GINO IS THE MAN. He has been fair, honest and is a kind soul. He is the best of what the genuine Italian culture is all about.
We were looking for our primary Italian vehicle as we had decided to keep our BMW 550i in storage back in San Diego. In speaking with several people on the base during our first week, the name "Gino" had continued to come up with several GLOWING reviews. Words like kind, understading, dependable and honest came up. Being the cynical man that I am I rolled my eyes and said, "Sure he is...he's a salesman. I have a brother-in-law that sells cars back on the Mile of Cars in National City, CA. I know ALL ABOUT car salesmen.
Well, after thinking about it for a while I decided to give Gino my first shot. This was despite the fact that at least two other salesmen had BMW's listed for sale on NAH. I have owned two of them, and love Bimmers. I called him and spoke to him about what I wanted in a car, and asked him if he had any BMW's. He appologized and said, "No, but I have some very nice Alfa Romeos and a few Japanese models here".
He met me at the gate and took me out to his lot in Lago Patria. We test-drove three cars that afternoon and he showed me the three shops where his mechanics do their work. Once we selected the car that we wanted, he prepared ALL the paperwork and walked me through the steps to properly register it on base and with the Italian govt. So much so, that the clerk at CMVRO said, "Wow. All your paperwork is here and ready to go! Who did you buy from?" I told her that I bought from Gino. She responded, "Well, that's why. He's always on the ball." She also asked me what I paid for the car, I told her - and she also stated, "Man. That's a deal even for HIM!"
He strikes me as a man who simply "Gets it". He obviously knows that he's making money off of the Americans here at Support Site/Capo...but he does it with class, honesty and a sincere heart. He actually sold me on a car that was a little more expensive than what I was wanting to pay...but it made sense to me and my wife to go with a better quality car. His cars are not only nice looking, but they're NICE RUNNING. The one year warranty is in writing, and you can't get any better than the word of other American servicemembers, DOD civilians and their families.
He owns his own towing service, mechanic shops and stands by his work. He changed a bulb/lamp issue that I was having FOR FREE. Most dealerships would say, "Hey, that's a bulb. It burnt out...your problem." NOT GINO. Give him a chance, he won't let you down.
Sincerely,
Michael S.HM1(FMF/SCW), USN, Ret."Through the gates of Hell for a wounded Marine"