Vincent DiMartino

Last updated
Vincent DiMartino
Born (1972-10-09) October 9, 1972 (age 50)
Occupation(s)Motorcycle designer and builder
SpouseMelissa DiMartino
ChildrenVanessa DiMartino
Ava DiMartino
Isabella DiMartino
Vincent DiMartino
Parent(s)John DiMartino
Margaret DiMartino
Website DiMartino Motorsports

Vincent "Vinnie" DiMartino (born October 9, 1972) is an American motorcycle builder, best known for his work from 2002 to 2007 at Orange County Choppers (OCC), the subject of the American TV show American Chopper . In August 2007 DiMartino left Orange County Choppers and founded V-Force Customs, a custom motorcycle shop in Rock Tavern, NY. Several months later, Cody Connelly, a friend and co-worker of DiMartino at Orange County Choppers also left to join him at V-force Customs. In 2010, DiMartino returned to the show; however instead of rejoining his former employer, OCC, he joined Paul Jr. Designs.

Contents

DiMartino, known as "Vinnie," was born to John and Margaret DiMartino. He is the second child of four. DiMartino and his wife Melissa have three girls and a boy, Vanessa, twins Isabella and Ava, and Vincent.

History

DiMartino was born in 1972 in New York's Hudson Valley. At the age of nine DiMartino started hanging around his father's auto repair shop and soon became a "gearhead". At the age of 14 he began working for a small engine repair shop. A few years later he was rebuilding cars and motorcycles and pretty much anything else he could get his hands on. In 2002 DiMartino started working for Orange County Choppers which was owned by high school friend Paul Teutul Jr.'s father. Although a pilot episode was shot just before he was hired, it was only a month after starting his new job that DiMartino learned The Discovery Channel was turning his workplace into a reality television show called American Chopper .

Career

DiMartino spent five years working for Orange County Choppers before leaving in August 2007.

Departure from OCC

There has been a lot of discussion on the internet about the factors that led to DiMartino leaving OCC. From the VForceCustoms website "FAQ" [1] Vinnie responds to the question stating:

I had gone as far as I could there. I really didn't have any chance for advancement, and I had always wanted to have my own shop, so the natural progression was to leave and start my own place. Nothing against them, but it was time to move on.

The American Chopper episode in which DiMartino leaves dedicated a little over four minutes to his departure. After he gave his notice, Paul Teutul Sr. was shown saying "everyone's replaceable" which he claims was only a fragment of what he actually said. OCC has said that they have no control over the editing of the show and what parts of the dialogue are edited out.

V-Force Customs

Soon after leaving OCC, DiMartino started V-Force Customs located in Rock Tavern, NY, V-Force Customs is located in a brand new building designed for building bikes. V-force Customs first build was "V-Force 1", unveiled in Daytona Beach, Florida. [2] Soon after the success of "V-force 1", V-force built a custom chopper for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena League Football team. [3] DiMartino and Cody Connelly announced the build from mid-field at a Storm game at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Storm chopper was unveiled at The Storms' final game of the season on June 21, 2008. The bike is touring the southeast United States with all proceeds going to the Pinellas County Humane Society and The Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa. Also in June, V-Force Customs had its ribbon cutting and grand opening in Rock Tavern, New York.

New series

DiMartino appeared in the series Throttle Junkies TV on Resort and Residence TV, AMG TV, Untamed Sports TV, Altitude Sports and Entertainment, Bright House Sports Network, Cox Sports, CW West Palm, Time Warner Cable Sports (Buffalo/Syracuse), and LoneStar Cable Network. The series premiered on February 14, 2010. [4] In a radio interview in June 2010, Dimartino stated that he was going to work with Paul Teutul, Jr. again at Paul Jr. Designs which will air as American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior while still running V-Force. Part of the agreement of DiMartino being on the show was that he would be able to wear hats and T-shirts bearing the V-Force logo to ensure that people wouldn't think that V-Force was out of business. [5] DiMartino made his debut appearing in the first episode of the revamped series which aired in the U.S. on The Discovery Channel on Aug. 12, 2010.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse James (television personality)</span> American entrepreneur and television personality

Jesse Gregory James is an American entrepreneur, automotive mechanic, and television personality. He is the founder of West Coast Choppers and former partner of Austin Speed Shop and current CEO of Jesse James Firearms Unlimited, both based in Austin, Texas. He was the focus of a show chronicling some of the custom motorcycle builds in his TV series Jesse James: Monster Garage, which ran a shortened single season in 2012 on the Discovery Channel before being canceled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange County Choppers</span> American motorcycle manufacturer based in Orange County, New York

Orange County Choppers (OCC) is an American motorcycle manufacturer and lifestyle brand company based in the town of Newburgh, located in Orange County, New York, that was founded in 1999 by Paul Teutul Sr. The company was featured on American Chopper, a reality TV show that debuted in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel. The series moved to Discovery Channel's sister channel TLC in 2007. Following cancellation of the Discovery series, the company was also featured on Orange County Choppers on the CMT network in 2013. Orange County Choppers returned to Discovery Channel in March 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chopper (motorcycle)</span> Type of motorcycle

A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in the US state of California in the late 1950s. A chopper employs modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames, very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheel. To be considered a chopper a motorcycle frame must be cut and welded at some point. I.e. the name chopper. The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.

