Armando Magri profile picture

Armando Magri

I am here for Networking

About Me

I passed away in 2001, but had a great ride in life for 87 years. I loved anything associated with Harley-Davidsons, rode 'em for 72 years, never broke a bone. Born and raised in Chico a proud first generation Italian-American, I raced in the '30s and '40s, joined the Army during World War II and for 33 years with Lu, owned ARMANDO MAGRI INC. HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLES I wrote an autobiography in the '90s. You can read chapters on the blogs. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY HISTORIC BLOGS ABOVE! More are archived. My son Ken Magri speaks for me. Check out the "PICS" with 8 photo albums and 330 images.To read R.V. Scheide's 2001 Sacramento News & Review story about me you can type in "Armando Magri" on most any search engine. Ride safe friends. Have a long life like I did.

My Interests

Adding stories about my relationship with Harley-Davidson to the overall history of the brand, and promoting the ARMANDO MAGRI WELDING SCHOLARSHIP is at American River College in Sacramento.

I'd like to meet:

I Shook hands with Muhammad Ali and Neil Armstrong, knew most all the Harleys and Davidsons, rode with Willie G., Peter Fonda and knew plenty of Angels. I wanted to meet Franklin Roosevelt, Joe Montana and Ann Margret.

Hunter S. Thompson and The Hell's Angels
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids....

We never had a problem with Hells Angels at our dealership. They always showed respect. Like Thompson, we can tell you stories about Mother Miles, Lonesome Ed and the old North Sac chapter.

Music:

Big bands of the 30s and 40s,

Movies:

"On Any Sunday"

Books:

My Harleys and I are in the following books: "100 Years of Harley-Davidson" by Willie G. Davidson, "The Encyclopedia of the Harley-Davidson" by Kerr and Henshaw, "A History of the Oakland Speedway, 1931-1941" by Tom Motter, "The Illustrated Directory of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles" by Tod Rafferty, "Harley-Davidson an American Motorcycle" by Allan Girdler, "Harley-Davidson 100 Years, Celebration of a Legend" by Tod Rafferty, "Harley Memorabilia" by Todd Rafferty, "Everything Harley-Davidson" by Dregni and Cedar, "The Harley-Davidson Motor Company, an Official Eighty Year History" by David K. Wright, and my autobiography, "Then and Now, the Memoirs of Armando Magri" Copyright A. Magri 1993, exerpts of which you can read in the blogs now.

Heroes:

Jean Bouton, our 19 yr old neighbor with a pilot's license who taught me and my brother Ernie to ride her Harley WJ sport twin, Walter C. Davidson, Willie G. Davidson, my racing pal Sam Arena: Sisters Michael, Agatha, Cornelius & Agnes of St. Patrick's convent in Nevada City, and of course, my sweetheart and partner for over 62 wonderful years, Lu Magri. And remember that they need your support always.

My Blog

Part Two, Harry Sweet and I scoop CBS with first film of the 1960 Winter Olympics

There were about 47,000 people at the Winter Olympics on opening day, but Harry was nowhere in sight.  At least he wasn't at the front gates, so after a half hour I made my way over to Blythe Mem...
Posted by Armando Magri on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:36:00 PST

Harry Sweet and I scoop CBS with opening footage of the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics, part one

It's a miracle that the 1960 Winter Olympics were ever awarded to Squaw Valley, USA, because they were practically promised to Innsbruck, Austria.  But the resort's owner, Alexander Cushing, show...
Posted by Armando Magri on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:59:00 PST

Buying the dealership from Murray, a dream come true

Murray had me in a managerial position during the post-war years.  Frank wanted me to learn all aspects of the business and gave me full reign.  To me this was heaven, because I liked Sacram...
Posted by Armando Magri on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:02:00 PST

Road testing motorcycles

During my tenure with Murray, the dealership did all the repair work on a fleet of Harleys purchased by the California Highway Patrol.  Murray selected me to test these machines for high-speed wo...
Posted by Armando Magri on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:17:00 PST

My Last Race at Box Springs after the War

Throughout the spring of 1948 my friends Willie Seadler and Whitey Tompkins kept bugging me about entering the race circuit again.  A 100-mile National at Box Springs (near Riverside, California)...
Posted by Armando Magri on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:02:00 PST

Back to Armando: Korea, and coming home from the war, 1946

When we landed in Korea I was even farther from home, but the end was still in sight.  They assigned me to dismantle or destroy all machinery from the Mitsubishi Locomotive Works in Seoul.  ...
Posted by Armando Magri on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:33:00 PST

My brother Ernies WWII adventures in France and Germany, part two

Ernie's 94th Calvary Reconnaissance squadron, of the 14th Armored Division drove out of Marseilles on October 30th, heading up France through painter Paul Cezanne's beloved Aix en Provence, through Av...
Posted by Armando Magri on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:59:00 PST

Ernies WWII Adventures, fourth and final part

Before long the 14th armored division fought through some light resistance and liberated the POW camp.  Ernie said they never saw a bunch of happier guys. Some had been POWs since the African cam...
Posted by Armando Magri on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:35:00 PST

Ernies WWII Adventures, Part Three

Ernie used to say that he only shot 75 rounds during all of World War II, and 70 of them had to do with just one incident.  "We were four or five vehicles back in a troop movement when everything...
Posted by Armando Magri on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:20:00 PST

My Brother Ernies World War II Adventures in France and Germany, 1944, Part 1

My brother Ernie Magri served in the 94th Calvary Reconnaissance Squadron, in the 14 Armored Division of the Seventh Army.  This division earned the nickname "Liberators" after it freed over 120,...
Posted by Armando Magri on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:52:00 PST