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LIMO BOB: King Of The Road On June 16th, 1958, Robert J. Strauser ("Limo Bob") was born into this world of good times and hard times. He made -- and lost -- two fortunes. He rose up from the ashes of defeat and built Star Limo, Inc., his third successful Limo business (and his third fortune) that he enjoys today. This is his story, where fact is often stranger than fiction. A shy little boy, Limo Bob grew up in Wooster Lake, Ingelside, Illinois a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Early on, he discovered he had a knack for making money. When he was eight years old, Limo Bob began cutting the lawns of friends and neighbors. When his family moved to Hickory Hills, Illinois, Limo Bob was cutting 12 lawns a week and making good money while his friends were out playing ball. It wasn’t long before he saved enough money to buy a riding mower. When the snow fell and Limo Bob couldn’t cut lawns, he bought a snow plow blade, attached it to the front of the riding mower, and plowed sidewalks and driveways for $1 per house. When Limo Bob was 13, he went to Malibu, California, to visit relatives, who took him to all the tourist areas, where he met several movie stars. Limo Bob was star-struck. California, indeed, was a state of make-believe. Hollywood made a lasting impression on Limo Bob and he never forgot the glitz, the glitter, the things money can buy. Now, more than ever, he was influenced to make money, and lots of it. One evening when Limo Bob was 15, his father, Larry, went to dinner with his trucking partner and bumped into Mrs. Marshal Fields, who happened to be selling a green Limo (her trademark color). Larry bought the Limo and soon after it arrived in the driveway, neighbors, friends, and even strangers, began asking if they could rent it. So this is how Hickory Hills Limousine was born. When a chauffeur failed to show up for work one day, Larry woke up Limo Bob, who was then driving on a learner’s permit, and sent him to the airport to pick up a customer. When the high school prom rolled around, Limo Bob was all set to go with his date, but once again a driver failed to show up. "You’re not going to the prom," Larry said, "you’re driving to the prom." That was okay with Limo Bob though, since he was the only kid in school who earned several hundred dollars a week. When Larry decided to move to Florida to start Clearwater Limousine, Limo Bob's parents divorced and Limo Bob went to Florida with Larry. Once Clearwater Limousine was up and running, Limo Bob, then 19, returned to Chicago to run Hickory Hills Limousine with a couple of guys he had brought back from Florida. Limo Bob moved into a rental house in Worth, Illinois, with the five Hickory Hills Limos. One of the guys he’d brought back from Florida, Bob Pritchard, 35, moved into the house with Limo Bob and his soon-to-be wife, Maureen. It wasn’t long before Pritchard began causing trouble. Limo Bob told Pritchard to leave. When Pritchard refused, a scuffle ensued. When it was over, Pritchard warned, "My ex-wife’s father owns a chain of liquor stores in downtown Chicago. He’s Mafia and he’ll get you for this!" Limo Bob’s and Maureen’s best friends at the time, Kelly and Billy, moved in with them to answer the phone and help maintain the small Limo fleet. A month later, strange things began to happen. Between one and three in the morning, a blue Trans Am would pull up at the end of the alley and the three large Mafia men inside let a woman in high boots out. Her face was powdered white and her frizzy hair stood straight up, as though she’d stuck a wet finger into a light socket. The woman walked up the alley, around the Limos, which were parked in the alley, to the opposite end of the alley, where the blue Trans Am would then pick her up. The woman didn’t blink; she didn’t twitch. She looked, literally, like walking death. She was a scary sight and Limo Bob, Maureen, and their friends couldn’t understand what was happening. Later, after the Trans Am left, the phone rang and a man said, "Are you ready for what’s next?" Everyone freaked out. This scenario went on every night for a month. One night Limo Bob and Maureen were entertaining some semi-pro football player friends at their house. As Limo Bob was relating the story of what had been happening late at night, the blue Trans Am pulled up and the strange-looking woman got out of the car. Everyone left the house for a closer look. They began screaming "You better get out of the *!@# alley!" at the white-faced woman, who didn’t bat an eye. She simply kept walking at her usual slow, steady pace to the other end of the alley. The yelling and screaming didn't faze her one bit. She turned around and began walking toward them. Too spooked to stay, Limo Bob’s guests got into their cars, which were parked in the alley. Limo Bob was leaning on the door of one of the cars, talking to his friend, when the apparition of death appeared in the rear view mirror, walking towards them. "This is too crazy for me," his friend said. In a roar, he peeled out of the alley, tires smoking, and almost knocking Limo Bob to the ground. Limo Bob ran into the house and called the police. When they arrived, Limo Bob told them to go after the blue Trans Am that had just pulled away. The police told them to calm down or they would be arrested. At that point, Kelly became hysterical and cried, "What’s happening to us? Why won’t you go after them?" The cop grabbed her arm and said, "One more word out of you and I’m going to arrest you on the spot." As he turned to leave he said, "Call us if you see them again. Unless we see them harassing you, we can’t do anything." Twenty seconds after the police pulled away, the blue Trans Am reappeared. Limo Bob called the police again, but they never came. The police never showed up again