There were some auctions recently for some modern era Lionel freight cars that were owned by Nicholas DeGarzia. I’ve tried google and the forum search. Who is he in relation to O gauge trains?
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Nicholas DeGrazia (check your spelling) was the one-time president of Lionel trains. 1990 - 1995.
It seems like he is an innkeeper now at Adventure Inn on Lake Huron in Michigan.
George
Before being hired by Richard Kughn to head Lionel in about 1988-89 Nicholas Degrazia was a professor at the University of Detroit. He had no experience with the model train business when he was hired, nor did his successor who came to Lionel from Oneida Silver.
Unfortunately, Nick didn't know much about advertising and relied mainly on "word-of-mouth" within the hobby, especially with the first run of the Large Scale Thomas the Tank Engine. It sold out, yes, but just imagine what a single ad in "Good Housekeeping" (yep, Moms buy toy trains) or a grant for PBS's "Shining Time Station" could have done for the bottom line back then.
Ah well.
Nick replaced Art Peisner as President of Lionel when Dick Kughn bought Lionel. He and his wife Sandy White frequented York. Delightful folks.
Lou N