Italian Car’s n Cannoli Car Club

By Philippe H Defechereux

In this new world of social media, local car clubs and their organizers are enjoying the benefits of easy access to groups of aficionados with a passion for specific brands or types of automobiles. This is exactly how an Italian sports car enthusiast named Matt Ligotti started his Italian Car’s n Cannoli Car Club only a few years ago. Matt is based in the New York City Metropolitan area on Staten Island, one of the outer Boroughs of New York City, close to New Jersey.

Matt caught the Italian sports car lover’s bug early in life. As a first generation Italian American, when he was a young teenager, Matt would make frequent summer visits to a sleepy small Sicilian village where his family would visit relatives. Matt’s older cousins (who were driving already) would take him to hillclimb races in neighboring towns. There, he’d watch in excitement small racing-enhanced Italian cars like Abarths, beefed-up Fiats, Alfa Romeos and Lancias race up to the mountain top in the fastest possible time. During those summer trips he also learned to drive with a manual transmission – before ever driving an automatic. These machines were typical everyday Italian cars, but felt like true sports cars in Matts mind, deepening his obsession for small, racy Italian cars.

Through his youth and adolescent years, Matt put his passion on the back-burner as he completed his studies, contributing to the family’s construction company, getting married then raising two sons and providing for his family.

Fast forward a few decades. Thanks to many successes in life, Matt bought his first Ferrari, a 85 Mondial. He joined the local Ferrari clubs and began attending many related events, making many friends who shared the same passion. Matt’s ambition and drive served him well, as he became more successful and created a comfortable life for himself and his family. Following his passionate pursuit for for Italian performance cars, he next upgraded to a 1993 Ferrari 512 TR.

Soon thereafter, Matt found himself in a position to retire and make his unique automotive passion a full-time occupation. Since 2014, he has organized and run the Italian Cars ’n Cannoli Car Club, whose members grew to several hundred exotic and vintage car owners, aficionados, as well as many professional restorers, tuners and similar professionals, all sharing the same red-hot dedication.

Matt’s car club raises money for charities at its two main events of the car show season, one in the spring, one in the fall. This past June 3, the Picatinny US Army Arsenal was the stage for the spring event. Despite iffy weather, more than 200 cars showed up, along with a dozen vendors. All the proceeds went to the military families in need; including A Toy for Tots toy drive at their annual Christmas party for the unfortunate children that are in local cancer hospitals.

The club also organizes exciting group track events, exhilarating live F1 viewings at certain venues – always rooting for Ferrari of course – spirited Sunday morning “rallyes’ on scenic countryside back-roads, visits to exotic car restoration shop open houses, etc.

If you enjoyed what you’ve just read, reside within a 50 mile radius of the greater NYC area and would like more information on the Italian Cars ’n Cannoli Car Club, you can email Matt at Northeastcarclub@gmail.com or go to the “Italian Cars n Cannoli” private Facebook or Instagram pages.

If would like join in on the great events this club has to offer, go to either page and register as a member by filling the simple questionnaire.

And now as a special offer from Pete Vack, the first 20 verified members of the Italian Cars ‘n Cannoli Car Cub who purchase a one-year subscription to the VeloceToday.com ($5/month or $60 total), will receive a superb 10×14 inch La Ferrari color illustrated poster by Wallace Wyss by mail, free of charge.