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Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
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The ‘California Godfather’ of Collision Repair Taps Into His Artistic Side Charlie Vigiani owns Vigiani’s he was a fixture there. The painter/ Auto Body & Paint in Yuba City, owner of the shop was a guy named CA, where people call him “The Cheo. with Gary Wickert “He gave me three pairs of nice Godfather of Collision Repair.” He’s well-known for perfor- shoes to shine, so I was thinking I’m ming quality work for all of his cus- rich. He gave me $5 and I figured I tomers—an offer they can’t refuse. can retire now,” Vigiani said. “I starHe has also received a lot of praise ted observing what was going on in for his wire sculptures from his cus- the shop, and pretty soon, I started tomers, employees and even other meeting the customers, mostly Itaartists. with Stacey Phillips Viagini has 50 years of experience in collision repair from several different perspectives, as a former technician, manager, independent appraiser and finally as an auto body shop owner. with Stacey Vigiani believes fixing a Phillips car correctly is an art form, and techs and painters are truly artisans whose work should be in museums and art galleries. A pristine panel or a stellar paint job displayed alongside a Warhol or a Van Gogh? It could happen. with Stacey Phillips Vigiani gets rave reviews for his creations, As an artist himself, Vigiani has including a saxophone player and a bull made been creating wire sculptures for the out of wire past 30-plus years, receiving accolalian, and saw what a perfectionist des from people worldwide. Even when things get hectic at Cheo really was. It was a great learthe shop, Vigiani finds the time to ning experience.” create something unique using simwith Stacey Phillips Vigiani broke into the indusply wire and his creative zeal. It’s try the old school way—by starting art therapy and a great way for him at the bottom sweeping floors and to unwind when things get stressful dumping the trash. In the Bronx, after a long day returning vehicles to working on wise guys’ Lincolns their pre-accident condition, he said. and Cadillacs, Vigiani must have Vigiani’s story begins in the thought Martin Scorsese was direcwith Phillips ting the movie of his life. Bronx, where his first Stacey job was shi“I worked at that shop for three ning shoes for local businessmen. After running out of local custo- years and Cheo taught me everytmers, Vigiani ventured outside of hing,” he said. “The man stressed his neighborhood looking for more things like precision and quality and I absorbed it all.” people and more shoes to shine. One day, Cheo died—of natural One day, a beautiful red Corvetwith Victoria Antonelli te came backing out of an alley and causes—which left Vigiani without nearly hit him. The man pushing the a job or a mentor. “I missed the day-to-day and vehicle was a car painter who owned a small shop and he had a few the interaction that happens in a pairs of shoes that needed shining. busy shop,” he said. “I also missed «Bonanza,» Vigiani thought, but he the money that I was making there, with Victoria Antonelli was also intrigued about what was so I got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant and figured my days fihappening inside the shop. Living a life that looked like xing cars were over.” A few weeks later, Vigiani ran something out of the movie «Goodfellas,» Vigiani started hanging out into a gentleman in his neighborhood at the body shop, and pretty soon who said, “Hey kid, how much do
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you charge to fix a quarter panel?” I heard changed my life. I thought Vigiani saw dollar signs instantly and I knew everything, but I learned so knew all the right answers. much that night,” he said. “They “I told the guy $50 and he said introduced me to the BAR, I-CAR, do it,” he said. “I borrowed my OE certifications—things that are dad’s toolbox without telling him vital for any shop. I needed to beand eventually bought some new come a student and pretty quickly, I tools once I had a little cash in my stopped destroying vehicles and bepockets. I started getting a ton of re- gan fixing them the right way.” ferrals and doing two to three cars Vigiani has been the president every week. Now I look back at it of the Santa Clara chapter of CAA and realize my work was terrible, several times and encourages his but they loved it anyway! technicians, estimators and front “This body stuff is cool, I office people to take I-CAR classes thought, and the money was great. and continually enrich themselves. I could earn $50 washing plates for “I’ve worked for a lot of different eight hours, or take home $100 to shops over the years, including as a $200 every day fixing cars. I did the senior manager for an MSO and as an body work and these people were independent insurance appraiser for thrilled.” two years. Each time I gained a lot of Was Vigiani making more mo- knowledge that I still use today.” ney than all of his classmates? FugTwelve years ago, Vigiani gedaboutit! bought an existing shop in Yuba City After selling cars for and put his name on the sign a short time and pursuing out front. other job opportunities in “We had zero cars, no tools and no employees New York, California beat first, but things steadily gan calling Vigiani’s name, came together and pretty so he made the big move soon we had seven people from NYC to Silicon Valley, home of Apple and lots When the time to working here.” Viagini learned how to of expensive vehicles with retire finally arrives, Vigiani will be able do wire sculptures in the accident-prone drivers. “I opened my first body to dedicate more 1970s when he was living time to his artistic in Puerto Rico after reloshop in San Jose, and I naendeavors med it Dent City,” he said. cating there from NYC. He “I was only 21, but I had been in- was looking for a way to make some volved in the industry for 10 years money, and repairing cars was not by then. Forty-three years later, I am an option at that time. still using a lot of the things I lear“I saw these guys on the beach ned during those years.” selling these wire sculptures and As a young entrepreneur who I thought—wow, I can do this!” was fearless but a little over confi- Vigiani said. “So, I began making dent, Vigiani experienced a reality sculptures of bows and arrows, check that changed his life both per- boats, fishermen, birds—you name sonally and professionally. it. I sold them for $10 to $15 each “I found out about a meeting and on some days, I could sell three of the Santa Clara chapter of the to four of them. Each one takes me California Autobody Association two to three hours to complete, and (CAA), so I thought I’m going to I love doing them. I actually made a check it out. When I walked into the living doing it for a while at age 18 room, I saw a packed room full of to 19, and the experience also helped people in suits. I thought, I must be me with my sales techniques.” in the wrong room,” he said. Haggling with tourists who “An old body shop owner told wanted to buy his creations is part me to sit down next to him and what of the game, and Vigiani wasn’t af-
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36 MARCH 2022 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
