Air guns zing loudly in the cavernous garage as ratchets click a steady tune in the background. The smell of oil and rubber permeates and hangs in the air of the shop. Large, fluorescent lights make the garage a beacon of life on an otherwise uncrowded corner just north of the 690 freeway meandering through Syracuse.

Masello’s Auto Service has sat here prominently for about 20 years, and in that time has become a staple in the Syracuse community for quality auto repair work at a reasonable price. Anthony Masello, owner of the garage, has been fixing motor vehicles for 45 years.

He started fixing lawn mower equipment at 15 years old, which quickly transformed into cars and eventually led to him buying a garage with a friend and technician of his he still works with today. The shop’s first location on Butternut Avenue only had one indoor parking bay, so he had to do a lot of his work outside.

Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

“We worked out in the snow, below zero, and we’d take turns because we’d get frost bite,” Masello said about his first shop.

The Syracuse winters become too much to deal with after many years, prompting the location change to Burnet Avenue, which boasts at least four parking bays. Masello’s customers stuck with him through the change. In fact, some customers, like James Ballway, have taken their cars to him for decades because they love his service so much.

Ballway has been going to Masello for over 40 years. After picking his car up from the shop, he never has to return because of another problem, Ballway said.

Just this past week, Ballway had to bring his van in because it was struggling to start. Masello told him to bring it in first thing the next day, and the van was fixed and back on the road mere minutes after it entered the shop. Ballway didn’t have to worry about making an appointment, and Masello got there early so he could get it taken care of before the rest of the day began.

Masello’s day begins at 7 a.m. and doesn’t end until the work is done, usually around 5 or 6 p.m.

“We bring all our cars to him. Mine, my wife’s, my son brings his car there. We recommend him to other people and they’ve been very happy with him too,” Ballway said. “If you’re a good customer, he’ll bend over backwards to try and help you out.”

Quick and convenient service is why Masello is serving the same customers he did when he was 18 years old. Almost every review online of Masello’s is glowing with positive feedback, and he attributes a lot of his success to his technicians who have been with him for years on end.

Dave Majerus is one of Masello’s long-time employees. He’s been there for 17 years now, but has previous experience working for a different shop. His face, like Masello’s, is known by the entire customer base.

“We know all of our customers by name,” Majerus said. “A lot of people who have been coming here have been coming here a long time, and it makes it better when they know the mechanics just as well as the owner.”

Majerus stressed the relationship with the customers as a huge plus for the shop as well. Being personable is vital to Masello’s business.

“He likes to talk people’s ears off. When customers come in here, he likes to tell stories to everyone,” Majerus said about his boss. “He’s very down-to-earth and personable to all his customers,”

Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

Most of the technical repair work Masello does is electrical, exhaust, brakes, tires and oil changes. He doesn’t rebuild engines or transmissions, so most of the work being done is basic. Masello is particular about the kinds of software and tools he and his mechanics use to repair their cars.

“We spend the money for the software and money we need to fix the cars. … A lot of places won’t do the things we do,” Masello said. “We get referrals from places that specialize in electronic problems and a lot of them will send them to us.”

Not cutting corners and providing customers with the best service possible is one reason Masello thinks he stands out. He trains all of his mechanics, and they seem to enjoy the job — one has stuck around for 25 years. Masello and his three coworkers plan to continue working tirelessly to keep the shop thriving.

“They care about the cars they’re working on, they care about the people that walk in the door and we try and keep the prices as fair as possible,” Masello said. “Being honest with the customers and building up a good relationship with them, I think is the main thing that sets me apart from everybody else.”

Published on January 23, 2017 at 10:10 pm

Contact: zipalmer@syr.edu