Auto enthusiasts cheer Mangano car show
Gov. Andrew Cuomo gets out of his 1975 deep sky blue Corvette Stingray at Eisenhower Park for the Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's second annual "Cruise to the Show" parade and car show. (Sept. 18, 2011) Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo drove his blue 1975 Corvette into Eisenhower Park Sunday and parked it near Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's gold '69 model.
The two cars competed for attention, but the two politicians aligned. Republican Mangano's second annual "Cruise to the Show" had received the bipartisan validation that a local Democrat rejected days earlier, when he called for its cancellation in light of county fiscal woes.
"It's a big part of the economy and it's something this state should develop more," Cuomo, a Democrat, said of car shows like Mangano's, which drew thousands of people on a crisp afternoon. "Cars in America are big business."
Nassau Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead) on Friday asked Mangano to kill the event, saying it costs about $75,000 in police overtime. Mangano's office replied that labor costs for the parade and the East Meadow car show are funded entirely by taxes collected from local hotels' customers.
Sponsorship fees, he added, would likely put the county out on top. He envisions growing the show into an attraction for the entire Northeast.
"The bottom line is this makes money for the county," said Mangano, who last week proposed laying off 710 employees to help close Nassau's projected $310-million deficit. "These events generate significant sales tax revenue."
Nearly 600 cars, from 1930s Fords to jet-black GTOs, registered for the event at either $10 or $25. The soundtrack was straight from "American Graffiti," with enough fuzzy dice to fill an Olympic swimming pool.
Retired electrician Sal Furnari came with his cherry red 1965 Ford Thunderbird, which appeared (for three seconds) in the 2007 film "American Gangster." He's collected 40 prize trophies from car shows across Long Island.
"It's nice to get people together like this, even in these times," said Furnari, 70, of Malverne. "Even if I didn't have a car, I'd support it."
Across the field, Gary Occhipinti's 1969 Buick Electra caught Cuomo's attention. Its rear alone could dwarf an entire compact car, prompting the governor's shout: "Look at the size of that quarter panel!"
Occhipinti, 54, of East Meadow, said the first time he filled the car with gas, he thought the tank was leaking -- because it just kept going. That made him laugh, as did the controversy over holding the car show.
"It's silly," he said. "Look around. You've got people of all kinds here; and lots of kids. This is a beautiful thing."
