YOUNGSTOWN -- Richard Dascenzo graduated from Youngstown State University in 1975 with a marketing

YOUNGSTOWN -- Richard Dascenzo graduated from Youngstown State University in 1975 with a marketing degree, but his heart was in cars.
"I've always been interested in automobiles. That's all I ever wanted to do. I've just enjoyed being down here," Dascenzo said, referring to Dutch Auto Body & amp; Paint Shop, the North Side business he took over after his father, Arman "Dutch" Dascenzo, retired in 1985.
The younger Dascenzo worked part-time at a gas station during high school and did cleanup work at the shop.
Later, he spent his mornings at YSU and then went to the shop to do paint work, change cars' headlights, take an occasional fender off and perform other minor repair work.
Starting out
Dascenzo explained that the business began after his father got out of the Army Air Corps at the end of World War II and opened a two-car garage on Euclid Avenue, on the city's East Side. In 1948, his father bought the lot where the shop sits. Since then, Dutch Auto Body has undergone four additions, the last one in 1981.
From the mid-1980s until his death in 1994, Dascenzo's father continued to spend time at the shop.
"My dad still enjoyed coming down here, even after retirement," he said. "My dad was on hand for advice and was always there when you needed him."
Another longtime fixture at the business is Dascenzo's uncle, Frank Dascenzo, who refinishes, does collision work, applies paint and performs touch-up and other work three days a week. Except for a two-year Army stint, Frank Dascenzo has worked continuously at the shop for 53 years. Before that, he worked in the two-car East Side garage.
In recent years, Dutch Auto Body has relied on a computer and a four-wheel alignment machine to keep up in the field. Dascenzo said that technology has made his job easier in some ways, but more challenging in others. For example, some simple paint and refinishing repairs are more difficult since more steps are needed to do the work, he said.
Dascenzo said he attends training seminars to keep up on changes in the industry.
He said he is proud of his shop's accomplishments, including being featured in an article in the August 2002 issue of Body Shop Business, a national trade magazine.