Fathers celebrate their day at Oviedo car show
OVIEDO — “Daddy-O” loves a day with his sons, taking in the sights and sounds at Cruisin Orlando’s weekly car shows.
Father’s Day made the show extra special for Vinnie Gallo, who car-show regulars know affectionately as “Daddy-O.” His oldest son, Bobby, drove down from Long Island to spend the day with his brother Frank and 91-year-old father.
The love of vehicles is something the three men share.
“Daddy-O loves [the cars]; we drive around in all of them,” said Frank Gallo, who has several classic cars of his own. “He loves coming to the car shows … when we tell him we’re going, he’s like, ‘yeah!’ ”
Cruisin Orlando hosted a Father’s Day Cruise featuring about 100 cars — with everything from early 1900s Ford trucks to new-age Lamborghinis — at Rock & Brews in Oviedo Sunday. Hundreds of petrol heads, including families and fathers with children, checked out the rare vehicles.
Vinnie Gallo, a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy in the Philippines, enjoyed the time with his boys. The brothers pushed their father’s wheelchair around the parking lot, while Daddy-O had his “World War II Veteran” cap pulled over his brow to block the blazing sun.
The DJ, Don Musica, announced to the crowd that Daddy-O was in attendance, something he does weekly.
Musica hosts events nearly every week in Orange and Seminole counties, and runs the free show and spins classic rock records from his van. A former club DJ, Musica said he was just trying to fill a void in the area 18 years ago when he started hosting the shows.
He gets to play the music he grew up on, while crowds check out cars from their youth.
“Come 10 minutes and leave, or stay the whole time,” said Musica, as he chose a Van Halen song to blare next. “It’s about the cars and the music, and that’s it.”
Scott Garrett’s affinity for automobiles came from his father. Chevrolet Novas run in the family. Garrett drove his ’62 blue Nova to pick his father up Sunday morning, and the pair spent the day together at Rock & Brews.