Tuesday, November 11, 2025
John Randazzo has been running the Dawgwood Boyz Club car show every Tuesday night in the Lidl parking lot on Dogwood Avenue in Franklin Square for the past 18 years.
A resident of the community for 51 years after his family relocated from East Meadow when he was just 17, Randazzo has dedicated much of his time and effort to giving back to the town he built his life in.
Now in his late 60s, Randazzo serves as president of the club, a close-knit group of local car enthusiasts, after taking the reins from founder Mike Venderosa.
At the time of its founding, Venderosa had simply called the car group “Tuesday Nights,” which he started to help collect funds for his son, Mike Venderosa Jr., who was experiencing medical issues with his heart. The group raised over $10,000 in a single night just by passing a bucket around to the hundreds of attendees that showed up in support.
Now run by Randazzo, who renamed the club after the street it meets on, the lively group has grown to nearly 400 members, all of whom either own a unique car to add to the show or attend just for fun. There’s even a chapter called Dawgwood Girlz, which Randazzo started in order to create a more welcoming, inclusive environment for women to join.
Randazzo caters the car show each week with a food truck that serves sausage and peppers, hamburgers, hot dogs and zeppoles. However, on Sept. 23, he bought pizza for everyone instead, which he paid for out of his own pocket.
“I’ve always given back to the community,” Randazzo said. “If I could put a smile on everyone’s face, that means the world to me.”
The longtime Franklin Square resident has been a familiar face in the community after co-operating a family-owned business, Sandy’s Party Supply & Balloon Brothers Co., with his brother, Tony Randazzo, for over 50 years.
Since then, he has made his mark on Franklin Square through his broad involvement in the community, including several former roles such as leading the Carey Dads’ Club, serving as vice president of the Board of Education and serving as president of the Franklin Square Civic Association. A special award is also presented at the H. Frank Carey High School PTSA’s Founders’ Day Awards in Randazzo’s honor to students and residents that demonstrate leadership in community service.
His efforts to give back to the community are felt by all who attend the car show, many of whom have returned nearly every Tuesday night for over a decade.
Michael Abruzzo, who attends the car show each week with his golden 2002 Chrysler Prowler, has been a member of the club since 2010. He met Randazzo while both their children attended H. Frank Carey High School together.
He said the strong sense of comradery among the members of the club is why he returns to the car show each week.
“It’s a nice night to get everybody together,” Abruzzo said. “It’s a pretty tight community, and it’s diverse. It’s just a nice, safe place.”
With such charitable residents like Randazzo, Abruzzo said, the club not only provides a space for everyone to come together but also a place for them to support the community at large.
“John is just a very giving person,” Abruzzo said. “That’s why we try to give back. Everybody chips in.”
Mike Delaney, owner of a blue 1935 Ford Coupe, said he’s been slowly modifying his car piece by piece since he bought it 16 years ago — about a year before he began attending the Tuesday night car shows. Delaney, a resident of Bellmore, also attends shows in his hometown and nearby communities.
“It’s a good bunch of guys,” Delaney said. “Besides just looking at cars, you get to talk with some pretty interesting people.”
Some members, he continued, are more mechanically inclined and can speak with him about engines and other technical aspects of cars. But, he continued, many attend with cars they purchased straight off the lot and still have a great time.
Charlie Mule, who brings his 1940 Dodge Business Coupe to the show every Tuesday, has been a member of the club for over 10 years. He said he purchased his car for $8,000 in Missouri over 30 years ago, and he’s held onto it since, investing extra funds into maintaining it.
“It’s a labor of love,” Mule said. “But it’s about getting out and meeting everyone. It’s not about the car — it’s about the people. Instead of sitting at home, you’re out here.”
He said sharing a passion with so many like-minded people is worth all the money he invests in his car. “Money cannot replace it,” he emphasized.
The club will be hosting its first Christmas party on Dec. 12 at Knights of Columbus in Lynbrook, which will include food, music, a dance contest and more fun activities for attendees to enjoy. Those interested in learning more about the club can join its Facebook group, Dawgwood Boyz, or attend its next car show on Oct. 7.
“Everybody’s invited,” Randazzo said. “We’re all a family.”
