By Liz Leamy
It’s another Sunday morning for the Cos Cob Cruisers, the dedicated contingent of Greenwich and local area residents, who convene every week at the Cos Cob Elementary School parking lot with their stunning lineup of vintage cars to hang out and talk about automobiles as well as the goings on in their lives and happenings in and around town.
“We have a good time here. We enjoy getting together and we always talk about cars. That is the main topic,” said Retired Greenwich Police Department Lieutenant Jim Pucci, a longtime Greenwich resident who was there with his good-looking 1960 fire-engine red Chevrolet Impala. “It’s nice because we get to meet a lot of people from the town and around the area who will stop to ask questions and take pictures of the cars. It is an experience that brings people together.”
Others agreed.
“It’s a great group and we have a good time,” said Sam Romeo, a lifelong Greenwich resident who is Chairman of Greenwich Communities (the Greenwich Housing Authority) and, like Pucci, one of the Cos Cob Cruiser’s original members. “We keep growing as a group, which is nice. Many of us are longtime friends who grew up together and it’s been great to build upon that.”
Back in the early 2000s, Romeo and other longstanding members of the Cos Cob Cruisers, which has been in existence for nearly 20 years now and has than more than 25 participants, came up with the idea to meet each week during the warm-weather months to socialize and also discuss the latest classic automobile news such as auctions, shows, fundraisers, cars for sale and other topics.
Clearly, this was a good idea as the group took off in terms of its stature and popularity and has consistently drawn enthusiastic and dedicated attendees who gather together each week from that time up through to the present, which speaks volumes.
For many years, the group met each week in the lot of the former M&T Bank lot based on East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob, the one-time base of Friendly’s Restaurant which was a big hotspot for many from around town back in the day.
Last spring, however, that site was razed to make way for new construction, leading the Cos Cob Cruisers to relocate to their current locale at Cos Cob Elementary School on East Putnam Avenue, a base point with which they’re very happy.
As with the prior area, the Cos Cob School locale is an optimal meeting place for the Cos Cob Cruisers with its spacious parking lot and big oak trees that provide natural cooling shade during the hot summer months.
Moreover, it is based across the street from Dunkin,’ the famous takeout spot where each week, several members of the Cruisers buy their coffee, donuts and breakfast sandwiches to enjoy with everyone and represents one of the highlights of their weekly meet ups.
“We’ve enjoyed being here. Some of the people from the group grew up in Cos Cob and went to Cos Cob School, which makes it even more meaningful,” said Pucci. “A lot of us are also longtime friends who grew up and went to school together here in town and many of our parents knew each other, which is something. At the same time, we’re always meeting new people here and that is great. This is a group that keeps growing.”
Others echoed similar sentiments.
“This a great group. Everyone here loves cars and we always have a good time,” said Tom Ferraro Jr., a Riverside resident who runs and manages Tom’s Auto Driving School, the renowned family-owned business based at 1212 East Putnam Avenue in Riverside. “The cars mean a lot to us and represent a special time in our lives that has lasted right up to this point. They are timeless.”
Certainly, the cars on display are a stunning spectacle to see and could easily be part of an elite international Concours winners’ circle or even have been featured in such iconic contemporary 20th century films as ‘American Graffiti’ or ‘Grease’ that were centered around the storied 1950s and 1960s decades.
“These cars are beautiful and everyone here takes such pride in the aesthetics, meaning and function of the automobiles from that era. It was a special time and we like to keep that whole idea going,” said Tom Ferraro Jr., whose striking 1967 sapphire blue Camaro was a standout classic car at the meet up. “The cars carry a great deal of meaning for all of us in many different ways.”
On any given Sunday, the Cos Cob lot will feature an extensive display of classic American cars such as Corvettes, Camaros, Chevrolets and other iconic antique automobiles that are all driven and owned by members of the Cos Cob Cruisers, rendering this as an experience that is comparable to visiting a top-tier auto museum much to the delight of everyone there, along with the many passers-by of the meet up.
“It’s great when people stop to look at the cars and say hello,” said Romeo, a longtime community contributor who was there with a spectacular 1969 red and white Corvette. “This is something we are all passionate about and being able to share this with others is terrific.”
At the same time, the Cos Cob Cruisers also have helped contribute a great deal to numerous local organizations and individuals based in and around the community over the years.
Specifically, the group has been involved in helping support such events as the annual Greenwich Police Department Car Show to helps raise college scholarship funds for Greenwich High School students along with many other efforts, something its members are excited about.
“We love being part of the community. That’s what it’s all about,” said Romeo, who also added that many members of the group drive their cars up to Parsonage Cottage Senior Residence facility in Greenwich every year for its residents to enjoy. “Everyone always loves seeing the cars and we have a great time with everyone there.”
Certainly, this dedicated and dynamic group has done Greenwich proud, as through their common love of cars, they have made a lasting impact on the local community through their strong teamwork, connection, respect, heart and commitment, characteristics that are very much reflective of the town itself.
“We enjoy cars, being together and doing whatever we can to help contribute and give back to the community,” said Ferraro Jr. “That’s what it’s all about.”
