Cadillacs, Community and Remembrance Come Together at Bical Auto Mall

Classic cars and community spirit converged on Sunday, September 13, as Bical Auto Mall in Brooklyn hosted the Cadillac & LaSalle Club for the grand opening of its Cadillac division.

The family-owned dealership at 2859 Flatbush Avenue became a gathering place for Cadillac enthusiasts, residents, firefighters, and supporters, all united to raise money for the Fight for Firefighters Foundation.

Cadillac owners from across the region filled the Bical Auto Mall property, transforming the dealership’s grand opening into a celebration of automotive culture, family and community. Special guests included comedian Mario Bosco and Entertainer Big Joe Gambino.

Among those helping bring the Cadillac community together was Nick Vaglica, director of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club’s Metropolitan New York Region. The Cadillac & LaSalle Club was founded in Detroit in 1958 and has since grown into an organization with regions and chapters across the country. https://cadillaclasalleclub.org/regions-chapters-affiliates

“We host these shows all over the five boroughs, and we are so grateful to have it here at Bical Auto Mall,” Vaglica said. He added, “Sammy has been so great to us.”

Vaglica said the Metropolitan New York Region takes part in numerous shows, parades, and other events throughout the year. At shows such as the September 13 event, a panel also judges vehicles, with trophies presented to selected cars in different categories and placements.

Peter Tufano, a member of the Brooklyn Cadillac Club in Coney Island and a devoted Cadillac owner, shared that the cars have rekindled friendships formed in Brooklyn many years ago, reinforcing a strong sense of camaraderie and community. “My friends and I have always loved the Cadillacs from the era we grew up in,” Tufano said. “Growing up in Brooklyn, we would gather and hang out together, and now that we’re older, we’ve brought back those friendships and the vehicles we love.”

For Tufano, however, the car shows are about much more than displaying classic vehicles. “We have car shows and raise money for great causes while enjoying our hobby,” he said. “We’ve donated toys to Toys for Tots, donated money to Paws of War, and today we raised money toward the 9/11 fund.” Tufano said supporting first responders remains particularly meaningful to the group. “Every one of us loves this country and appreciates having the best law enforcement and firefighters in the country,” he said. “God bless them all.”

That commitment to community made Bical Auto Mall a fitting setting for the September 13 gathering.

For President and Founder Sammy Bical and his daughter Nadia Bical, CEO of Bical Auto Mall, the day represented both an important milestone for the dealership and an opportunity to support the firefighters who serve their Brooklyn community. “This is important to us because we are opening up our Cadillac building,” Sammy Bical said during the event. “Cadillac is an iconic luxury brand, and we are so honored to be a part of this franchise.”

The opening marked another chapter in a family automotive business that has served Brooklyn motorists for decades. Today, the dealership remains very much a family operation, with Nadia working alongside her father. Speaking with me at the event, Nadia described that relationship as both a learning experience and a privilege. “What don’t I learn from Dad?” she said.

She explained that her father has taught her lessons ranging from communication and finances to patience and the value of experience. “There’s no such thing as having too much experience,” Nadia said. “Every day something new comes up, and he teaches me to be patient.” She added, “I’m so lucky, and I’m privileged to have a father who believes in me the way that he does. I’m very honored.”

Then, with a smile, she added another title for Sammy: “The best dad in the world.”

Remembering September 11

The timing of the event, just two days after the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, gave the gathering an added sense of meaning. When asked what September 11 meant to him, Sammy Bical reflected on the importance of firefighters and other first responders who serve New York City.

He said the tragedy made him realize just how important the Fire Department and the many agencies that protect New Yorkers are to Brooklyn and the other boroughs. That connection was especially fitting for an event benefiting the Fight for Firefighters Foundation.

Attendee FDNY firefighter Richardson Louis of Ladder 170 explained how the foundation and Bical Auto Mall formed a partnership. Louis said foundation members and firehouse personnel regularly reach out to local businesses for donations to raffle or auction to support their charitable efforts. This year, Louis reached out to Nadia Bical to ask whether Bical Auto Mall would donate. Instead, the conversation grew into a car show partnership, with the proceeds benefiting the Fight for Firefighters Foundation.

Louis said Nadia told him the dealership’s partners were organizing a car show and asked what he thought about joining forces so the proceeds would benefit the Fight for Firefighters Foundation. That way, the fundraiser was tied directly to the event. “We couldn’t say no to that,” Louis said.

Fire trucks also stopped by during the event, and firefighters spent time meeting attendees and thanking them for supporting the cause. For Louis, supporting the foundation carries an especially personal meaning.

The story of Firefighter Steven H. Pollard of Ladder 170, who died in the line of duty on January 6, 2019, continues to have a lasting impact on the firehouse and surrounding community. https://www.fightforfirefightersfoundation.com/pollard-memorial-fishing-tournament

Louis explained that he joined the FDNY on October 25, 2021, so he never had the opportunity to meet Pollard in person. But as someone who grew up in the neighborhood, he knew Pollard’s story and the impact he left behind. That legacy became part of Louis’s own motivation to give back. “Whatever I can do to pay it forward, that’s what it’s all about,” Louis said.

That sentiment captured much of what the September 13 gathering represented.

While the Cadillacs may have initially drawn people to the lot, the day ultimately became about something larger than automobiles: family, friendship, service, remembrance, and a Brooklyn community looking after its own.

More than two decades after September 11, that spirit of service and community remains deeply rooted in New York City. On September 13, it was visible among the Cadillacs, firefighters, and families gathered on Flatbush Avenue.