<i>American Chopper</i> American reality television program

American Chopper is an American reality television series that airs on Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television. The series centers on Paul Teutul Sr., and his son Paul Teutul Jr., who manufacture custom chopper-style motorcycles. Orange County Choppers is in Newburgh, New York. The contrasting work and creative styles of the father-and-son team and their resulting verbal arguments were the series' hallmark until 2008 when an explosive argument led to Paul Jr.'s termination and departure to start a competing chopper company, Paul Jr. Designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Teutul Sr.</span> American TV star and motorcycle builder (born 1949)

Paul John Teutul is the founder of Orange County Choppers, a manufacturer of custom motorcycles and the focus of the reality television series American Chopper. Teutul first appeared on the show with his sons Paul Teutul Jr. and Michael Teutul. In 2013, his new show Orange County Choppers premiered on CMT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Teutul Jr.</span> American motorcycle designer and builder

Paul Michael Teutul is one of the stars of the American reality television series American Chopper. He started working for his father. Teutul was the chief designer and fabricator. Prior to this, he was head of the rail shop at Orange County Ironworks. He is the owner of Paul Jr. Designs, which manufactures custom motorcycles and sells branded clothing. Teutul, along with his father and younger brother Michael, became celebrities when they became the focus of a reality television series American Chopper on Discovery Channel in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Teutul</span> American television personality

Michael Joseph Teutul is an American television personality who appeared on the reality programs "Orange County Choppers" American Chopper and American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Choppers</span> Brand

West Coast Choppers (WCC) is a brand that began selling screen-printed T-shirts and stickers with the company's Iron cross/Maltese cross logo while founder and "master marketer" Jesse James was finishing high school, packaging the accoutrements of the chopper lifestyle long before any actual West Coast Choppers customs had been ordered or sold. Even after the company did begin building custom choppers, 60% of revenue still came from sales of WCC-branded marketing tie-ins such as clothing, beverages and tools. Yearly sales of approximately 12–15 motorcycles at prices of around US$150,000 each actually lost money for the company, but attracted positive attention. Publicizing the names of celebrity clients, including Shaquille O'Neal, Kid Rock, Keanu Reeves, Ty Law of the Denver Broncos, wrestling star Bill Goldberg, actor Tyson Beckford, and NFL running back Jamal Anderson, was a central feature of the WCC marketing strategy. The other key to this strategy was the star power of Jesse James, presented mainly through television on the Discovery Channel in the Motorcycle Mania series and the 2002–2006 series Monster Garage.

Teutul is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Orange County Choppers bikes are motorcycles featured on the television series American Chopper built by Orange County Choppers (OCC) for a specific corporate or celebrity customer. Theme bikes are motorcycles in which the theme of the motorcycle takes priority over everything else, influencing the frame dimensions, paint scheme, and overall 'feel' of the motorcycle. The function of motorcycle usually takes a backseat to the presentation of the theme, and these motorcycles attract attention solely on the premise of the theme itself. Customer bikes are built for and generally to the specifications of a particular customer. Although the customers typically give OCC creative freedom to do what they will, some clients have a specific idea in mind and expect OCC to reproduce their mental picture literally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Covington</span>

Jerry Covington is a custom motorcycle builder and owner of Covingtons Customs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Motorcycle Museum</span> Transport museum in Middlesex, England

London Motorcycle Museum displayed a range of over 150 classic and British motorcycles. It closed in October 2019, partly due to inability to meet the running costs.

<i>Throttle Junkies TV</i> American TV series or program

Throttle Junkies TV is a reality television series. The series centers on three entirely different genres of motorcycle builders. V-Force Customs builds custom choppers and is located in Rock Tavern, NY. RetroSBK builds high-performance motorcycles and is located in Camarillo, CA. 2Xtreem Motorsports builds motocross bikes, located in Riviera Beach, FL.

Cody Connelly is an American motorcycle builder, best known for his work at Orange County Choppers (OCC), the subject of the American TV show American Chopper. Cody left Orange County Choppers and joined V-Force Customs where he works with friend and former colleague of Orange County Choppers Vincent DiMartino. Cody has since made several appearances on the show American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior alongside Paul Teutul Jr. and DiMartino, helping out at Paul Jr. Designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Pohl</span>

Jason Pohl is a chopper designer who works at Orange County Choppers. He is most commonly known for his workplace being the subject of the American TV series American Chopper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Jr. Designs</span> American motorcycle customizer and clothing company in Montgomery, NY

Paul Jr. Designs (PJD) is a lifestyle brand motorcycle customizer and clothing vendor, based in Montgomery, New York, USA. Paul Teutul Jr. founded the design firm in 2009 after waiting out a one-year non-compete clause with his former company, Orange County Choppers (OCC).

<i>Azeroth Choppers</i> American TV series or program

Azeroth Choppers was a weekly web series by Blizzard Entertainment that ran from April 17 to June 5, 2014. It featured Paul Teutul, Jr. and his company Paul Jr. Designs building motorcycles based on Blizzard's long-running MMORPG World of Warcraft.

Biketoberfest is an annual motorcycle rally held in the fall in Daytona Beach, Florida since 1991 or 1992. In 1992 it was known as "Daytona Fall Tour"; in 1993, it started to be called Biketoberfest, and is now known as the "little brother" of the spring Daytona Beach Bike Week event. Attendance for Biketoberfest 2013 was estimated to be c. 100,000 visitors.

References

  1. VForce FAQ
  2. "V Force Customs". V Force Customs. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  3. "Tampa Bay Storm Bike". Archived from the original on 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  4. Throttle Junkies TV Press Release Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Kessler, Donna (March 28, 2011); Setting things straight on V-Force Customs, Times Herald-Record. Retrieved on September 12, 2011.