Walk of Fame 2015
By Chris Murphy
The Walk of Fame is the latest addition to the Modesto Historic Cruise Route celebrating our “Legends of the Cruise”. Permanent sidewalk markers honor each of our “Legends. The first cruise marker was presented to George Lucas during his appearance in Modesto for the Kiwanis Cruise Parade in 2013. In 2014 nine other markers joined George’s in a new special designated “Walk of Fame” that begins in 10th Street Plaza and will extend each year as new inductees are honored.
These are our hometown heroes. They shaped the lives of today’s generation, and thanks to them, Modesto, USA, is known worldwide for being the birthplace of American Graffiti. This is just the beginning, and the Historic Cruise Route is just getting started. More events, Legend inductees, monuments, and visitor experiences will be added each year for Graffiti Summer. New designs for a “retro 10th Street are being developed to make our Graffiti Story and benefit our local economy. Hopefully, we will have a Graffiti USA Museum soon.
The 2015 Legends of the Cruise Walk of Fame will be unveiled on June 10 during the Mid Valley Chevy Car Show on 10th Street. The car show starts at 5:30, and the presentation event will begin at 6:30. The 2015 Inductees are the late Gerry Ramirez and Bennie Furtado, along with Wendell Reed, Dennis Wilson, Charlie Reynolds, and the speed-shattering car club, the Century Toppers, represented by Gene Winfield, Bart Bartoni, and Pete Hischier.
Bennie Furtado
Bennie Furtado was one of Modesto’s first really cool car guys.
Bennie Furtado was born on August 3rd, 1930. He worked most of his life on the family dairy on Paradise Road. He worked hard during the day and enjoyed his evenings with friends, cars, and chicks.
In his late teens, Bennie became extremely obsessed with cars—not racing cars, but custom cars, most customized by Gene Winfield through the fifties, later known as the American Graffiti era.
Some of the cars he owned included a 1948 Ford chopped top, which he customized to a custom color called “blurple.” He also customized a 1950 Ford 2-door sedan. Many of his cars were displayed in local parades, car magazines, and custom auto shows. He was frequently seen driving with his girlfriend Carol Rafter.
Bennie also had a kind heart for friends and family. Upon his sister getting her driver’s license, he purchased a 1937 Ford for her and restored it so she could drive to school. It was quite the conversation piece, and she was very proud of it.
After the Graffiti era faded, his fondness for cars became legendary. Bennie passed away on October 3, 1999 at the age of 69.
The mission of the Walk of Fame is to highlight the character and history of Modesto and educate and illuminate these stories to citizens and visitors alike. The 2015 markers were donated and created by Chris Murphy, ModestoView, Sierra Pacific, and the hard work of Colin Sparkman and the DecoStone Concrete team, and United Signs and ColorCoat. I especially want to thank the City of Modesto, particularly Andy Johnson, for making it easy to create these events and team with the city to change our downtown positively.
