Chronicles of a Movie Star

The Giovanni D’Avola Story (who?)

By: Francesco D’Avola

My father is known as one of the best Ferrari doctors in the country.  He is also one of those guys who can fix just about anything.  At least, this is how I have always seen it.  His motto is, if it was built, it can be un-built, if it is broken it can be fixed, and if it can’t be done his way then it can’t be done.  His expertise and pride have been the driving force behind Autosprint Ltd.  The man I am speaking of is my dad Giovanni D’Avola. 

However, it wasn’t until early last October that my father was nationally recognized for his passion of Italian cars.  This came through an invitation to be on the T.V. show Monster Garage.  One night during a late dinner as usual, my father says, “So…they want me for a T.V. show”.  “I got a phone call and an e-mail (e-mails are checked by myself and my mother) and they want me for some T.V. show”.  “What the heck are you talking about Pa”, I said.  So my father hands me a print-out (printed by my mother) and I began to read.  At first, I thought what anyone who has had an e-mail account for the last ten years thinks when reading something like this…SCAM!!!  However, I felt it difficult to stop reading because of my father’s huge smile. 

It was a lengthy questionnaire designed to gauge competency in certain areas such as the use of a plasma cutter.  So, because of our doubts we continued with the questionnaire answering the questions half seriously.  When we were finished, I gave it to my mother to fax to the so called office in California.  Following that night of excitement, I did what I do best, forgot about the whole thing. 

A couple of days later my mom calls me and says, “So your father is going to California to become a movie star”.  “Huh”??? I replied.  “Apparently, they will be using your father for the show called Monster Garage”.  “I guess they needed a Ferrari expert for something they are doing”.  Obviously, my parents had no idea what my father was getting himself into.  “Has dad ever seen the show Monster Garage”, I replied already knowing the answer.  “No, that’s why you guys are going to watch it next Monday”, my mom says.

So there I was watching Monster Garage with my father trying to explain that he may have to chainsaw a Ferrari in half for the show.  See, my dad has no time for T.V. except Formula One races, so he is a bit behind on the whole reality T.V. era.  At the end of the show, he said what I had expected. “What kind of show is that?” 

Then the waiting game had begun.  For the next two weeks my father received numerous phone calls and e-mails with questions, but no answers.  He still had no idea what it was that he would be doing on the set of the show.  It wasn’t until the day before his departure, that my dad said, “so they want to make pasta with a Ferrari”.  That’s when my mom said, “Oh John, your two favorite things, food and Ferraris”. 

My father was off for California now, starry eyed, fresh haircut from Ivana, and new wardrobe, just in case he became famous.  While he was there, my dad would call from the hotel giving us as much information as he knew which was very little.  They worked long hours and underwent many repetitive actions for member introductions.  While my father was busy playing as it has become known in my family, my mother actually held the business together. 

It wasn’t until I picked him up from the airport that he finally cracked, spilling his fun filled week out into the cold Chicago air.  As I waited at O’Hare, with welcome home movie star sign in hand, his smile was visible for miles.  My ears were filled with his chatter from the time we hugged till I went to sleep that night.  See my father is a man of few words unless he is giving directions, barking orders, or simply telling of his vast experiences. 

I was worried that he would think that the show was not worth his time.  I was dead wrong.  My father had a fantastic time shooting the episode in California.  (They refer to it as shooting according to my dad, post movie star era).  He said it was very nice to meet Jessie James and his tall wife (according to Giovanni) Sandra Bullock.  My dad was impressed that Jessie was not just some gear head who thinks he knows what he is doing.  He regarded him as a very talented “Body Guy”, which is a compliment coming from my father. 

Finally, I had to refocus my father and ask, “So what did you do to the car dad”!!!  “Well, we made a pasta making Ferrari”, he said.  “Huh”!?!  He went on to explain how they took a 1981 308 GTS and built a pasta maker.  He was very impressed and proud that they made all of the parts to create this pasta making speed demon.  My dad was extremely animated about the whole thing.  My father described all of his teammates and the project guidelines.  He was also concerned that the car be in tact and fully functional throughout the process or the project would get scrapped. 

My dad was accompanied by another technician, a pasta guru, an electrician, and a mechanical engineer.  The guidelines were challenging as is the case in many reality T.V. shows.  In order to win the tool box, the team was required to follow a strict design and create a car that was drivable, able to make sauce, create the pasta from scratch, and cook it all under its own power.  They had a budget of $5000 to do any shopping and excluding the cost of the car.  The entire project cost was around $25,000. 

Throughout the project the team met the expected challenges that arose from “too many chefs in the kitchen”, as my dad referred to it.  Overall the team worked well together and Jessie seemed a bit surprised that they met the challenge with such little friction.  In the end they met the challenge and the little red car made a mean “Monster” pasta.

My dad was told that the show would air sometime in late January.  That was not the case however, due to the busy holiday season.  Watching my father wait for the show to air was comical.  He was like a kid that knows a big present is going to be delivered sometime in the next four months.  The show finally did air in March, right around his birthday.  This gave us the opportunity to throw him a Monster Garage party for some of his friends and customers.  There we ate lots of good pasta and watched the show on the big screen.  From watching the show I can say that my dad is a lot like the cars he repairs, it takes him a little bit to get warmed up, but when he does he produced some good laughs.                               

                                                                                                            Francesco D’Avola

 Proud son of Giovanni and Josephine D’Avola of

    Autosprint, LTD.