An auto dealer known for his over-the-top advertising campaign for years has died.
According to Syracuse.com, Billy Fuccillo died Thursday at his home in Florida at the age of 65 after having been ill recently.
If you heard that over-emphasized “huge!" that Fuccillo said on his TV and radio spots, you knew immediately who it was, and maybe not everybody was thrilled with hearing those commercials. Reportedly Fuccillo once said even his mother muted the commercials when they came on the air.
But he was successful through that old-style, in your face marketing. Brad McAreavy, president of the Rochester Auto Dealers Association, knew Fuccillo.
He said that while Fuccillo’s bombastic marketing style may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, what a lot of people may not be aware of is Fuccillo’s philanthropic efforts.
“Billy was a huge contributor to many charitable organizations. And I think a lot of that probably got lost, you know, in his marketing, because he was such a big personality,” McAreavy said. "But he was known to be a very generous person. I think a lot of people, if you did get a chance to meet him, he was one of those guys, you just couldn't help but like him. He had such a great infectious personality."
Fuccillo had sold off some of this dealerships in New York state in recent months, selling his two dealerships in the Rochester area earlier this year.
