Who is Cy Kellogg?
Cy Kellogg is an American businessman and mechanic ,best known for his appearances in Velocity Channel’s “Garage Squad”. The bearded TV personality juggles his demanding filming schedule with his challenging role as the owner and president of LSD Logistics Inc. and a job position as fleet manager for Chicago-based company Deneen Inc.
As well as matriculating and graduating from Morton East High School and Moraine Valley College, in his younger years Cy studied various specialty classes to become the best in his craft. His hard work clearly paid off, as he’s been part of the “Garage Squad” cast for years, and has become a firm fan favorite thanks to his expertise and calm personality.
With little to no social media except a Facebook page on which he keeps fans up to date on his latest projects, Cy is a relatively reclusive TV personality as the general public knows virtually nothing about his personal life. With that said, the mechanic’s net worth is estimated to be $500,000, thanks to his TV appearances and other jobs.
“Garage Squad”
The premise of “Garage Squad” is simple but effective: talented mechanics rescue semi-abandoned project cars whose owners lack the time or knowhow to get up and running. The reality show has been airing on MotorTrend TV since 2014 and its success depends largely on the cast members and their chemistry, while simultaneously relying on the occasional scripted element to spice things up.
According to Reel Chicago, the crew is given a week to complete all the repair work prior to the revealing scene. The show’s sponsors and production team pay for all the car parts, paintwork and other necessities… but even so, sometimes the mechanics run into problems during projects. In a 2019 interview with WOCA The Source Radio, Joe Zolper, the show’s host and lead mechanic, said: “…I had to find a team of guys that go ‘Ok, we don’t have the parts to fix it, what do we have here that we can make work?’ That’s talent in itself in the mechanic’s world.”
No project is too daunting for the squad; some of the cars they’ve worked their magic on include a ’71 De Tomaso Pantera, which was essentially a shell and needed almost every part installed to get up and running. Other challenges have included a ’72 Ford Torino Cobra Jet which sat collecting dust in a garage for over 40 years with a cracked engine block, and a sturdy ’79 Ford Bronco which was described as ‘an oasis of problems’. Nevertheless, there’s a happy ending at the end of each episode, and almost every client is pleased with the outcome.
Meet the Cast – Part One
The main cast members of “Garage Squad” are Bruno Massel, Joe, Cy, Ron Gregurich, Heather Storm, and Jeff King, while some new faces have joined the crew such as Bogi Lateiner and Cristy Lee.
Starting off with Bruno, who is the show’s charismatic co-host, he was born in Illinois in 1974 and is perhaps the most prestigious addition to the show, with a long history in the automobile industry. The chameleonic reality star is an automotive technician and drag racer, who previously hosted MotorTrend’s “Truck U” show.
A two-time NHRA champ, Bruno previously worked as a commentator for FOX and NHRA drag racing. Internet sleuths who did a deep dive on the handsome master mechanic were shocked to learn that he actually worked as a model in his younger years, before tapping into his other talents. Despite having modeled for several popular brands, it’s little surprise that Bruno became a drag racer like his father, who built a record-setting A/Altered roadster, and taught him everything he knew.
Bruno’s other interests include fitness, as his Instagram profile is full of snaps working out or generally doing sporty activities. However, family is the most important thing in his life; having grown up in a tight-knit unit with three sisters named Jackie, Debi and Suzy, the mechanic wanted to have the same life experience, and wasted little time in tying the knot with his other half Dayna Purgatorio, and having two handsome sons. After twenty years of union, Bruno and Dayna are yet to thrust their sons into the spotlight, wanting them to have as normal an upbringing as possible.
As a TV star in the fickle entertainment industry, it’s also important to have a back-up career for the future. Bruno studied at York High School in Elmhurst, and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, meaning that if “Garage Squad” ever disbands, he’ll have no trouble in forging out a different career path.
Life definitely could’ve gone differently for Bruno, as he decided to pursue a law career after graduating. However, this changed when he met the renowned photographer Bruce Webber, and was convinced to take part in his first underwear advertising campaign for the luxury brand Ralph Lauren. With modelling being an underpaid job unless you’re a household name, Bruno began drag racing as a side hustle, driving a six-second, 200-mph Top Dragster, and winning the NHRA Competition Eliminator & Stock Eliminator classes in no time.
https://www.facebook.com/BrunoMasselRacing/posts/pfbid02DgsYDYGSUVyWHct5kdu6SASUQV5RpvgRkrH4cZXovCweo13tCdLCoCug4HvHQmHjl
2009 to 2013 were the golden years of Bruno’s drag racing career, as he won the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Competition twice, and the West Central Division Competition championships five times out of six. A potentially deadly car accident in 2010 at Route 66 Raceway led to Bruno suffering a concussion, which is perhaps one reason why he decided to bow out of the drag racing world a few years later.
With just over 1,500 followers on Instagram, Ron Gregurich, also known as “Wreck It Ronnie”, is a mechanic on “Garage Squad”, and one of the least mediatic cast members. Having gone quiet on Instagram since November 2020, it’s hard to tell what he’s up to these days, but we do know that he has his own shop, Blackstone Motorworks, where he toils away when not busy filming for the show.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1t6vrTBfWR/
According to Ron’s website, he worked at the family business almost every day during high school, and furthered his heavy truck and automotive knowledge at the Universal Technical Institute. Juggling a day and night job, Ron continuously built hot rods and four-wheel drives for himself and others. Before making it big with “Garage Squad”, Ron also took on a job in the construction industry, doubling duties as a mechanic and low boy driver.
