From:Doug Strange e-mail:AMCAdoug@aol.com
Subject:RE: Big Steve Ciccalone Date:Sun Sep 18 19:48:50 2011
Response to:3735
You should have been around him when he started singing his sea shanties. The more beer that flowed, the more ribald and the louder the songs became. And he was great!

Then there was the time he put his arm around me at one of the meets and shouted out "Fetch me another cabin boy...this one's broke".

Steve was a great guy. His friendship and knowledge will be immensely missed.
ACEdoug

----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS -----
I first met Big Steve, as many close to him called him, right after getting back into motorcycles, antiques in particular in the late 90's. We took to each other the first time we met. It was always " Have a beer Marty", and the beer never stopped flowing all those years.
Later, when I was building mt KL and hack, he was always there. We would occasionally lock horns on opinions, but they were always good natured. I promise he never accepted that there were late models with black rims, even after the police photos were published to this site years ago with black rims.
It was original paint everything, and he did more to up my desire for original paint bikes than anyone. That was what convinced me to sell my Hen [still do not regret it] for the ultra rare all original 38 Indian Chief I got from him.
When my son got involved, Steve threw the door open to him. They always would good nature dig at each other, since my son Chris went to the US Merchant Marine Academy, and Steve was a Coasty, but in reality, anything and anyone who worked around the sea was first rate in his book.
Steve also wasn't afraid to take issue and was not a rubber stamp on the board. He was taking exception to things he did not agree with where the National board was concerned right to the end, and not afraid to let them know and would not retract anything.
A mans man is a good decription, or Mr. Henderson is just as good. Who will ever forget the bib overalls and his many dogs,; sweet labs at that.
Keep the shiny side up Steve, and give a wave to Toney for us. Marty Megregian