Joe Gambino, who rose from modest beginnings in New York to become the owner of one of the Valley's largest Chevrolet dealerships, died last month at his Phoenix home. He was 88. The longtime automotive enthusiast passed away June 28 surrounded by family, said his son, Joseph Gambino Jr.

The senior Gambino, a Brooklyn native, grew up speaking a rare Sicilian dialect of Italian before he mastered English. He didn't complete high school. But his enthusiasm for cars led him first to entry-level sales jobs then to management positions and ultimately to the purchase of a dealership, said son Joe Jr.