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HISTORY OF THE CUSTOM CRUISERS



THE CUSTOM CRUISERS WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED IN 1985.

GENE LEBLANC STARTED THIS CLUB WITH THE FIRST CRUISE NIGHT ON VETERANS BLVD WHERE LA. PURCHASE RESTAURANT IS TODAY.

THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, DUPUTY CHIEF
MIKE DEMMA MOVED THE CUSTOM CRUISERS TO ELMWOOD. FIRST IN FRONT OF K-MART AND THEN TO THE FOOD COURT AREA. CUSTOM CRUISERS CRUISE NIGHT WAS THEN KNOWN AS ELMWOOD CRUISE NIGHT. IT WAS THE FIRST CRUISE NIGHT WITH A LIVE BAND AND EVERY MONTH IT WAS GROWING.

THE SHERIFF OFFICE BENEFIT BEGAN IN 1986 WITH HELP OF OUR FRIEND, REALLY EVERYONE'S FRIEND MIKE DEMMA. THE PROCEEDS WOULD BENEFIT THE SHERIFF OFFICE TO HELP PROVIDE BULLET PROOF VEST FOR THE DEPUTIES INCLUDING ALL RESERVED DEPUTIES.

THE SHERIFF OFFICE BENEFIT WAS STARTED WITH A ONE DAY SHOW AND TOP 100 AWARDS, WHICH WAS UNHEARD OF 100 AWARDS.
THE SHOW WAS A SUCCESSFUL AND WOULD CONTINUE EVERY YEAR EXCEPT FOR 2005 THE SHOW WAS CANCELED DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA.

SOME OF THE ORGINAL MEMBERS WAS:
GENE LEBLANC
DEPUTY CHIEF MIKE DEMMA
HENRY LAFRANCE
RONNIE VITELLERO
CHARLIE "DOC" LEGGIO
IVY TROSCLAIR
LIONEL DOWNING
BRUCE MAURICE
JIMMY MEYERS
LOUIE HAMILTON
JOHN LOUP
GARY BEAL

CUSTOM CRUISERS CONTINUE TO GROW AND ADD AWARDS.

MIKE DEMMA ONE REQUEST WAS "ANY YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 17 ENTERING THE SOB SHOW WOULD WIN AN AWARD". MIKE DEMMA BELIEVED THIS WOULD KEEP THE SPORT GOING, THIS REQUEST IS CONTINUED TODAY.

IN 1995 WE LOST DEPUTY CHIEF MIKE DEMMA TO CANCER.

BEFORE MIKE LEFT US, HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A WHILE. DURING WALTER LARTER FIRST VISIT WITH MIKE HE REQUESTED THAT WALTER WOULD KEEP THE CLUB GOING.

WALTER ANSWERED "MIKE DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CUSTOM CRUISERS EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE."

WALTER LAST VISIT MIKE TOLD HIM "REMEMBER YOU PROMISE ME YOU WOULD KEEP THIS CLUB GOING".

AFTER MIKE DEATH SOME CHANGES IN THE CLUB, MEMBERS LEFT MANY SPONSORS LEFT.

HENRY LAFRANCE WAS PRESIDENT IN 1996, HE HAD HIS HANDS FULL. GENE LEBLANC LEFT THE CLUB.

1997 JOHN PRADAT WAS PRESIDENT BY THEN ALL THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS LEFT THE CLUB.

1998 ANDREW PORRAZZO WAS PRESIDENT AND WE STARTED ADDING NEW MEMBERS.

1999 WALTER LARTER KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO MIKE WAS NAME "CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD" AND STILL IS TODAY. THE FIRST NEW SPONSOR WAS KREWE OF CENTURION. THE SPONSORSHIP AND OUR DEAR FRIEND VAL PITRE HELPED THIS CLUB GROW.


IN 2003 CUSTOM CRUISERS WAS ASKED TO START A "BACK TO THE BEACH CAR SHOW" FOR THE LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN FOUNDATION.

DOUG STEED AND CHUCK CAMPEAUX OF SEWELL CADILLAC ASSISTED US IN THE NEW VENTURE.

THIS YEAR WE DID THE 7TH ANNUAL BACK TO THE BEACH CAR SHOW, WITH 460 ENTRIES.

IN 2007 WE LOST SEWELL CADILLAC AND THE SPONSORSHIP FOR THE SOB SHOW AND THE BACK TO THE BEACH SHOW.

2007 BRYAN CHEVROLET STEPPED IN FOR THE SPONSORHIP OF THE SHERIFF OFFICE BENEFIT CAR SHOW WHICH WAS GREATLY APPREACIATED.

2010 BRYAN CHEVROLET BECAME A SPONSOR FOR THE BACK TO THE BEACH CAR SHOW.


THE CLUB IN 2004 HAD TO MOVE FROM ELMWOOD SHOPPING CENTER TO CLEARVIEW MALL. THE CLUB WAS BLESSED BECAUSE EVERYONE FOLLOWED US THE CLEARVIEW MALL.

FRANKIE AND DIANNE INCRIVALIGIA WORKED HARD WITH US TO BRING US TO 2010, LAST MONTH JULY 2010 CRUISE NIGHT WE HAD 290 CARS.

OUR SINCERE APPREICATON TO JOY PATIN OF CLEARVIEW MALL AND SEARS FOR ALLOWING US TO MOVE TO THE MALL PARKING LOT.

WALTER LARTER IS STILL "CHAIRMAN OF BOARD" AS MIKE REQUESTED. ONE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WALTER IS MOST PROUD OF IS THAT THE ORGINAL CLUB MEMBERS ARE A PART OF THE CUSTOM CRUISERS TODAY KEEPING THIS SPORT ALIVE.

WITHOUT THE CONSTANT HELP OF RONNIE VITELLERO AND HENRY LAFRANCE WE WOULD NOT BE AT CLEARVIEW MALL WITH A CRUISE NIGHT THAT NUMBERS ARE GROWING EVERY MONTH.

EVERY SHERIFF OFFICE BENEFIT AND BACK TO THE BEACH ALL THE OLD MEMBERS COMES BACK TO HELP, YOU WILL SEE GENE LEBLANC, CHARLEY "DOC" LEGGIO, LIONEL DOWLING, AND BRUCE MAURICE.

THE HISTORY OF THE CUSTOM CRUISERS IS THE FRIENDS THAT HAS BEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE CUSTOM CRUISERS.

EVERY YEAR THE "THE MIKE DEMMA AWARD" IS GIVEN AT THE SOB SHOW TO SOMEONE WHO ALWAYS THERE FOR THE CUSTOM CRUISERS WITH THE GOAL OF KEEPING THE SPORT ALIVE.

THERE IS SOME MANY PEOPLE THAT HAS HELP MAKE THIS CLUB MAKE A DIFFERENT.




 

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