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JUNE 2024
Growing Together With You
DLG’S BEST STORY EVER, PART 2 GOOSEBUMPS OR TEARS
N.J., where my dad used to race.) I spun a yarn about how this guy, Bob, is a racing enthusiast, and how he was so happy that I told him about Dad’s racing days. This piqued Pop’s interest. The lie kept growing. I secretly invited my brother, sister, and daughter to go along to Maryland, ostensibly to visit Nick but in reality, to surprise Pop. The family agreed to meet at the Fort Myers airport on a Friday night to fly to Maryland.
In Part I of this saga in our last newsletter, I wrote about how I discovered my dad’s old race car earlier this year after a race car buff — whom we are calling Bob — bought it at a swap meet and tracked me down. None of my family had seen the car for more than 50 years, and we never knew why my dad, a well-known professional race driver, sold it in 1970. I ended last month’s episode by laying plans with Bob to fly my dad up to Bob’s Maryland home for his 82nd birthday. My hope: to reunite Dad with the 1966 Chevelle that won him fame and glory.
As I flew home after visiting Bob, I pondered how to keep my dad in the dark. In honor of his 82nd birthday on April 29, I wanted to fly him from Florida to Maryland to see his old race car. But I also wanted the discovery to be a surprise. I knew my dad would never go if I told him the trip had anything to do with his birthday, so I had to make up an excuse. That marked the beginning of a long stretch of lying to my dad. First, I told him we were all going to go to see my son Nicholas at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Dad assumed this was all about celebrating his birthday. Then I made up another story, about how I met Bob. “Pop, you’re not going to believe this,” I told him. “I met some guy with an NHRA jacket outside Starbucks. (NHRA is the National Hot Rod Association, a big organization that sponsored events at Englishtown,
Always the early bird, Dad arrived at our house at noon that day. My secret almost blew up right then. First, my wife asked me, in front of Dad, what time my brother was coming in. I’m looking at her like, please shut up! Then my sister arrived at 3 p.m. and asked if she could go along. Feigning surprise, I said, “This is great! We’ll all go see Nick together!” By the time my daughter showed up at the airport that evening and asked when her uncle’s flight would arrive, Dad was onto me. “Pop,” I begged him, “just act surprised!” We stayed up late that night having fun, and the next morning, I announced that Pop and I were going to meet Bob. Claiming they had nothing else to do, the rest of the family jumped in the car with us. I was nervous as we drove toward Bob’s place, thinking, I hope this is not a bust!
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while we pulled the cover off Dad’s car. Then, Bob put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and turned him around. “That’s it!” Pop exclaimed. He was blown away. I have never seen him look so stunned! The guy who bought the car had taken all the letters and numbers off the side, but Bob had used a special light to study the design and restored it beautifully. After 54 years, we finally learned why Dad sold the car. He had been posting times of 9.8 or 9.9 seconds in the quarter-mile when a guy from California, who was known for slightly faster times,
traveled across the country to race at Englishtown. When this guy ran a 9.4, my dad was totally disgusted. There is no way I could beat this guy, he told himself. I’m not doing this anymore. He sold his car’s engine and transmission to one guy and the body to somebody else. To us, it seemed, the car just disappeared. Dad’s car was modified by subsequent owners who replaced the big block engine with a small block and made it an automatic. Even after 54 years of changes by different owners, Pop’s Chevelle still bore the marks of his quest for speed. He had removed all the emblems from the body, in hopes of shaving even 1/10 of a second off his time. And he had drilled holes in the back — to anchor a parachute! Dad never had to use the chute, but he wanted it just in case, so if the brakes failed, he didn’t have to hit the fence! Seeing my Dad remembering those days made all the effort worth it. All the reasons he sold the car have faded. In their place, we have a family story that is pure gold! –Carmen Dellutri
Bob makes a living painting lettering on cars, but he also works as a preacher, and as soon as we arrived, he started telling stories. Bob had Dad’s old Chevelle covered up. As he and Dad walked around looking at his other old cars, a video crew I had hired was capturing the whole scene. Dad asked why they were there, but Bob made up some story, and my dad never put two and two together. Meanwhile, everybody in the family was getting bored, thinking, Come on! Show us the frickin’ car! Finally, Bob said, “Joe, I want to ask you about this car over here.” He had Dad facing in the other direction
“This is THE BEST law firm! They do what they say, are very professional, and they always kept me informed. I highly recommend them if you need a debt collection lawyer. More than the fact that they did what they said they would do, The Dellutri Law Group displayed the highest caliber of professionalism, tenacity, and integrity. I would, without hesitation or question, recommend them to ANYONE in need of legal services and for anyone who needs a caring group of people who will fight for you and not stop until the job is done. If I ever need a lawyer again, I won’t hesitate to call them. Their services are well worth the money and top notch from start to finish! From my first phone call with Socorro Novelo at Guest Services, she made me feel very comfortable and relaxed, when I was very nervous, embarrassed, and anxious. My attorney, Carmen Dellutri, was always available when I needed specific attorney questions. Lauren Rush, my case manager for the pre- filing process, was extremely pleasant and helped explain to me all the documents that were needed. And both Roger Rodriguez and Ronnie Fedorczyk, the legal assistants, were extremely helpful as well. Thank you, Dellutri Law Group. You all are WONDERFUL!” –Anonymous Testimonial Our Clients Say It Best
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RELATIONSHIPS ARE WHAT MATTER Referrals and Unintended Consequences
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Have you ever been given a bad referral?
