A portion of Madison Street in Port Washington from the corner of Main Street to the corner of Webster Avenue will be dedicated to longtime Port Washington resident and motorcycle enthusiast Sal ‘Ghost Defeo as “Sal ‘Ghost’ DeFeo Street.”
DeFeo, nicknamed “The Ghost” after the speed he used to avoid police on his white Harley-Davidson motorcycle, was born on May 14, 1927, in Port Washington.
After graduating from Schreiber High School, DeFeo was drafted into the U.S. Army in August 1945 during World War II. After completing his basic training in South Carolina, DeFeo was shipped to Europe where he was stationed in France, Belgium and Germany before being honorably discharged in April 1947.
DeFeo died last year at 94 on Aug. 19, 2021.
As a teenager, he repaired and sold motorcycles out of his garage before incorporating his nickname when he opened Ghost Motorcycles in 1950. Aside from motorcycle enthusiasts, competitive bikers and mechanics, the store attracted some big-time names to come check out what DeFeo had to offer.
The Town of North Hempstead Town Board unanimously passed the resolution for the street dedication during the meeting on Thursday, Sept. 1, DeFeo’s mother’s birthday.
Friends and family shared kind words about DeFeo, including his nephew Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as the communications director for former President Donald Trump in 2017.
“My uncle took care of everybody, it didn’t matter if you were from Harbor Homes or from Sands Point,” Scaramucci said. “He was the type of person that greeted you and he helped every one of us as kids. I grew up in a blue-collar family and without my uncle, I don’t think I could be where I am today and we would love to have him honored.”
Scaramucci jokingly said he’s been in the town his whole life aside from the 11-day “fiasco” in Washington D.C., causing a big laugh from both the audience and dais.
Town Councilman Dennis Walsh said during voting that he had his motorcycle serviced with DeFeo in the 1970s.
VFW Post 1819 Commander John Baptiste Fiore said he cannot speak enough about DeFeo and his family.
“I had the honor to have Sal DeFeo in my command,” Fiore said. “This is a man of very few words, but he spoke with his heart in the right place.”
More information on the commemoration ceremony is set to be announced.
DeFeo is survived by Robert, Salvatore Jr., his other son, Christopher, daughters Susan Oldford and Sally-Ann Witcomb, and 12 grandchildren.