Ray Boniface: Show for a Cause

Lined up in a row are this dark blue Lancia Flaminia coupe, a black Maserati 3500 GT coupe and two Touring-bodied Alfa Romeos – in other words, all cars in the picture were designed and bodied by Carrozzeria Touring.

By Carl Goodwin and Chuck Hazle
Photography by Chuck Hazle

September 15th. The annual Boniface Picnic just passed, marking the beginning of autumn in eastern Ohio…specifically Poland, Ohio a pleasant small town in the Warren/Youngstown area. It’s one of the better car shows in and around Cleveland, especially if you like Italian cars. Hosted by Dr. Ray Boniface, it’s a benefit fundraiser for a free clinic in Youngstown.

Ray Boniface, left and Richard Gent, a long-time Cleveland car collector whose father, also Dick Gent, was a racing driver at Put-in-Bay, Watkins Glen, and the Akron Airport sports car races.

Many such gatherings are for the benefit of some important cause. Sports car owners seem to support these generously. This event was for the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center in nearby Youngstown, Ohio. This clinic is the foster child of Dr. Nancy Gantt, the daughter-in-law of Dr. Boniface. It features state-of-the-art digital imaging equipment and other diagnostic procedures for early detection of breast cancer which markedly increases the chance of a complete cure. The clinic makes these services available free-of-charge for people without insurance and the ability to pay for these critical screenings. Many of the needy clientele are from surrounding rural areas. To donate to the clinic, contact Dr. Nancy Gantt, (330)480-3260 or nlg@neomed.edu. A short profile about the center can be located at NAPBC.org. Over 500 women have been served by the “Joanie’s Promise” fund which provides under-served women with both breast imaging up through biopsy and transportation to the center.

A 2600 Alfa Touring at left next to a 2000. Getting rare these days!

At the show, older Ferraris included a 275 GTB, a Daytona coupe and a Lusso. There were several variations of Alfas from the Giulietta to the Bertone coupes to the Touring spyders. Interestingly, there were two examples of the Touring Superleggera body style: one on a Lancia chassis and the other on a Maserati .
Oddly enough, the stars of the show were a couple of Darrin custom-bodied Packards. Even the Ferrari owners were raving about these cars. There were about 60 people attending the show, each of whom donated $20 for a chance to look over the cars assembled, talk with other car enthusiasts and enjoy a tasty lunch of salad, tubular pasta, chicken, roast beef, eggplant and a special cake decorated with the Alfa Romeo emblem.

Ferrari 275 GTB, 365 Daytona coupe attended the picnic.

There were two stunning custom classic Packard roadsters by Darrin, including this black 1938 model, both sporting rakish suicide doors.

The silver 1940 Darrin-bodied Packard and red Alfa Bertone coupe behind it. The metalwork of the two Packard roadsters varied somewhat, with the trunk of the silver one being a little longer.

Fiat 500 next to the silver 1940 Darrin-bodied Packard.