In memory of
Pete LaBarbera
Just to give everyone some insight into what spawned Boogie East, I'd like to share a bit of the back story behind what inspired it. I grew up working for Pete and his son Tani, bricking homes, back in the early 90's in east Texas. Pete had a couple of old shovelheads and panheads back then and he would always throw some wild ass parties for his biker buds. At some point, back in the day, I got to take a trip out to Daytona with him and Tani for Bike Week. He's certainly the one that inspired my appreciation and respect for old iron. I worked for him for six years, and then one day they decided to sell their Masonry company, move out to Florida, and open a biker bar. I had planned to visit Pete and Tani, but never made it out. Many years went by and I got a call out of the blue from Tani that his old man had developed cancer and passed away. I was pretty bummed that I hadn't had a chance to visit until a year later to check out the bar and do the Bike Week thing. Memories all came back when Rob, an old friend of ours from east Texas, and I walked into the bar and noticed a few photos of Pete on the wall. We sat down and had some laughs with Tani about the good old days and the crazy shit his old man use to get in to. When Rob and I went back to Texas that's when the wheels started turning so to speak. Rob had always said "Their bar is the perfect spot to throw a good chopper event/party but they just never got around to it." We talked it over with Tani and have been working on this ever since. This party has a special place in our hearts so I hope to see it grow into something as incredible as the life of Pete LaBarbera.
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