07/23/2026
Tomorrow is the 106th anniversary of the birth of our "founding father", Sam Troncalli, and his pre-automotive history is the more interesting part of his success. He was the youngest of eight children to parents who immigrated from Palermo, Sicily through the Port of New Orleans in the early 1890's. They later married and settled in Birmingham where they started a family and established a produce business. Sam had to drop out of high school in the 10th grade to assist his father (who couldn't drive), but later completed his GED, and never quit pursuing knowledge through literature and experience. He was a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force 91st Brigade during WWII, and a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III, and later moved to a camp in Nuremberg-Langwasser, from which he was liberated in April 1945. Immediately after returning from war, he began working at Beaudry Ford in Atlanta and married his beloved, Kay. Sam lost a battle to cancer in 2011 at the age of 90, and we celebrate him tomorrow and everyday as an example of a life hard-fought, and well-lived. Happy Birthday Pa-Pa!
