NPBA To Honor Guy LaMotta In August New York Poker Run
When 79-old Gaetano “Guy” LaMotta died last September at his home in Saratoga, N.Y., he left behind a large family including his wife, Pamela, of 54 years; children Nadine and Rick Delmonte, Guy and Anastasia LaMotta and Nicole and Gabriel Goodwin and eight grandchildren He also left behind an even larger extended family of high-performance powerboat enthusiasts in the Northeast and beyond, including his friend Billy Frenz of the National Power Boat Association.
In August, the National Power Boat Association will celebrate the life of Guy LaMotta during its Legends of the NPBA Poker Run. Photo from the 2018 NPBA Joe Sgro Memorial Poker Run by Tim Sharkey copyright Sharkey Images.
“Guy LaMotta was my personal hero and inspiration for 45 years,” said Frenz of his fellow former offshore powerboat racer and go-fast boat enthusiast. “He rarely took no for as the final answer—from any authority.
“We ran boat races and record runs around Long Island, along with poker runs on Long Island Sound and around New York City,” he added. “Whenever it had something to do with speedboats, Guy was in.”
Guy LaMotta was a larger than life figure in the high-performance powerboat world. Photos courtesy Billy Frenz.
On Saturday, August 20, the National Power Boat Association will honor the life and legacy of LaMotta—a restauranteur by trade—as part of its Legends of the NPBA Poker Run around New York City, followed by a land-based celebration. (Would be participants can register for the even by clicking here.)
Rich Luhrs, the chairman of the American Power Boat Association’s Offshore Racing commission, remembered LaMotta fondly for his passion for the sport, his loyalty to the Cigarette Racing Team brand, his fine restaurant in New Jersey and most of all, “his continual hosting of races and poker runs with a smile that made you feel welcome.”
and then