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John Mazzarella of American Limousine Service (1940-2019)
John Mazzarella, a longtime manager of American Limousine Service, has passed away at the age of 79 on November 18. He was laid to rest this past Saturday.
Mazzarella was just a kid when his older brother, Anthony, founded what would become American Limousine Service—himself a high school student. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company has been a true family-run service for more than 70 years; today, it is spearheaded by second-generation owners (and Mazzarella’s nephew and niece) Anthony Jr. (president) and his sister Mary Jo (director of sales). Mazzarella was instrumental in helping to grow and nurture the company’s expanding affiliate network.
Over the years, Mazzarella has held numerous positions within the organization, including vice president. He is also credited as a founding member of the National Limousine Association. He was a U.S. Army veteran.
Mazzarella is survived by wife Gloria; daughters Annette, Lisa, and Veronica; and several grandchildren and great-children.
We send our condolences and well wishes to the extended Mazzarella family, friends and loved ones of Mazzarella, and the entire American Limousine team.
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Neil Goodman of Aventura Worldwide (1947-2019)
Neil Goodman, managing partner and founder of Aventura Worldwide in Aventura, Florida, passed away on November 18 after a short battle with cancer. Nearly 300 friends, family, and members of the industry were present when he was laid to rest yesterday in Florida.
“It was a very sad day, but there were lots of good stories shared about ‘The Godfather’ as we called him. He was a terrific guy with a huge personality, and above all, a great friend to so many people. We are all stunned at the sudden and unexpected loss of our dear friend,” said Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide.
Goodman was a fixture in the industry for years, although it was happenstance that he chose chauffeured ground transportation. Goodman adopted the Sunshine State as his home, as many New Jersey natives are wont to do, several decades ago. While pursuing a career in an entirely different industry, he took on a customer-service gig at a high-end resort that included chauffeuring guests, a job that he said he truly enjoyed. Several years later in the early ‘90s, he turned that passion for service into his own operation, and Aventura Worldwide was born.
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Goodman, along with his wife and life partner Toni, built a well-respected company in the ultra-competitive South Florida market, catering to high-end clientele, celebrities, and sports figures. Goodman said in a Chauffeur Driven article in 2015 that he wanted to be able to pass along a company to his children, one that they could then leave to their children one day. Their son Scott Tinkler joined the company over a decade ago and now serves as president and CEO. Their daughter Kristen is the most recent family member to sign on to Aventura as director of sales and marketing.
Kristen spoke of her father’s generosity and spirit while delivering a eulogy during the ceremony. “He had a way of making you feel like you were the most special person in the world. His family meant everything to him, but Aventura was his legacy. We as a family are passionate about carrying on his legacy because it’s his name behind the brand—it’s not just Aventura but Neil Goodman. That’s important to us.”
Goodman was a beloved and well-respected member of the industry, was a mentor to many (literally, as a mentor at the Chauffeur Driven Show), and a longtime NLA member. He also served as president of the South Florida Limousine Association, often partnering with other Florida associations to combat the influx of TNCs in the state.
The family has requested that donations be made to Lauren’s Kids (laurenskids.org).
We extend our condolences to the Goodman family, friends, and loved ones, as well as the Aventura team on their loss.
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LITA Vice President Nancy Vargas of D2H Transportation and meeting speaker Mike Marroccoli of Limo Insurers
Plainview, N.Y. — The Long Island Transportation Association (LITA) resumed its meeting schedule November 12 with an information-packed gathering that attracted attendees from all over the greater New York and New Jersey area.
LITA President Doug Schwartz of Executive Transportation kicked things off with a welcome and thank-you to those who made the trip out before introducing the night’s educational agenda, which ranged from insurance insights to DOT updates to news about New York’s ever-evolving state laws. As First Vice President of the NLA, he also spoke about what the association is doing to assist Empire State operators who are still grappling with
Mike Marroccoli of Limo Insurers and Joe Marrotta spoke about the current state of the insurance aspect of the industry and explained the ongoing hard market while also talking about ways to make a good impression on a carrier in order to save a few thousand dollars as a way to cut costs without sacrificing coverage or safety.
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Dave Lipsky of Authority on Transportation also spoke about the new DOT changes he’s seen in inspections. The current state of the NYDOT bus inspection program can be reviewed here.
Updates were also issues about the Nassau County Taxicab and Limousine Commission, the body governing ground transportation in the Long Island region. Attendees also participated in a conversation about ways to onboard new chauffeurs, with several operators offering up their experiences, successes, and pain points as learning experiences and advice for those who are struggling to streamline the process of welcoming new members to an established driving team.
LITA’s next event will be the East Coast Holiday Party is co- hosting December 9 in Newark, N.J., with the neighboring Limousine Association of New Jersey and Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association.
Visit longislandta.com for more information.
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