Syracuse, N.Y. — Billy Fuccillo, a automobile dealer best recognised for touting “HUGE” deals in radio and Tv ads, died Thusday at age 65.
Fucillo died at his house in Sarasota, Florida, in accordance to his attorney, Robert Scalione. Scalione did not know the induce of demise, but said Fuccillo had been ill.
Calling several hours will be 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas J. Pirro funeral home. A funeral Mass will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Our Woman of Pompei/St. Peter’s Church, Syracuse.
Fuccillo grew up on Prolonged Island and went to Syracuse University in 1974 on a soccer scholarship.
Soon after graduation, he took a position as a utilized car salesman, doing the job for Sam Dell and Monthly bill Rapp. He moved into automobile wholesaling, then opened Fuccillo Autobrokers, Inc., providing employed cars from a ton on West Genesee Road. In 1989, he scored his initial dealership, a Mitsubishi franchise in Watertown.
He went on to head a 26-store vehicle empire in New York and Florida, according to The Put up-Standard’s archives.
In 1991, the Billy adverts exploded across Central New York.
Fuccillo is very best recognized for his recurrent television ads, touting “Y-U-U-G-ah” deals on vehicles.
It became a Syracuse catch-phrase. People stopped him for autographs and photographs and questioned him to say the words and phrases.
“When I’m performing what I’m carrying out, I truly feel like I’m on phase,” he mentioned in a 1996 profile in The Publish-Normal.
Fuccillo was a real showman.
He as soon as employed daredevil stunt gentleman Robbie Knievel to fly his motorbike about 26 vehicles at Fuccillo’s dealership in the Jefferson County town Adams to promote a sale.
Friend and fellow automobile dealer Michael J. Romano described Fuccillo as clever, hardworking and “classy as classy can be.”
Fuccillo experienced to promote intensely when he commenced out to entice prospects from Syracuse and Utica to buy vehicles from him in Adams. “He received a lot of people up there and it created him a successful male,” reported Romano, an operator of Romano Car Dealerships.
In 2012, Fuccillo stopped showing up in his advertisements, fueling rumors that he experienced died.
He responded to the rumors in an job interview with Syracuse.com, saying he was active starting up new car dealerships in Florida.
“People that know me, know the man or woman I am and what I do for the communities,” Fuccillo said. “This is folks starting off nonsense.”
Earlier this 12 months, Fuccillo bought his 3 dealerships in the Syracuse location and two in the Rochester spot to Vestal-centered Matthews Vehicle Team. He sold his two Kia dealerships in Florida in September.
Final fall, he bought his $2.5 million house in Cape Coral, Florida.
A former Fuccillo staff was billed in March with thieving about $1 million from the Fuccillo Auto Team.
State police claimed accountant Joseph A. Pompo was functioning as Fuccillo’s director of taxation and finance last calendar year when he stole the money. Pompo made a organization below operator Billy Fuccillo Sr.’s name to pocket the dollars, police explained.
— Michelle Breidenbach contributed to this story
James T. Mulder addresses wellbeing and bigger instruction. Have a information suggestion? Speak to him at (315) 470-2245 or [email protected]
