For some odd reason today I was thinking about my one and only experience with this great Bach technician. I was a kid, 17 I believe, when my 1st teacher of influence took me down to NYC to check out the man and the shop while he got his Horn tweeked. Fully aware that nostalgia and time has hazed my recollection, the memory that lingers was that I felt I was in the presence of "Yoda" of the Instrument repair world!
What anecdotes, memories, recollections do you have to share dear Trumpet brethren?
PS.......Man, I hope I spelled his name correctly!

His real name was John Pettinato. I had some work done on my honrs by Peppy when I was 17. At the time his shop was located in the basement of Carroll Music near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He shaved down some mouthpieces and installed some amado water keys on my bflat and D trumpets. He had a little pot with silve that he used to plate the amato water keys. He was a wonderful craftsman. Not the most talkative fellow. He just kind of grunted at you. Real old school technician. I believe he passed away on the subway either riding to work or on his way home from work.

As a side note I had my trusty Strad overhauled and replated about three years by Chuck McAlexander at the Brass Lab. He did a fantastic job. He does his own silver plating. Excellent repairman.

His name was John Pettinato aka Peppy.
His shop was the hang.You could always find people like Lew Soloff or Joe Shepley there.
Wilmer

I remember going to his shop when I was like thirteen with a friend of mine who wanted something done to his Bach. After giving the horn to Pepe, Pepe turned around and put his Bach on the wall behind him with about 40 Bach trumpets that looked the same to me. When my friend asked for a receipt, Pepe just kind of stared at us......a few long seconds later he told us to go walk around NYC and come back in 3 hours.

I am pretty sure my friend received his original horn in return. LOL

Peppy was the trombone guy at the Mt. Vernon factory. He made trombones and mouthpieces for a while. Bill Watrous used one of Peppy horns. They were made with Bach parts. They were called PHD horns and mouthpieces. Neil diBiasi was one of the partners, I don't recall the H guy.
Wilmer

I have a lot and most of Pepe's tools and tooling from the original bach factory as well as some of his mandrels. I also have his old mouthpiece tooling from Giardinelli and Rudy Muck.

I like to run my shop in the same way Pepe did. A place for muysicians to hang out and get all their work done as they wait.

Josh

Guys, it was "Peppy,"not Pepe.
I always think of "Casbah" and Tony Martin when I hear the name Pepe.
Wilmer

Originally Posted by wiseone2

Guys, it was "Peppy,"not Pepe.
I always think of "Casbah" and Tony Martin when I hear the name Pepe.
Wilmer

Thank you for the correction, I have asked the powers to be to correct this!