When asked what his favorite vehicle is, Ron says: “All vehicles have a story to tell, and all mean something to someone, which makes the decision so difficult.” However, near the top of his list is the ’84 Jeep CJ7 which he first got his hands on at the age of 14. The mechanic also loves tracked vehicles, square-body Chevys, semitrucks, and “any and all oddities”.
Some of Ron’s current projects include upgrading a ’68 Coronet with power steering and power disc brakes, as well as rebuilding the transmission. He is also working on a ’66 F100 with leaks, wiring problems, and tuning issues, and is carrying out full treatment on a ’69 Buick Skylark which includes work on the transmission, engine, exhaust and interior.
Meet the Cast – Part Two
Heather Storm, at times referred to in derogatory terms as “that girl on ‘Garage Squad’”, is a television host and lifestyle blogger who worked on 45 episodes of the show from 2015 to 2018. Born in 1986 in Philadelphia, the vivacious blonde has also dabbled in writing, producing, and modelling, showing that there’s nothing she’s afraid to try.
At the age of 12, Heather and her parents Dan and Phyllis moved to Montana, where she would spend the rest of her childhood. As a NASM Certified Fitness Trainer and Stretch Technician, the bubbly Gemini was previously cast in a show called “30 Days”, in which she taught people about fitness, yoga, exercises and weight loss. She also worked as a trainer in Spectrum Athletic Club for roughly two years.
Heather’s love for outdoors activities and nature stem from her adolescence in Montana, where she regularly went camping and hiking, and eventually chose to pursue a Degree in Environmental Science at Oregon State University after matriculating from an unnamed high school. Upon graduating, she began working on sustainable tourism initiatives in sunny Puerto Rico, and designed an eco-conscious toolkit for Caribbean hotels.
New episode of Garage Squad on tonight at 9c Velocity #inthegarage #classiccars #tvhost https://t.co/6j0bb0OSPu
— Heather Storm (@HeatherStormTV) September 7, 2016
After her brief but jam-packed stint in Puerto Rico, Heather tried her luck in Hollywood with an ambitious move to Los Angeles, appearing in over 100 commercials while moonlighting as a fitness trainer. She also worked as marketing manager for W.J. Deutsch and Sons, managing a portfolio of diverse brands until her departure in 2011. In the same year, she became the co-founder and managing partner for the boutique event company Black Lab Ventures.
If Heather’s face seems familiar even without her “Garage Squad” association, it’s probably because she’s been cast in almost a dozen movies over the years. Some of these titles include “Dorm Daze 2”, “1000 Ways to Die”, “Underbelly”, and “Epic Movie”. Her last movie credit came in 2014, with a role in “Nightingale” – just months later, Heather came into her own as the outgoing host of “Garage Squad”.
Fans were shocked when Heather left the show after a few years, and was replaced by Cristy Lee, who also hosts “All Girls Garage”. Rumors began swirling that the cause of her departure was behind-the-scenes tension with her co-workers, but according to the fitness enthusiast, nothing could be further from the truth. Sources close to the host vehemently deny any bad blood between herself and other cast members; apparently, Heather simply felt it was time for a change.
So, what’s Heather working on these days? Since 2018, she’s been exploring America in her ’65 Ford Mustang for her TV series named “Drive Yourself Local”. As the creator, executive producer, and on-camera host of the series, it’s true that Heather’s demanding schedule leaves little time for other obligations. The former member of “Garage Squad” has also released a few episodes of her newest show, “Heather Storm Off-Road”, and is constantly promoting her projects on her lifestyle blog. Be it restaurant recommendations or driving tips for hazardous conditions, there’s something on Heather’s blog for every audience, which is perhaps why she describes herself as a “modern Renaissance woman”, who goes after what she wants.
Finally, it’s time to focus on Bogi Lateiner, a small business owner, technical educator, and TV personality who has joined the cast of “Garage Squad” to share her mechanical knowledge. Best-known for teaching nationwide car maintenance and repair classes for women, Bogi has been a huge hit on the show; it’s rumored that she was hired to attract more female viewers with her relatable personality.
Born in December 1977 in the Queens borough of New York City, Bogi spent a year studying abroad in Hungary as a high schooler, and adopted her unique nickname as the short version of her Hungarian name, Boglárka. While studying Law & Society and Women’s Studies at Oberlin College, Bogi suffered the tragic loss of her older sister Jenni in a car accident, and so decided to work in the automotive industry instead of becoming a lawyer, which was her original ambition.
For six years, Bogi worked as a BMW certified mechanic in New York and Arizona, the only female mechanic in these shops. She launched her business in her driveway in 2006, and later opened 180 Degrees Automotive in Phoenix, Arizona. Initially, Bogi’s business was a two-car auto repair shop, but six years in she purchased a two-story building to house her staff, with the aim of doing auto repairs on the first floor and teaching educational car classes for women on the second.
A change of plans was necessary due to the high demand for Bogi’s automotive and educational work. Today, she teaches car maintenance classes for women, and undertakes many speaking engagements which focus on effective communication with customers. Apprenticeships for female technicians are also provided through her business, as the TV personality has experienced first-hand the difficulties women face in landing their first job in the male-dominated automotive industry.
Some of Bogi’s prior accolades included being named in the Phoenix Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list in 2011. Her show, “Bogi’s Garage”, started in 2017, as she and 90 women – both experienced and inexperienced – took on the daunting project of rebuilding a ’57 Chevy Montague truck for that year’s annual SEMA show.
