Monks
Lou Lazzaro

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         I tend to say that Lou Lazzaro's career started with the Maugeri bunch. This group was a bunch of young Italian guys from Utica, NY operating out of Vinnie Maugeri's Esso gas station on Bleeker Street. The station was home to a number of Utica stock cars, mostly all flying the maroon and white colors of Utica's Proctor High School and all sharing something to do with the number 4. One of the youngest of this bunch was a hulking teenage named Louie Lazzaro, who by virtue of already having a receding hairline and considerable size, could pass for much older than he was.

       I always loved that high school connection because I went to Proctor High School in Proctor, VT [slightly smaller,. no doubt] and we had the same school colors. It is not very arguable that Lou Lazzaro could be coinsidered the best stock car racer to come out of New York. Lou Lazzaro, the younger * feels that Lou's career centered around three key cars while Peter Lazzaro says it's more like five cars. To be honest, I  don't know the third key car. I would hazard a guess it's the one L&R built, but I don't know what the car looks like. At any rate, the man could race on any surface, any track configuration, and was - therefore - one of thebest to be in the All Star Stock Car Racing League from 1967 - 1973.

       For the longest time, I held the opinion that cars from this Utica group once went on a tour or sorts, running in Rutland, VT in 1951 and at Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine. The cars had rthe same colors, they had numbers centering around 4, and the drivers really looked Italian. Young Lou is insistent that the group never traeled that far nor used Fords as race cars in that era; so, I guess I'm wrong there.

 

From the Fonda History Book

       
From the Fonda History Book

Sitting at Brookfield Speedway with early team cars. Lou is on the roof of the car 46 with white tee shirt.

Courtesy of Midstate Club
A very rare shot of Bill Brunschmitt, at Brookfield, giving the rookie Lou Lazzaro a rough initiation.

MVRCA Site Photo
This photo gives evidence of the tremendous progress Lazzaro made in a short time at Fonda. This
is a shot of some of the biggest stars of 1962. and Lou is profoundly younger than the other three. With
the helmet covering the balding head - he really looks it. Steve Danish and Jim Luke were other FOnda
stars much older than Lou, as was Ken Shoemaker.

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Courtesy of EdFlemke.Com
Battered coupe era: Ugly car , but beautiful performance.

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ANOTHER BUNCH OF PHOTOS
From Lou Lazzaro, Jr, Dan Lazzaro, or Peter Lazzaro. Unless Otherwise Stated

Courtesy of  Dave Dyles In a borrowed early Richie Evans car, at Utica - Rome.	Lazzaro Family Item John Grady Photo More Lancer.	Lazzaro Family Item A Lancer - bodied mod supposedly built by Sonny Seamon.	Source Unknown 1973  At Shangri - La with Blackie and the Valiant.	Courtesy of The Bullfather In the Jerry Rose car at Islip's final race.
Lazzaro Family Item A newer modified from the post 1984 era.	Coastal 181 Collection Blackie, looking ignored, guarding the Gremlin.	Jakes Site Artwork The Gremlin.	Source Unknown Trying out the Rose 93 at Thompson.	Courtesy of Otto Graham The Gremlin, at Lebanon Valley.
Lazzaro Family Item A newer modified from the 1978 - 1984 era.	Lazzaro Family Item A newer modified from the 1978 - 1984 era. Roofless race, apparently.	From HAMB Site A newer modified from the 1978 - 1984 era.	From Greybeard Gil Louie and Blackie	From Dan Lazzaro Lou and one of his last cars.
Lazzaro Family Item A newer modified from the 1978 - 1984 era with the Walt Schwinning chassis.	Bob Zeller Photo Gater Racing News The Gil Cramer 70 Permatex car, wrenched by Cam Gagliardi and driven here by Lou.	Lazzaro Family Item Lou had his chance in the well - used Cramer/Gagliardi Pontiac, driven by many NY drivers at Daytona.	Courtesy of Dale Dallessandro A newer modified from the post 1984 era.	Courtesy of Rick Parry Louie actually managed to wad up the Dick Bennett Bernie's Liquor Shop 71 at Fonda one night when his car was down.
	Courtesy of Earthlink.Net Lou with another earlier roofless run whatcha brung entry	Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lou at Daytona with the Cramer 70.	Courtesy of Earthlink.Net At speed with a Gremlin.

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   ALL STAR LEAGUE PHOTOS   

1968, 1971 Champion

Courtesy of John P. Avery Winning a RiversidePark All Star League race against Fred Desarro.     Courtesy of Lazzaro Family One of Lou's ASL helmets.    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lancaster Speedway ASL program. Courtesy of Dick Tanner Showing Reutimann around Fonda at an All Star League race.    Courtesy of  Lazzaro Family 1971 All Star League champ. He got that honor twice.  Photo From ASL Program Lou Lazzaro - EARNING MOST INDIVIDUAL  CHAMPIONSHIPS 2    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Larry Mendelssohn ASL program.   Courtesy of Lazzaro Family 1971 ASL champ. There is less reference to the `1st ASL title in 1968. Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro A different Lou Lazzaro  ASL   helmet. Trackstar  instead of McHal    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family 1971 ASL champ. Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro Family Lou Lazzaro leads will Cagle at an All Star League show.  Russ Bergh Photo From the Ladabouche Collection - Gater Racing News Photo  By 1968 Lou was in the Fonda drivers' photo . Source Unknown Lou Lazzaro ASL Portraits   Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro Family  Lou in another Fonda drivers' photo . Ladabouche Photo Lou Lazzaro showing up at the 1972 Catamount ASL show.    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lou with a Fonda ASL win.   Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Louie with one of his many ASL victories.   Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lou's dog Blackie steals the show during ASL introductions somewhere.    Joe Cryan Photo Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro        Lazzaro at Nazareth.   Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro Louie with a Malta ASL victory with Big Bob O'Rourke and track promoter Harry Hebenstreit.   Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lou Lazzaro leads Richie Evans during his championship year.    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family All Star League champion Lou Lazzaro sports an ASL T-shirt.   Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro      Lou with the Jerry Rose at  an ASL pavement race.    Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lazzaro sometimes appeared at pavement shows in Jerry Rose's Pinto.   Courtesy of Lazzaro Family By the way, Louie won the  ASL crown.         Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro            Lou featured on an ASL poster.  Courtesy of Lou Lazarro Louie, with his Valiant and the ASL helmet.

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MORE PERSONAL PHOTOS
From Lou Lazzaro, Jr,. Unless Otherwise Stated 

Frank Simek Photo
A Fonda portrait.

 

Courtesy of Lazzaro Family Lou's dear friend Junior Bianco with Troup, his dog [often mislabeled as Lou's Blackie].	Lazzaro Family Item Pietro Lazzaro, Lou's father and namesake for Peter, I am sure.	From Ron Wetzler A rare shot of Lou with his wife.	Courtesy of Dave Mariano, Sr. Catching a a moment's peace in the puits somewhere..	Russ Bergh Portrait Courtesy of Blackjack Racing Russ Bergh's portrait for Victoria Speedway's entry in the Cavalcade of Auto Racing.
	Courtesy of Lazzaro Family At an unknown track, with Richie Evans and another man whose face I can't see.	From Main Menu - Tripod A nice portrait with Blackie.	Courtesy of Lazzaro Family A very young Louie, with a full head of hair !

Gater Racing News Photo
This is  in that ugly car era. The photo makes me wonder why Utica - Rome never went for an All Star League team. Sister track, Albany - Saratoga always did.

Courtesy of Lazzaro Family

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