I never knew Vito by name but I am sure he was one of the Italian guys who ran training races at an industrial park in Long Island (I think also in Westbury). .
One day it was 93 degrees or something. They said: "Today we gotta litta surprise, itsa 93 degrees so we go 93 miles." Well there were some national team or Cat 1 guys in the race and I got dropped the first lap. I had a rule about not quitting unless pulled so I just started to solo time trial. My only goal was to avoid getting pulled and see how long it would take. I couldn't close the gap but I started to feel good in the heat. So I just motored along, a half lap behind the pack for 93 miles. In the end most of the racers peeled off the front and quit because of the heat. Hours and hours of looping around that hot, flat asphalt. I soloed all 93 miles to finish something like 9th.
What I remember so fondly is those Italian guys, no doubt passing the hat, to give me about $14 bucks and a "thatsa nice ride sonny" after the race (and about 5 minutes after the pack finished). I still have $1 of what may be Vito's money.
Joe B-Z
GNNJ
> I'm saddened to hear the news of Vito's passing. The first bike race I
> saw was the 1971 (I think) Tour of Westbury (criterium) that Vito
> promoted. I saw that and I was hooked. I went right out and got an
> A.B.L.A. license. The first races that I rode were the training races
> that Vito put on at Old Westbury Collage. In those days Vito was
> primarily a barber but his one chair barber shop was overflowing with
> bike stuff. Later he moved into a bigger store that was formally a bike
> shop. If you went by on a week day morning it was more then likely that
> Vito was giving some old guy a haircut... What a hoot. Vito was super
> generous. I don't know how many kids got started racing on a bike that
> he loaned them.
>
> I after Vito sold his shop he worked at Hempstead Cycles where I worked
> as a full time wheel builder. We would eat lunch together and talk about
> the old days. Later he went to work at Security Bicycle Accessories (a
> distributor) and I opened my shop. I still have a little note that he
> put in one of my orders. The first week that I was open Vito stopped by
> to wish me well. He brought me a good luck piece to hang on the wall. It
> is a huge brass chainwheel from a stayer's bike that was given to him by
> Alf Letourner. I've mentioned this chainring on the list before. It is a
> very special keepsake.
>
> I hadn't spoken to Vito in a few years. I feel like a shit for not
> saying in touch. My loss... He was a good guy.
>
> Jamie Swan - Northport, New York