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.
In This Article...
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]
Fuccillo Kia’s current owner?
Billy Fuccillo, an auto dealer, has sold the Matthews Auto Group in Vestal his three businesses in the Syracuse area and two in the Rochester area. On Wednesday, Matthews made the announcement that it had purchased Fuccillo Kia, Fuccillo Nissan, and Fuccillo Hyundai, all of which were located on Route 31 in Clay and Syracuse, respectively.
What happened to Cape Coral’s Billy Fuccillo Kia?
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 advertisements, he was always giving back to the community “says 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 because to his Pine Island Road Kia store and its advertisements that included his characteristic “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 story, 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.
Billy Fuccillo was bought by whom?
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.
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.
Caroline returned 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.
Billy Fuccillo’s method?
Tamp, Florida
According to numerous sources, renowned auto salesman Billy Fuccillo, whose watchword was “big,” passed away at his Florida home.
According to CNY Central, Fuccillo’s death, which apparently occurred after a protracted illness, was verified by the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association.
His Syracuse-based Fuccillo Automotive Group, which also has sites in Florida, is said to be the biggest privately-owned dealership in New York State, according to the Times-Union. Additionally, Fuccillo had auto stores in Grand Island.
Fuccillo had a reputation for being a philanthropist in addition to running auto businesses. Fuccillo Automotive provided hundreds of meals at a time to front-line staff at hospitals around Western New York during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Billy Fuccillo Jr., his wife Cindy, and the 64-year-old man who formerly played football at Syracuse University are his only surviving family members.
Fuccillo was purchased by Matthews Auto?
In February 2021, Matthews purchased the Fuccillo Nissan and Kia dealerships in Clay, the Fuccillo Hyundai and Kia of Greece dealerships in Greece, close to Rochester, and the Fuccillo Hyundai and Kia dealership in Syracuse.
The sales occurred just a few months before Billy Fuccillo, the owner of 21 dealerships in New York and Florida, passed away.
President Rob Matthews stated in a news release that “all sites were instant contributions to the overall success of Matthews Auto.” The teams in Albany have been introduced to us, and we have every reason to assume that they possess the same remarkable level of talent that we observed in the Fuccillo stores we previously acquired.
Approximately 100 Fuccillo employees will join the 850 Matthews team members, and Matthews said additional personnel may be employed as needed to meet business requirements.
According to him, the business now has five Kia locations, making it one of the state of New York’s biggest Kia dealers.
Is Fuccillo Kia closing its doors?
Billy Fuccillo’s “massive” era of selling vehicles in Cape Coral appears to be coming to an end.
Fuccillo’s name and branding would disappear as part of the sale, which is now in the process, even though the Kia vehicle dealership will stay at 404 NE Pine Island Road. According to records submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and confirmed by the prospective buyer, the same would apply to Fuccillo Kia of Port Charlotte, located at 202 Tamiami Trail.
Both dealerships would be acquired as part of the $36 million deal, and LMP Automotive Holdings of Plantation would take ownership of them.
Wesley Chapel’s Kia is owned by who?
According to the lawsuit, Fuccillo operates Fuccillo Kia in Wesley Chapel while his competitor, Century Kia, is only 10 miles away.
What disease did Billy Fuccillo suffer from?
Fuccillo’s passing was disclosed to members of the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association through email on Friday morning, according to WSTM.
Following a stroke, Fuccillo’s 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. At the time of his passing, he was a resident of Sarasota, Florida.
Two dealerships in southwest Florida, located in Port Charlotte and Cape Coral, were sold by Fuccillo last year to the publicly held LMP Automotive Holdings company, according to the newspaper. According to the Albany Times-Union, Fuccillo sold Matthews Auto Group three New York dealerships in the Syracuse area and two in the Rochester area in January 2021.
The advertisements Fuccillo was most famous for on television and radio always ended with a loud voice.
“In an interview with the Times Union in 2008, Fuccillo stated, “My mum says she mutes me when my advertisements come on.”
“William Fitzpatrick, the district attorney for Onondaga County, told WSTM that he was larger than life.
“He was a large man. 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.
Every time we played and he made a shot, someone would exclaim, “That was HUGE! According to Fitzpatrick, Billy would wave and smile as if he were hearing it for the first time. “Just a wonderful man.
Before earning a degree in marketing, Fuccillo played tight end for the football team at Syracuse University, according to the News-Press. According to the Times-Union, he claimed to be broke and on the verge of being kicked out of his flat after graduation.
“Selling automobiles was the only employment I could find, Fuccillo admitted to the newspaper. “I discovered I was proficient at it.
According to WKBW, Fuccillo was also renowned for his generosity. Fucillo Automotive provided hundreds of meals at a time to front-line staff at hospitals around Western New York during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“People could make fun of him, but what the heck? 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.
According to the News-Press, Fuccillo organized a Styx performance on his Cape Coral lot in 2012 that attracted thousands of the band’s fans and resulted in the sale of dozens of vehicles.
When he sold 523 automobiles in a single day in 1996, Fuccillo claimed it was his best day as a dealer. According to the press, he invited Evil Knievel’s son Robbie to jump his motorcycle over 19 automobiles in front of the Adams Dealership.
How did Fuccillo Nissan Clearwater fare?
According to Kerrigan Advisors, who acted as Fuccillo’s representative and advisor, Fuccillo Automotive Group has sold its Fuccillo Nissan of Clearwater business to Morgan Auto Group.
Since December 2019, Kerrigan has sold Fuccillo a total of five Florida dealerships. The deal marks Kerrigan’s 121st dealership sale since 2015 and her ninth in the last 28 months.
In contrast, Morgan Auto Group operates 46 locations across Florida in the cities of Tampa, Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Naples, Fort Myers, Brandon, New Port Richey, and Orlando.
“It just seemed logical that these two would match. According to a news release from the Fuccillo Automotive Group, president Billy Fuccillo Jr., “Our goal was to ensure that Nissan of Clearwater continued to serve the community with the highest of standards, and Morgan Auto Group’s deep roots in Florida, and superlative record, should ensure just that.” “With yet another smooth acquisition, Kerrigan Advisors proved their strategic prowess and thorough understanding of our business.
“From our earlier work with the Fuccillo group, we realized the importance of the relationship between the Fuccillos and the Florida communities they serve, as well as the significance of their legacy in the state,” said Kerrigan Advisors vice president Gabe Robleto in the press release. In today’s competitive auto retail buy/sell market, we are honored to have had the chance to uphold that legacy as we guided the group through another successful transaction.
The managing director of Kerrigan Advisors, Ryan Kerrigan, stated that Florida has one of the greatest car retail markets in the country. This transaction demonstrates that all franchises in Florida have the potential to produce large profits, robust buyer demand, and eventually high valuations.
“Over the past few years, we have enjoyed collaborating with the Fuccillo family to capitalize on their decades of toil. One of the most rewarding aspects of our job at Kerrigan Advisors is assisting dealer families with generational planning and legacy decisions. It has been a privilege for us to assist the Fuccillo family.