The Coral Gables Times

'Fuzzy' Likes Planes That Won't Fly

By JOE C. MORRIS Correspondent Before Russian MiG's became a part of Castro's air arm, a Gableite had more Cuban Air Force planes in the lot beside his warehouse than Fidel had on all the airfields of Cuba. The man is "Fuzzy Furlong, owner of Aviaparts Inc. 4020 NW 24th St., near International Airport. He lives here at 6910 Sunrise Place. Ten T-28 training planes, bought by Batista and later converted by Castro to show Cuban Air Force markings, were denied export permits by the U.S. State Department. The Harris Advertising Agency of Miami ultimately seized them under a court order as partial payment for a debt the Cuban government owed them. Looking for a way to get his money, Harris found "Fuzzy" willing to part with $1,100 per plane. It was a sale. Everyone thought Furlong crazy... until the 44-year-old Irishman tore the planes apart, immediately sold enough "bits and pieces" to triple his investment and still have enough parts to do it again. Furlong dislikes his first name - Paul. He prefers "Fuzzy." And when he advertises in aircraft trade papers he refers to his parts as "Fuzzy's Goody's." During the discussion of surplus deals he was asked, "What was the most profit you ever made on one order?" He paused a long time, took out a cigaret. He lit it. "In 1948 surplus parts were coming out of government warehouses so fast you could get valuable material at scrap prices. I bought 500,000 carbon brushes, used in DC-6 propellers, for two cents each and sold them to a domestic airline for 32 cents each. "That was a real deal," he said, as the $150,000 profit came to mind again. Fuzzy has had many unusual experiences in 16 years of buying and selling used aircraft and surplus parts. A 1948 incident formed his business policy - "Own airplanes that won't fly." One hot summer day in New Jersey four men bought a B-25 airplane from him - on the spot with cash. Then they announced he was to fly them to Israel. Fuzzy didn't want to do it, even when they stuck a .32 automatic to his head and said, "Please." "I wouldn't have flown that plane if they had had a bazooka," he recalls. "Finally I convinced them that I knew a pilot who would do the job and, they let me go. I never went back." Another time, he bought an entire warehouse of war surplus parts for $2,500 and resold them for $48,000. Expenses involved re-boxing the material plus a few phone calls to find the customer. "Remember," he cautioned, "you can lose money in this business too. "I was high bidder once on a two-engine blimp at Lakehurst, N.J. I paid $280 for it then found the government controlled all sales of helium gas and wouldn't sell me any. "I had to cancel an order from a foreign government that read: 1 Blimp-$20,000." It was a surplus deal that started Fuzzy on another successful career, as a speed boat pilot. He swapped $140 worth of surplus generators for a $1,500 racing runabout in 1953. Now, six hydroplanes and $100,000 later (cost), he's high point leader in the United States, for 1961, with 4,100 points. But business and boating have not taken all his time. Many moments have been devoted to "affairs of the heart." One French romance in particular caused him to choose the name used on all his racing craft. It describes Fuzzy's life as well: "C'est Magnifique!" 'FUZZY' FURLONG -Staff Photo by RAYMOND LANG

TRIMMING PALM TREES is Ezelle Evans, one of several City crewmen cutting fronds the past few days. It takes three to eight minutes to trim a palm. The biggest problem, ducking the roaches and ants who live in the palms.

A "FRINGE BENEFIT" in trimming palm trees for the City of Coral Gables is this: drinking the milk from a coco-nut you hacked down along with the fronds. Getting his vitamins the "natural" way is Clifton Emmons of Homestead.

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