DeSantis History
   
Querino Desantis  

An Italian immigrant, Querino DeSantis came to the United States in 1923 at the age of 16. He went to work on road construction and also learned the plastering trade to enable him to have work during the long, New England winters.

In 1934, Querino, who was eager to learn about the workings of automobiles, purchased a 1927 Chevy coupe that needed some repairs. On his way home from work, he stopped at the garage and junkyard located on Palmer Road in Ware. Rather than telling the woman who ran the yard that he was there to buy brake drums, he joked that he had come to buy the business. The woman, whose husband had recently died, was deeply in debt and was very anxious to get rid of the business and property. After hearing a story of how her husband had earned $500 in one day, Querino, who was earning 50 cents an hour on construction, decided to give the business a chance.

In June of 1934, after quitting his construction job, he set to work digging holes for gas tanks. In January of 1935, DeSantis Garage officially opened. Throughout the years, used cars and parts were always Querino's primary business. Gasoline sales from brands like Mobil, Tidol, Flying A, and eventually Getty built him a solid repeat customer base.

From 1941 through 1951, Querino held a distributorship for Alis Chalmers tractors and farm equipment. New and used tractors, as well as homemade tractors, were a familiar site at the garage.

In 1947, the front half of the garage was constructed to allow the installation of a hydraulic lift. On August 1 of 2003, Querino's grandsons David and Brian re-opened the garage as a shop specializing in truck and SUV accessories.  In February of 2004, they added Cequent towing products and then in June, Fisher Snow and Ice Control Equipment to their product line.

 
DeSantis Garage - 417 Palmer Road - Ware, MA 01082 - (413) 967-4661