Lou DeMarco’s Bus Trips to Giants Football Games Marks 39th Year
Lou and Rose Marie DeMarco are life long residents of White Plains, who have combined to serve the City of White Plains Parks and Recreation Department for 80 years.
This year marks Lou’s 50th year as a Recreation Leader at Carl J. Delfino Park, while his wife Rose Marie has been an attendant securing the tennis courts at Delfino Park for 30 years. Furthermore, the DeMarcos have supervised the Adult Men’s Recreation Basketball League at Highlands Middle School during the winter months for 50 years.
The DeMarcos are so admired by the community that the White Plains Recreation Department erected a bench in Lou’s honor at the entrance to the softball fields at Delfino Park, after his 40th year of service.
Rose Marie is so beloved at Delfino Park that when she returned to work after having a heart valve replaced in April, the softball team Racing With Jesus Ministry (RWJM) gathered in a circle before and after each game to pray for her. “We prayed for Rose Marie win or lose,” stated RWJM Manager Adam Greto.
Despite the many duties that encompass the DeMarco family during the year, at the start of the National Football League season, they take on another very interesting venture.
When the New York Giants opened their 2012 football season against the Dallas Cowboys, on Wed., Sept.5, it marked the 39th year that the DeMarcos have organized bus trips to Giants home games.
The DeMarco’s bus excursions to Giants home games began in 1973 as an enterprise started by Carl Lehman, the owner of the former Maxel’s Bar on North Broadway, in North White Plains.
Lehman’s demanding duties at the pub led him to designate Lou DeMarco to handle the bus trips. “We started with 13 people and divided the cost between us,” stated DeMarco, who initially organized the bus trips to the Yale Bowl in New Haven, as the original Giants Stadium was under construction.
In 1975, before the construction of Giants Stadium was complete, DeMarco escorted his Giants faithful to Shea Stadium, which was the home field of “Big Blue” at that time. DeMarco’s bus trips grew to entertain 30 people each game as they traveled to Shea Stadium. At that time no food was offered with the trips.
Presently, DeMarco’s NY Giants Bus Tours to MetLife Stadium services about 50 people each game and offers a package that includes, a tailgating experience with crackers and cheese, pepperoni and peppers appetizers. Then patrons dine on eggplant parmesan, ziti, rolls, chicken cutlets, sausages, hamburgers and steak.
The food was added to the experience when the original Giants Stadium opened in 1976. DeMarco does not offer any liquor or alcoholic beverages on the bus. However, soft drinks are available. Patrons may also purchase a cup for a spot on line when the keg of beer opens during the tailgating festivities or you can bring your own spirited refreshments.
Since 1976, Dan Miller and John Dillon have been doing the cooking for the tailgating parties for DeMarco. Miller an avid Giants fan is a former Recreation Supervisor for the City of White Plains. In fact, DeMarco once worked for Miller during his 14-year tenure as Recreation Supervisor from 1973 to 1987. “Louie worked for me for many years. I was hired as Supervisor in 1973 and I have been coming to games with Lou since 1975. It has been a great time,” acknowledged Miller.
When Dillon is not chasing his beloved Giants and turning sausages on the grill or slicing steak during tailgating parties, he works as the Director of Facilities at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital.
Greg Kucera has also played a major role in DeMarco’s bus trips from North White Plains to Giants games. Kucera has been the bus driver since 1976. “I have only missed three or four games throughout the years because of weddings or illness,” stated Kucera, whose father Joe Kucera, owns County Coach Bus Company, which is used for the trips.
Everyone riding with DeMarco on his bus trips maintains their own season-tickets to Giants home games. DeMarco’s fee includes the roundtrip bus ride, food during pregame tailgating parties, tolls and parking cost.
DeMarco is 81 years old and he is not sure how many more years he will continue to provide bus trips to MetLife Stadium. “I do it because I enjoy what I do, it is the same thing working for the city, where I have worked for 50 years,” expressed DeMarco. “I like to be with people and mingle with people, we are just one big happy family,” he said.
The Giants were defeated by the Cowboys, 24-17, in their 2012 Home Opener. Nonetheless, the DeMarco bus trip and tailgating party was a winner.
Lou DeMarco and his wife Rose Marie celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on June 9.