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At the Dellutri Law Group, we’ve built our business on receiving referrals from past clients, other professionals, and even judges. We also pass many referrals each month to our trusted referral partners. So, we know how to take care of our referrals and our referral partners. Unfortunately, I just heard from another lawyer who told me about a client I referred to him very recently for a family law matter. He wasn’t upset about the referral. He was actually very happy we sent this client to him. He appreciates and values our referral relationship, as it has been very productive and fruitful for both of us over many years.
A referral is the greatest gift we can receive from a client or fellow business! Last month we had ... • 42 referrals from friends, family, or previous clients • 22 returning clients for new matters • 19 referrals from other attorneys • 5 referrals from doctors and other professionals • We also send out referrals to our trusted referral partners! A Huge Thank-You to Our Referral Partners!
As a matter of fact, it was a very good referral, right in his sweet spot. The client is happy with the services. So, what’s the problem?
Unfortunately, the client’s mother is stepping in and making things difficult for the attorney-client relationship.
I don’t know how I could’ve predicted this, or how I could’ve even warned the attorney that there was a “monster mom” on the other side. She was never in the equation when the call came to our office. She was never in the equation when I spoke to the potential client. She was never in the equation when I made the referral to the other attorney.
But she sure is in the equation now.
What’s the Good News ?
So, what can we learn from this? When you give a referral to a trusted referral partner, you should know that they will be treated wonderfully. That should not even be a question. But, when that person reaches out to you and says, “Carmen, I’ve got a problem,” you should be able to offer any assistance you can to make the referral relationship better because the relationship with your referral partner is much more valuable than a bad referral. Keep this in mind when you send a referral. Always let the person receiving your referral know that your relationship with them is much more valuable thane the case being referred.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” PSALM 136:1
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Inside This Issue
1 Solving the Mystery of Dad’s Missing Race Car
2 Our Clients Say It Best
3 Our Referrals Build Trust
4 Work Harder, Dig Deeper
About six months ago, I received a call from a prior client who wanted to run something by me. This happens quite often. At DLG, we strive to build relationships with our clients that last long beyond their representation. In this case, the gentleman called me because a friend of a friend went to a bigger law firm after a horrific car accident. The big law firm determined that there was only $10,000 in insurance coverage, and they let the case go. Upon hearing this, the friend stepped in and asked the injured person if they would be willing to talk to me. And that is when he reached out to me as well. I gladly set up the call and spoke with the injured person. I asked if I could look into it, just to make sure all the T’s were crossed and the I’s were dotted. But, I couldn’t promise anything to this person except that I would do the due diligence and the hard work necessary to make sure nothing was missed.
Well, guess what? There was something missed, and it could have been picked up by the first law firm if they did a little extra digging, but, like so many others that I see, they didn’t do the hard work. To make a long story short, we found another insurance policy (and it was a big one) and we were able to recoup the entire policy for this very injured person. It all goes back to a lesson I learned as a kid: Be willing to put in the time, be willing to listen to your client, and never let anyone else outwork you. That was my dad’s key victory, and it’s mine. Thanks, Dad, for an amazing work ethic, among everything else. Thank you. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, especially my Pops!
Another Huge Win for DLG
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