Sad News - Gene DiCicco has passed

[Randy Karasek]

Posted by Ed S on Facebook:

Sad news... I heard from the BCCA that Gene DiCicco has passed. Condolences and prayers to his family. We lost another GREAT one. That's Gene - lower right, at the 2016 Portland CANvention.

[CMD]

One of the nicest guys in the hobby...RIP Gene

[Plusonegolfer]

Gene helped me learn a lot about rare cans early on in my collecting life. Not only did he have a great collection but an even deeper knowledge of the great cans of our hobby. He sold me a number of my best cans back when I had collection number two. Sorry to hear our hobby has lost one it’s great statesmen. RIP my friend.

[OctoberAle]

Very sorry to hear it. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity when I met Gene at the Brookdale Lodge show in November 2005. He bought a Grace Bros OI from me that he believed was his former can.

[OctoberAle]

Another shot from the Brookdale Lodge show - Ken Harootunian and Gene DiCicco at Ken's table, November 7, 2005.
I just can't tell you how much I enjoyed that show!

[Scott]

Gene was a class act all the way. Sorry to hear of his passing. He hosted the Watsonville show for a number of years and it was held in a warehouse a few miles out of town. Since there were not any places nearby to get food, Gene always catered a nice lunch for everyone in attendance. He was a friend I always enjoyed seeing and talking with and I'll miss him along with some of the other West Coast guys who have preceded him such as Warren (RB#1), Pops, Gene Migliori, Hall Baker and more.

John Burton who is a long time Bay Area collector and Grace Bros. specialist sent out an email to a number of people and had this to add about Gene.

Gene DiCicco has always been a best friend since I met him at the ABA show in 1987 at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. Allow me to tell you about our first meeting.

I had just done a presentation about Grace Brothers’ Santa Rosa during the ABA Convention. Approximately two months prior I had purchased 100 perfectly mint Maier Brewery bank top cans at a flea market in Sebastopol for .50 cents each. Being a bottle collector, I had no idea of the value of the cans as in those days there was no Ebay nor did I know about the Beer Cans Unlimited book.

After my seminar we opened up the trade floor and I had the Maier beer cans marked for sale at $1.00 each. Immediately this man (Gene) who I had never met rushes up to me as says “Close your table down NOW.” Not only confused but thinking this guy is crazy I closed the table as buyers wanted to purchase some cans.

I thought I had just been attacked by Leo Nomellini, ex- Defensive Tackle 49er and professional wrestler.

“Sorry the table is closed” I said to disappointed buyers.

Gene then told me the value of each and every can; $20; $75; $80; $225; and priced each and every can. He could have purchased the entire lot of cans for $100 and I would have been happy. But no, he priced each can for me and never took advantage of my ignorance of the value of beer cans. Tell me where else can you meet an honest person like my friend Gene DiCicco

[pinnacle-project]

Scott,

That is a great story about Gene. I am sure other such stories about similar collectors exist but all too often I hear people tell stories that are far less positive than your story. Thanks for sharing it.

Bryan

[Lovegun]

Sorry to hear of Gene's passing. R.I.P.