Bio: Tony Parravano
Tony Parravano was a construction tycoon who rapidly established a multi-million dollar fortune building large numbers of tract homes in Southern California after World War 2.
Having caught the racing bug from his friend, Jack McAfee, Parravano became one of the most prolific buyers of Ferrari and Maserati sports racing cars between 1952 and 1957.
However, the Internal Revenue Service had begun an investigation into Parravano's financial affairs in 1956 and, when charges of tax evasion were filed a year later, he fled to Mexico with several of his racing cars in tow.
After surrendering himself to the US authorities in February 1960, Parravano mysteriously disappeared for good, three days before being scheduled to stand trial in April 1960.
Born June 9th 1917 in Arpino, Naples, Antonio Parravano became a naturalised citizen of the USA and arrived in Southern California from Chicago after the Second World War.
By the time of his departure to Mexico in 1957, he was presiding over nearly 30 housing companies that enabled him to indulge his passion for exciting motor cars.
Jack McAfee owned a tuning and repair shop on the Pacific Coast Highway by Manhattan Beach. One day, an inquisitive Parravano asked about the sprint racing car on display out front. The two struck up a friendship and McAfee invited the building magnate to watch him run at a local event.
Parravano was hooked. His first venture into the world of motor sport came soon after on the 1950 Carrera Panamericana.
Parravano was not interested in competing himself. Instead, his rakish 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe was entered for Jack McAfee and Ford Robinson to drive on the 2100-mile road race.
Unusually held in May (all subsequent Carreras were run in November), McAfee and Robinson finished a very respectable tenth overall. Like every year, the 1950 race had a high fatality rate with four deaths.
After the Carrera, Parravano immediately purchased a brand new Jaguar XK120 Roadster which he entered for the Santa Ana road race on June 25th. McAfee finished third overall.
Business commitments and Jack McAfee's other competitive drives meant the next outing for a Parravano car came just over a year later. At the Buchanan Field circuit in California on August 5th 1951, McAfee won the 100-mile race in Tony's XK120.
This was followed by a second attempt on the Carrera with the Cadillac in November 1951 which ended in retirement.
That year’s event was won by Ferrari's works 212 Inters and Parravano subsequently ordered himself a 4.1-litre 340 America; the most powerful Ferrari road car available at the time.
The 340 was delivered in spring 1952 and had its first outing at Torrey Pines on 20th July 1952. Bill Pollack was instructed to drive the car hard to see what broke. After retiring with brake problems, Parravano had Ernie McAfee (no relation to Jack) go through the Ferrari and modify it where necessary for the 1952 Carrera.
This time, the Parravano entry came fifth overall with Jack McAfee and Ernie McAfee behind the wheel. They were the first private entry home and the 340 America had given Parravano a taste for thoroughbred motor cars built in his Italian homeland.
After the 1952 Carrera, Parravano started to rapidly acquire a fleet of fabulous motor cars starting with a unique Frua-bodied Maserati A6G 2000 Coupe in January 1953. This was followed in March by a similarly one-off Ferrari 212 Inter with Cabriolet coachwork by Pinin Farina.
In April, he purchased a new racing car: the Turin Motor Show Maserati A6 GCS Series 2 with unique Spyder bodywork by Vignale. This car was entered by Tony Parravano and Maserati for the Pescara 12 Hour race on August 15th 1953. Driven by Mancini / Dal Cin, it finished second overall and first in the under two-litre class.
Around the same time, Parravano had agreed to buy a Ferrari 340 Mille Miglia with an uprated 4.5-litre engine which he wanted in time for the Nurburgring 1000km race on August 30th. However, he arrived at the factory to collect the car with Jack McAfee only to be informed by Enzo Ferrari that the vehicle would not be available for several more weeks.
As a result, McAfee / Hermann ran the Maserati in Germany but retired with a faulty oil line.
Neither Tony’s A6G 2000, 212 Inter or A6 GCS were ever exported to the USA. Instead, Parravano kept the cars in Italy and registered them with the Automobile Club d'Italia in Rome.
Unperturbed by his treatment at Maranello (known to be par for the course), the years 1954 to 1956 saw Parravano export several Ferraris to the USA.
The first arrived in the spring of 1954. The shipment comprised a 375 America road car and a 375 Mille Miglia that won all three races it contested between June and October of 1954 (Golden Gate Park, the Omaha Grand Prix and Palm Springs).
By this time, the Pescara-class winning Maserati A6 GCS Spyder had been destroyed in a crash that claimed the life of Silvio Dal Cin and a spectator on the 1954 Mille Milgia.
A two-litre Ferrari 500 Mondial then arrived in late 1954 and won its class first time out at the Willow Springs SCCA race on February 13th 1955.
