Know
Fools to take to the streets Saturday for charity
Should you see – and/or hear – a massive convoy of motorcycles roaring through the St. Pete streets Saturday, it’s perfectly OK to think ‘There goes a bunch of fools.’
They wear the name with pride. It’s the St. Pete Fools, with a capital “F.”
The Fools Social Club is a group of businessmen “who pretty much hang out daily,” according to co-founder Tony Mangiafico, owner of Gratzzi Italian Restaurant, and Flûte & Dram.
Tony Mangiafico
“We’ve been around almost 18 years,” said the Sicily-born restauranteur, “and it started with me calling some of my friends fools back in the day. And then we became just a bunch of fools.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Club registered a 501©3 charity branch to help with veterans’ and children’s needs. “We can do bigger things, better things,” Mangiafico remembers saying at the time.
That’s when the cigar-smoking, whiskey-sipping business dudes – who also share a love for Harley-Davidsons – launched the St. Pete Fools Charity Ride.
The private club currently has about 75 members, although they’re not all motorcycle aficionados. Around 20 card-carrying Fools will ride Saturday – along with something like 500 of their friends.
You heard that right. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 motorcyclists will caravan from the OCC Roadhouse, 10575 49th Street N., through the city, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and back.
Riders can still sign up at 11 a.m., at the start of the event, which includes a raffle, silent auction, live entertainment and more. Registration is $20 per rider.
The lengthy ride will be fully police-escorted by motorcycle officers from St. Pete and Tampa, and Pinellas and Hillsborough sheriffs’ offices.
“I’m the leader, and I feel like I’m the President of the United States!” said Mangiafico. “Because I got all these police officers kind of protecting me, and our group, to make sure we make it. They close all the streets, stop all the lights.
“We’ve become friends over the years, these police departments. If they need something, I got ‘em. If kids need toys, or a bike, we raise the money and buy them. Give them any kind of support they need, really.”
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a longtime motorcycle enthusiast, has participated in the charity ride in previous years. He called to say he was signing up for this year’s ride, too. Mangiafico: “I said of course, man. Just show up, ride next to me, and keep up.’ He’s a little too slow for me … but we’re getting there.”
Approximately 40 charities have been beneficiaries of the Fools and their year-round events.
“Our goal,” Mangiafico explained, “is to give organizations maybe not money, but material. Let’s say if Alpha House calls me and they need 20 beds, I will buy them 20 beds. If The Kind Mouse needs money for food, I say ‘Just give me a list of what you need,’ and I’ll buy them pallets of food.”
Mangiafico said he benefits from his charitable work, too. “I ‘ve been doing it all my life. I love being part of the community, I love people. Everybody in town knows that I’ve got a big heart. And for me it’s fun – it keeps me away from the restaurant part of it, because restaurants can be very crazy. So this is kind of my ‘relax’ thing.”
He’ll be buying toys – hundreds, even thousands – over the next six weeks. “I make all the kids happy. That’s better than anything else.”
Visit this link for information on Saturday’s St. Pete Fools Charity Ride.
