Marina Auto Group sticking around in Webster by remaining family-owned

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From the day John Gabriele, Tony Gabriele and Sonia Romantini first opened the doors on a Dodge dealership in Irondequoit in 1989, operations have been family owned and family run.

That’s still the case for what is now Marina Auto Group of Webster, and it won’t change when the succession plan, currently in the design phase, is implemented at some point in the near future.

“We are boot-strapped, first-generation people that built this from nothing,” Marina Auto Group president John Gabriele said, “and I embrace it like one of my kids.”

Which is why the kids are being groomed to take over operations of Marina Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Marina Mitsubishi, Marina Auto Outlet and the soon-to-launch Electric Car Corner in Farmington whenever the current management group opts to retire. John is 59; Tony, the company vice president who oversees sales, is 63; and Sonia, a vice president, is 67.

They’re not ready to walk away yet, but they are planning ahead. John’s son, John Jr., and Sonia’s son, Vittorio, both completed Chrysler’s future dealer’s academy in 2015 while Tony’s son, Antonio, is the sales manager.

“We started working on this quite a while ago, getting the next generation in the business and filling the roles myself and my partners fill in the company now,” John Gabriele Sr. said.

John’s son earned his MBA from St. John Fisher is the company’s operations manager. Vittorio Romantini earned a bachelor’s degree from Niagara University and is the comptroller. Antonio Gabriele earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher.

In remaining a family business, Marina Auto is part of a dying breed in the Rochester area: an independently owned auto dealership.

“We are an endangered species,” John Gabriele Sr. said.

Over the past decade, Bob Johnson Auto Group of Rochester, West Herr Auto Group of suburban Buffalo, Garber Management Group of Saginaw, Mich., Matthews Auto Group of suburban Binghamton and Atlantic Coast Automotive of South Florida have scooped up dozens of stores that once were owned by business stalwarts named Holtz, Dorschel, Patrick and Farnsworth.

While no competitor has officially inquired about a purchase of the Marina group, John Gabriele admitted there have been overtones in conversations.

“But I don’t believe as a group we’re at that point,” he said. “We’re still building out as opposed to others who are looking to sell out.”

Marina has evolved from a one-brand store over its 35 years, adding Mitsubishi to the inventory  in 2006, followed by Chrysler and Jeep in 2009, with a move to Webster to create what’s essentially Marina Auto Alley. The Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership is located at 943 Ridge Rd., the Mitsubishi store next door and the used car outlet is just down the road. Between full-time and part-time staff, the company has 85 employees.

The Electric Car Corner will feature both all-electric as well as hybrid vehicles. Marina has embraced electric, including the installation of Level 3 chargers at its dealership in Webster.

“Stellantis (parent company of the Chrysler family of vehicles) has focused on hybrid first instead of diving head-first into all electric,” John Gabriele Sr. said. “That has allowed consumers to experience what electric is all about without having range anxiety.”

Of course, the auto industry can be fickle and consumers have an abundance of options, so customer service is very important.

“We try to give people a good experience,” John Gabriele Sr. said.

Maintaining a presence is critical as well. You’ll see and/or hear plenty of Marina Auto Group ads in broadcast media. Just like the personal injury attorneys that saturate the airwaves with ads, auto dealers want consumers to never forget their names.

“It’s about keeping your name there with the public,” Gabriele said, “so when they are starting to look for a car, your name is top of mind.”

Many auto dealers are coming off a slow 2023. The industry is directly tied to the economy, and rising interest rates are never good for those selling automobiles.

“Our business leads the way into a recession and leads the way out,” Gabriele said. “And our business is very much predicated on the availability of credit to consumers. Most of 2020, ’21 and ’22 were some of the best years we’ve seen; ’23 has been a lot more challenging.

“But I still like what I do. I love my employees and I love my customers.”

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