I spoke with are most motivated.
Mr. Fuccillo’s health deteriorated over time, and he passed away at age 65. He gained notoriety for his television advertisements in which he advertised his company with the slogan “It’s huuuuge. When he established his first dealership on Adams’ Route 11 in 1989, he officially began building his automobile empire.
Mr. Fuccillo sold dealerships in Florida and New York before his passing. However, the car group had 20 additional locations spread out over the two states.
The selling of the nearby Fuccillo dealerships is one of Wally’s 10 acquisitions in New York. The cost of the purchase was kept secret.
Other dealerships in Seneca Falls, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Latham, East Greenbush, and Nelliston included those for Mitsubishi, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Ford, and Nissan.
Wally’s is “New York’s Newest Car Shopping Destination,” claims the business’ website.
William B. Fuccillo, the son of Mr. Fuccillo, has continued to serve as the group’s president.
What ever become of the enormous automobile salesman?
SYRACUSE
The man who used a HUUUUUUUGE! on-air persona to promote fantastic discounts at his extensive network of car dealerships has passed away.
Billy Fuccillo passed suddenly on Thursday in Sarasota, Florida, after a protracted illness, his attorney told news sites in the Syracuse area on Friday. He was 65.
After graduating from Syracuse University, Fuccillo, a native of Long Island, remained in the region and established a network of dealerships in his honor.
Everyone would recognize a Fuccillo advertisement as one, regardless of whether they liked it or found it irritating.
The man’s physical stature, his voice, his attitude, his drive, his inventory, and the offers he promised clients were just a few of the significant things about him and his company.
Fuccillo said to The Gazette in 2009 that the term originated with a casual remark made to Tom Park of Tom Park Media, who occasionally worked with him in advertisements.
“It’s tremendous, Tom, I just turned to you one day and said. It’s enormous,’ Fuccillo exclaimed, and it blew up from there.
The showmanship appeared to please him. The majority of America pronounces the term as “huge,” whereas the New York City metro area occasionally pronounces it as “yooge.”
“Huge was hype, but it was memorable and truthful hype: His dealerships generated a lot of business.
The largest privately owned auto retailer in New York and the largest Kia dealer in the world, according to Fuccillo’s obituary, is Fuccillo Automotive Group.
At his auto mall near Watertown, Fuccillo once sold 500 vehicles in a single day, setting records for the most Hyundai and Kia sales in a month.
With success and celebrity came significant income, and Fuccillo earned a reputation for giving as well.
In 2017, Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy presented Fuccillo with the city’s keys in appreciation for the positive economic and charitable impact he had made in the area. Other areas also received similar support.
Domestic abuse prevention, the Salvation Army, the Center for Disability Services, the Quest For Grace Foundation, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY were just a few of the many, many causes and organizations he sponsored.
He supplied hundreds of meals at a time to front-line medical staff at hospitals in western New York during the worst of the COVID pandemic.
What became of that big guy?
Billy Fuccillo established his first auto business in 1989. Many individuals had done it throughout the years, but it didn’t take Billy long to prove to the world that he was genuinely unique in the auto dealership industry. It didn’t take long for that one dealership to grow into a sizeable empire. It was VERY, VERY, LARGE. Billy would certainly say that.
More than 25 dealerships are currently owned by the Fuccillo Automotive Group in Florida and New York. In addition to selling cars, he has actually evolved into something of an icon. He has made numerous appearances in radio and television advertising, often quoting his catchphrase “It’s HUGE!” Billy, though, has reportedly been missing for months without explanation. What happened to Billy Fuccillo is a question that is starting to circulate.
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.
Who now controls the Fuccillo dealerships?
COLONIEA
Many of the nearby Fuccillo auto stores are being taken over by a new high-energy car salesman with a slogan.
Many of the Fuccillo stores in the Capital Region and other regions of upstate have been acquired by Walid “Wally” Darwish, a rising auto dealer based in New Jersey.
Since Billy Fuccillo, a former Syracuse football star who built a vehicle marketing empire with his distinctive “yuuuuuuge-jahhh,” or “big,” tagline at the conclusion of ads, passed away in 2021, Fuccillo has been selling off its dealerships.
The son of Billy Fuccillo, who now owns Fuccillo, recently sold Darwish four local dealerships. Although the deal’s terms were not disclosed, county real estate records show that Darwish obtained mortgages for the homes totaling tens of millions of dollars. East Greenbush, Colonie, and Amsterdam shops are among them.
Darwish, who shares Fuccillo’s flamboyant demeanor, has his own catchphrase that is based on his moniker Wally: “Whoo-hoo!”
Although TV stations in other cities run by Fuccillo and a national trade magazine were the first to announce the original transactions, the Albany Business Review was the first local publication to report on the deals.
Darwish could not immediately be reached for comment, but the business announced the acquisition in a post on Facebook on April 29 that appeared on several pages, including the former Fuccillo Ford of East Greenbush page. Now it’s East Greenbush’s Wally’s Ford.
“The next chapter of our tale begins when we team up with a business that shares our enthusiasm for buying, selling, and maintaining cars. Watch this space to see where our innovation and growth take us next “Wayel Algabyali, the general manager, wrote. “Fuccillo has played a huge role in the community we serve for the past 20 years. Despite the name change, the dedication is more steadfast than ever at this moment.”
Kia of Port Charlotte’s owner?
LMP Automotive Holdings, a Delaware-based company, signed a contract to purchase the Fuccillo Kia dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte.
Bill Fuccillo, the owner of Fuccillo Kia, is highly known in the neighborhood, particularly for his involvement with the Harry Chapin food bank.
The Harry Chapin Food Bank’s president is Richard LeBer. He remarked, “We love him and greatly appreciate Billy and Fucillo Auto Group’s assistance. They have long been our supporters and have generously supported many of our friends and neighbors.
Billy Fuccillo and the business were active participants in the annual WINK Feeds Families Hunger Walk, which raises funds to feed neighborhood families.