CRAZY CRIMES: Vile Chevy Truck Vandalism Has Very Cool Ending

Buffalo man finds racist graffiti on his prized Chevy, but the ‘City of Good Neighbors’ quickly redeems his faith in humanity.

Back in the day, the city of Buffalo, New York, was once known as the “City of Good Neighbors.” Today, when you take the Peace Bridge into Buffalo from Canada, that sign reads “Buffalo, America’s Toughest City.” But a Buffalo man and Chevrolet truck owner who is identified only as Mr. King was certainly not feeling that neighborly love when he recently found his prized Chevy pickup covered in racist graffiti. That is until he took the truck to a local repair shop for an estimate.

When King pulled his Chevy Avalanche into Collision Masters in Western New York, the workers were stunned. Frank Todaro, the shop’s owner, felt that this was a job that simply couldn’t wait. “It was disgusting,” Todaro told The Buffalo News. “I told him, ‘I’ve gotta get that off for you.'” And that’s exactly what he and his crew did.

Todaro quickly instructed his head painter to find a chemical capable of removing the racist remarks. A total of eight employees jumped in to help complete the day-long job in a mere 30 minutes. Better yet, Todaro refused to charge Mr. King for the repairs.

He also posted the story and pictures of the Chevy truck on Collision Masters’ Facebook page. The post immediately went viral, to the point where state Sen. Tim Kennedy bought the entire shop lunch to reward them for their good deed.

“As the day goes on, it’s been an amazing feeling,” Todaro said of the overwhelming response to his shop’s actions. “So many people have been calling, feeling bad for [Mr. King] and thanking us for what we did.”

The support and thanks from strangers across the country and around the world continue to pour in via Facebook. One Facebooker from Tacoma, Washington, recently posted a note to Tadaro and his crew: “I just read what you did on fixing the gentleman’s truck. I find that just awesome how you didn’t charge him and how your crew dropped what they were doing and took care of the truck. If I didn’t already commit my truck to a shop for its bodywork, I’d take it to you.”

‘You are an inspiration and an example for everyone as to how humanity should act,
with kindness and compassion…what you did is amazing.’

Another appreciative Facebook friend from Holland also wrote to the Buffalo repair shop: “You are an inspiration and an example for everyone as to how humanity should act, with kindness and compassion…what you did is amazing.”

“Love how you all showed what a real community is about,” wrote another Facebook fan from the Midwest. “Giving you props all the way from Iowa! We don’t hear enough good in the news and this brought a smile to my face.”

And one European man’s social networking post hints at all the new customers that the repair shop is likely to get as a side-effect from this noble deed. “I just read how awesome you guys are (with the work you do and as kind people) and I wish you had a shop in Berlin, Germany, any chances?” he asks. “My car needs detailing.”

Of course, we here at Chevrolet Forum share the thankful sentiments and say Todaro and his crew deserve every accolade they receive. Maybe Buffalo should consider changing that sign on the Peace Bridge back to “City of Good Neighbors,” after all.

*Chevrolet Forum has obscured most of the graffitied words in these images.

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.