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.
In This Article...
What became to the Kia Fuccillo girl?
For those nearby Kia commercials, Caroline Renfro, better known simply as “Caroline,” has made a comeback to television. 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 is the brand-new Kia Fuccillo girl?
McKinzie Roth was engaged by Fuccillo Kia to appear in TV commercials alongside Billy and Gloria.
Roth’s experience promoting vehicles, according to Fuccillo, helped distinguish her from the other 1.000 applications they received.
Roth has previous expertise managing Ford and Kia stores. She has previously worked with NBA teams.
The three got along well, according to Fuccillo, when Roth joined the group, but it was her manner with his clients that really won him over.
She approached our clients in the showroom and introduced herself as McKinzie, introduced herself as Billy’s new girlfriend, and thanked them for visiting the dealership, according to Fuccillo.
What became of Mr. Big Fuccillo?
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.
Caroline Renfro left Fuccillo Kia for what reasons?
The two made Renfro’s return official on Saturday with an all-day “Welcome Back party” with food and live jazz music that attracted hundreds to the Cape Coral shop.
Before the two showed in, dozens of salespeople in red polo shirts circulated the tables for several hours.
For eight years, Renfro was Fuccillo’s pitch partner, helping to record commercials, sell automobiles, and eventually emerge as one of the brand’s faces. But she left in the latter part of 2017.
The parting was cordial yet a little hasty. Initially, Fuccillo claimed Renfro went for Spain in order to join a nun in Virginia, but subsequently he claimed he was unaware of her reasons for leaving. The reason Renfro departed the country, she claimed on Saturday, was to “go out and kind of go places that I hadn’t been.
While she was away, the two kept in touch by texting each other and speaking once a month, according to Fuccillo. Renfro later returned to the United States where she spent time with her folks hiking in western North Carolina.
I returned to Spain on my own, but once he learned that I had done so, we began to discuss making some advertisements in what I initially took to be lighthearted conversation, Renfro recalled.
But after that, he said, “No, let’s do it.”
Immediately after Renfro had left, Fuccillo conducted a nationwide hunt for the “next Caroline,” a model for his ads. Soon, Portland, Oregon-based model and TV newscaster McKinzie Roth was chosen. Roth will now serve as a sales representative for a Nissan dealership run by Fuccillo’s son in both Tampa and Jacksonville.
The seasoned team wasted no time in beginning the Saturday’s batch of advertising. As soon as they entered the building, a group of about a dozen people flanked them in an effort to gain a live view of the upcoming advertisement.
A fan of the commercials named Kay Rihn traveled from Englewood to Cape Coral to speak with Fuccillo. After Renfro left, Rihn called the dealership incensed more than a year ago.
However, when she discovered Caroline had departed on her own initiative and subsequently learned she would be returning, she made the hour-long drive to apologize to Fuccillo in person.
In Port Charlotte, Fuccillo and Renfro intend to host a similar “Welcome back event” on Sunday. At this event, they will welcome attendees and take additional live advertisements.
“There’s no pretend (with Caroline). You will receive what you see, and receive that which you see. She is able to connect with people, just like I can, Fuccillo remarked. We sort of fit the same mold. We just disagree on one thing: I prefer roses and mints on my pillow at night, whereas she is content to sleep in a tent in the mountains. The only aspect of us that differs is that.
But because we’re just average folks, we can relate to people because we’re so people-oriented.
Fuccillo’s current owner?
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 progress 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.”
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.
Fuccillo sold his dealerships, right?
Darwish, a former platform manager for Napleton Automotive Group and a minority investor in a New Jersey Audi dealership, claimed that after signing a contract with Fuccillo in August 2020, he experienced a number of delays. Because to COVID-19, his law firm had to close, and Darwish became ill.
Darwish claimed he spent two months on oxygen but made a full recovery. Billy Fuccillo Sr., the CEO of Fuccillo Automotive, passed away in June 2021.
Darwish claimed that over those 20 months, he slept very little as he tried to finalize the agreement by meeting with numerous manufacturers and banks.
He currently employs more than 400 individuals, all “extremely good employees,” according to Darwish.
The crew that came with this contract, he remarked, “is outstanding.” The squad is outstanding as a whole.
Prior to a year or two ago, the Fuccillo Automotive Group owned more than 20 dealerships, but it has since sold many of those locations. Early in 2021, the company sold Matthews Auto Group five dealerships in New York. 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.
Around the time of the Darwish acquisition, Fuccillo Chevrolet-Buick at the Auto Mall in Adams and Fuccillo Chevrolet of Nelliston both closed their doors in New York. The franchises were canceled in late April and early May, according to a GM representative. Darwish bought the land for both locations as part of his deal.
He hopes to apply to revive the Chevrolet store in Adams and plans to use the locations as used-car dealerships.
Since he was 21, Darwish, 50, who claimed to be a college dropout, has dreamed to run a vehicle shop.
He said, “I gave everything to get here. “I put everything at stake to get here.”
He also wants more. Darwish stated that he plans to start searching for additional dealerships before the end of the year in order to expand his current collection of 90+ locations.
According to Darwish, Bob Morris of the Columbus, Ohio-based buy-sell firm Tim Lamb Group handled the seller in the deal.