Davey G. here. I'm week late or so in posting this. But car guy and Thrasher Magazine publisher Fausto Vitello has died. I never had the chance to meet Fausto, but he was one of the ones to give LaVella a shot, who gave me a shot, which led Spinelli to give me this shot. I grew up on bikes and skateboards, and though I admit that I had Trackers on my first real skateboard, the old Wade Speyer deck I still ride now and then has Indys bolted to it. And of course, Fausto owned Independent.
Fausto, from what I know of him, did a lot for a lot of people. He also did crazy shit; he was the guy who carried the torch that Robert Williams lit by starting Juxtapoz. He sold LaVella the infamous Gearhead Charger. He helped spread skateboarding and punk rock to the masses and owned Trackmagic, a kart company and racing team. He was a champion of art. And from the stories I've heard, he was a real champion of life. Bumbeck and I often talk about how the heroes are dying off. It's time to create new ones. Go be one. Godspeed, Fausto.
Fausto Vitello, 59, Is Dead; Made Skateboarding Gnarly [New York Times]
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