A near fatal motorcycle crash made Peter Boccarossa a better man. Ten years ago, while his amazing wife Tina was nursing him through a long recovery, Boccarossa began reevaluating everything. He had a loving family with three adult children and had achieved considerable business success, but he wanted to make a more positive impact on the world.
Boccarossa had started an insurance agency in Norwalk and built it into a $20 million dollar business serving all of Fairfield County. That was his foray into real estate where he began buying multi-family dwellings, handling the renovations himself which led to creating his own construction company. While he was already charging below market rates for his rental units, after his horrific crash he began thinking bigger. A chance meeting with an advocate for adults with developmental disabilities led him to develop housing for that population. To date, Boccarossa has built more than 80 beautifully designed independent living units. He recounted the story of a couple in their 80’s who, after getting their 60-year-old son with Down’s Syndrome into one of the apartments, were finally able to take a vacation…their very first.
Camelot for cars
While Boccarossa wasn’t looking for a new project, a very tired 26,000 building in Bethel’s Francis J. Clarke Industrial Complex caught his eye and sparked a vision for what it could be. A place not just for business, but where he and his friends could hang out and enjoy their cars. A motoring wonderland. Fast forward two years and after a massive renovation, Bocca Motors is open for business. The operation is first and foremost a state-of-the-art automotive repair and performance facility. The spacious, colorful and immaculate garage area features multiple lifts, while an adjacent clean room is dedicated to engine and transmission rebuilding. Lead technician Martin Otranto is highly experienced, with expertise in both European and Japanese cars. On my recent visit, a just imported Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo race car was on a lift between a Porsche 930 slant nose and a supercharged 1992 Acura NSX.
Further spaces on the ground floor host a detailing bay and a private garage. Head upstairs and you are greeted by the immense climate-controlled, secure car storage and event space. Currently, a small portion of Boccarossa’s large personal collection is in residence. While many car collectors are drawn to a particular marque or county of origin, Boccarossa’s cars show his diverse interests. The one common theme in his collection is rarity. Peter likes limited production cars, and seeks them out from his sources around the world. And he drives every one of them.
Behind the building are 4.5 acres of flawless fresh asphalt. Boccarossa paved the lot to create an autocross course that also can be used for family fun. On select weekend nights, the wide-open lot will be turned into a drive-in movie theater with a capacity of 200 cars! The Spinnin’ Mini Drive-In boasts a giant 60-foot screen and will feature both car centric and family films, in high-definition. There will be food trucks on-site as well.
Boccarossa says he’s been fortunate and wants to share his fun. I, for one, can’t wait to join in. For more information, visit boccamotors.com.
