Over the line from Old Greenwich in Stamford, a popular body shop run by John Castellana Jr and his father John has had a name change.
Initially the shop was an offshoot of Johnny’s Mobile Auto Body 101, a service that brought the body shop to your driveway.
Mobile 101 grew quickly, but John Jr, who goes by Johnny to prevent confusion, said his dream had always been to have his own body shop.
Finding the right location was a challenge though. It wasn’t until he got a flat tire coming off I95 that he stumbled on the West Ave location. He pulled into the shop and asked for help, and by the end of the conversation he asked whether the owner wanted to sell. Initially the answer was no, but Johnny persisted and eventually the owner agreed to sell.
When the Castellanas opened on West Ave a year ago, it was a dream come true for Johnny, but the recent name change was the icing on the cake.
With the renaming came new signage.
Also, the building has been remodeled with a new office and certified equipment.
Castellana Auto Body will continue to provide the service customers have come to rely on, including lease clean-ups, paint work, heavy collision, and headlight & rim restoration.
And the garage continues to offer pick ups and drops for door-to-door service. Customers can also text or email a photo of damage for a mobile estimate.
Johnny said he is the third generation of Castellanas to run body shops and the renaming honors his grandfather who came to the US from Italy and worked at body shops in New York before settling in Greenwich where he operated his own shop.
“That’s how my father got started, and it’s how I got started,” he said, adding that working alongside his father has been an honor.
“My cousins in Italy all have body shops,” he added. “They have two shops in Putignano.”
Tracing his interest in the family line of business back to his middle school days, Johnny said his father’s body shop was like a second home.
As for working alongside his father, Johnny said it’s an honor to work with him.
“It’s just great to have him with me,” he said. “He has so much knowledge and expertise, and is so well liked in the community.”
Johnny said many customers are women from Greenwich who are recommended through word-of-mouth.
Castellana Auto Body is located at 368 West Ave in Stamford.
Tel. (203) 588-0434.
Email: [email protected]
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Instagram @castellanaautobody
