'He changed my life:' Billy Fuccillo's legacy lives on in CNY car dealers and beyond

SYRACUSE, NY — The Billy Fucillo branding may be gone from dealerships in Syracuse, but for two of his longest-serving employees, his legacy and impact are still very much here.

“I had no idea what I was in for,” said Bill Hendry.

Hendry and Robert Guarente sold cars at Fuccillo Hyundai of Syracuse for 20 years. Billy Fuccillo hired them both.

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In January, the dealership was sold to Matthews Auto Group and Hendry is the General Manager.

“It was such a wild ride,” Hendry said. “The guy is just such an incredible man. He changed my life.”

Fuccillo died Thursday at his home in Florida after a long illness.

"He was an incredible human being with a heart bigger than his advertising,” said Guarente, General Sales Manager of Matthews Hyundai of Syracuse.

Those that knew him said Fuccillo gave back to the community no matter where he was in Upstate New York.

“We'd go into a restaurant and he'd give all the waiters and the cooks and everybody a $100 dollar bill each," Hendry said. "It was just what he would do. It was mind-blowing the way he operated.”

"I just can't tell you the amount of things that he got involved with that he didn't want any recognition for."

All while building family at his dealerships, known for getting employees out of the office and onto cruises, all expenses paid.

"Billy just wasn't our boss. He was our buddy. He was a big brother figure. He was at times a father figure," Guarente said.

"He rose from a kid on Long Island - son of a beautician, his father was a hairstylist - who came to Syracuse on a football scholarship with $4.80 in his pocket and created an empire."

Find Fuccillo's calling hours and funeral information HERE.