By May 1955, Parravano’s triple race winning Ferrari 375 MM had been severely damaged after a fire at Sebring and then a roll at Bakersfield. A brand new 375 Plus was purchased to replace it but, at the end of a promising 1955 season, this car was also damaged.
Both the damaged 375s had their chassis shortened, new fibreglass bodies installed and, in the case of the 375 MM, a 4.2-litre Maserati engine fitted.
Over the winter of 1955-1956, Parravano imported a further six cars to the USA: three Ferrari's (a 121 LM, 750 Monza and 410 Sport), a pair of Maseratis (a 300 S and 150 S) and an alloy-bodied Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.
The 121 LM had already raced twice for Tony outside of the USA and later went on to win at Palm Springs with Phil Hill in early 1957. The 750 Monza had been repaired by Ferrari after Shelby crashed it while driving for Parravano on its debut at the Targa Florio. The 410 Sport hadn't turned a wheel in anger and only did one race in 1956, winning at Palm Springs.
Instead of this expensive Ferrari trio forming the basis for a 1956 campaign, they were barely used as Parravano mostly ran his Maserati 300 S and 150 S.
Prior to being shipped out, the 150 S had contested the Targa Florio in October 1955. It then took a class victory on its American debut at Palm Springs in December 1955. Outright victory at Palm Springs went to Tony's 300 S. It was the first of several wins for this car in 1956 (Torrey Pines and Willow Springs among them).
Parravano’s final shipment of cars was imported in late 1956.
This most expensive assortment yet comprised a brand new Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione, three Maseratis and a pair of experimental Maserati engines.
The 4.2-litre Maserati V8 motors had been commissioned by Parravano for an attempt on the Indy 500 (he was planning on installing them in Kurtis chassis). However, the Indy project was aborted and Parravano instead commissioned Maserati to fit an enlarged 4.5-litre motor into a new sports racing car that became known as the 450 S.
Parravano bankrolled the entire Indy and 450 S projects and was rumoured to have spent around $500,000 with Maserati in 1956. At the end of the year, he received a 250 F (the 1956 Italian Grand Prix winner), a 350 S and the first 450 S.
Just as his fleet of cars had grown, so had Parravano’s driver roster which now included Carroll Shelby, Phil Hill, Masten Gregory and Ken Miles.
By 1957, the IRS were closing in on Parravano's construction empire for paying virtually no corporate tax,
After a successful start to the year for his racing team, Parravano abruptly fled to Mexico in June 1957.
Parravano had already sold his two repaired 375s earlier in the year (both to Frank Arciero). The old 340 America had been liquidated in 1956 as had the 500 Mondial (to John von Neumann).
Parravano’s remaining pair of European-domiciled cars had also been sold: the 212 Inter Cabriolet to Luigi Chinetti in late 1954 and the Frua-bodied A6G 2000 road car back to the supplying dealer in 1955.
This still left Parravano with nine Ferrari and Maserati racing cars plus truck loads of spares.
Rather than surrender everything to the authorities, he tried to smuggle them into Mexico.
Five cars were seized at the border while the remaining four made it through.
The confiscated 121 LM, 750 Monza, 250 GT Berlinetta, 150 S and 450 S plus trucks, trailers and spare parts were auctioned off in a sale authorised by the IRS in June 1958.
As for the cars that made it over the border (the Maserati 300 S, 250 F and 350 S plus the Ferrari 410 Sport), they were stored and later sold.
Parravano did subsequently turn himself in during February 1960 but then disappeared for good on Friday 8th April.
He was due to appear in court the following Monday to enter a plea for tax evasion.
The FBI started looking for him, but Tony Parravano was never seen again.
Tony Parravano’s cars
1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette 2-door Coupe
1950 Jaguar XK120 Roadster
1951 Ferrari 340 America Ghia Coupe chassis 0150 A
1952 Maserati A6G 2000 Frua Coupe chassis 2028
1952 Ferrari 212 Inter PF Cabriolet chassis 0235 EU
1953 Maserati A6 GCS Series 2 Vignale Spyder chassis 2049
1953 Ferrari 375 America PF Coupe chassis 0329 AL
1953 Ferrari 375 Mille Miglia PF Spyder chassis 0362 AM
1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial PF Spyder chassis 0448 MD
1954 Ferrari 375 Plus PF Spyder chassis 0478 AM
1955 Ferrari 121 LM Scaglietti Spyder chassis 0484 LM
1955 Ferrari 750 Monza chassis 0538 M
1955 Ferrari 410 Sport chassis 0592 CM
1955 Maserati 150 S chassis 1655
1955 Maserati 300 S chassis 3058
1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing Alloy chassis 5500804
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Scaglietti chassis 0585 GT
1956 Maserati 250 F chassis 2525
1956 Maserati 350 S chassis 3502
1956 Maserati 450 S chassis 4502
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