after that night, no matter how many calls Limo Bob made. The thought of the crooked arm of the Mafia paying off the cops ran through Limo Bob’s mind because the bizarre nightmare continued for three months, without any help from the police. Limo Bob and Maureen were scared, but not even the Chicago Mafia was going to make them move out. The phone calls became more frequent, more threatening. "Say good-bye to your limousine company," the caller said one night, then hung up. The next morning Limo Bob jumped into one of the Limos to pick up a customer. A mile down the road, the engine blew. He would later find the oil pan nut lying in the middle of the stained gravel in the alley where the Limo had been parked. Someone had unscrewed it and let the oil out. A couple of nights later, the radiator lines were cut on another Limo, which caused it to overheat and warp the heads. It wasn't long before the third and fourth Limos were ruined. Late one night, the phone rang and the caller asked if they "wanted more." Limo Bob called the police, but once again, they failed to appear. The next morning, Limo Bob awoke to the grand finale. Limo number five had been broken into, a match had been lit, and the entire interior had been burned to a crisp. The fire department never came, nor did the police. Odd that no one had seen the fire or the smoke, since they lived a mere 90 feet from Harlem Avenue, one of the busiest streets in Chicago. After three months of living hell, the final phone call came. "Now that all of your Limos are gone, it’s your turn, Limo Bob. You’re next, mother %$#&@?!" Limo Bob called his father in Florida and told him what had happened. "Pack your stuff and get down here, now!" Larry ordered. This was more than just the average prankster. Now Limo Bob’s life was in danger. Within 24 hours, Limo Bob and Maureen were packed and on their way to Florida in a rented car. Scared and confused, all they took with them was what would fit in their suitcases. Everything else -- house, furniture, the useless Limos -- were left behind. The strange thing was, both of their dogs had disappeared during the night. Limo Bob and Maureen started over in Florida. They worked with Larry at Sun-Isle Taxi & Limo and lived in his house. Limo Bob drove a cab and Maureen was a dispatcher. Working a cab company was a new experience and very different from a Limo service. Most of the cab drivers were low-lifes who had escaped their home state -- or worse -- for one reason or another. One cab driver was arrested for murdering his wife. A woman sometimes brought her 12-foot boa constrictor to work. Then there was Artie, the cab company manager who was notorious for keeping the crew in line with a lead pipe. Artie was married to Limo Bob's sister, Debbie. Artie, who used to pack a pistol and rob Chicago pharmacies for drugs and money, had been in and out of prison for years. Lately, Artie had become so violent that Larry had to put Debbie and the kids in a safe place where Artie was unlikely to find them. At 3 a.m., a car pulled into Larry’s driveway. Limo Bob aimed his gun, a nervous finger on the trigger. The car door opened. A man got out. It was Bob Spatz, one of the cab drivers. "What are you doing here, Spatz?" Limo Bob yelled out. "I almost shot you! I thought you were Artie!"One night, a cabbie told Larry and Limo Bob that Artie was planning to kill Debbie and the kids. A wife beater, Artie going berzerk because Debbie was leaving him. Evidently, Artie and his pals were drunk at the Bill Mar Lounge in Treasure Island. They were also packing guns and planning to go to Larry’s house sometime that night. Artie swore he was going to kill everyone in the house because no one would tell him where Debbie was. Larry and Limo Bob prepared to defend their family and took off for Larry’s house. Larry hid in the back yard, under a table, in a fighting position with a rifle. Limo Bob crawled onto the roof with a 9mm. so he could watch the front of the house. Limo Bob had never touched a gun in his life but he was prepared to defend himself and his family. "Artie and his thugs are at the Bill Mar," Spatz said. "They’re armed and preparing to come here." "Thanks, Spatz," Limo Bob said. "You’d better leave. We’re ready for Artie. We’re tired of living like this." Artie and his thugs never showed up. Limo Bob found out later that Big Mouth Spatz went back to the Bill Mar and told Artie that Limo Bob and Larry were ready to protect life, liberty, and home. They were armed and waiting for them. The drunken thugs backed down. Limo Bob had been through hell and he was barely 21. He had left Chicago because of the Mafia, started over with nothing in Florida, and then had to protect his family from a maniac on the warpath. Life was not fun in those early years, but the School of Hard Knocks made Limo Bob what he is today: successful. Over time, Limo Bob and Larry built a successful Cab and Limo company in Florida. In 1982, Larry decided to sell out and retire. He wanted to sail his yacht. Limo Bob and Maureen opted to enjoy the Gulf of Mexico and lived in a high rise at Envoy Point on St. Pete Beach for the rest of the year. They spent all of their money, but they loved Florida so much, they sold their furniture and everything else and moved into the Mardi Gra motel on Treasure Island. It wasn’t long before their money ran so low they had to sleep on the beach for a couple of nights. After the third day of too much sun and sand, they decided there was only one thing left to do: Take the beat up 1974 Lincoln Town Car and what little money they had left and go back to Chicago and build their own Limo business. They arrived in Chicago with $30 in their pocket. Limo Bob's mother, Sandy, helped Limo Bob find a job as a doorman in a nightclub. Maureen went to work as a waitress. They hustled and eventually gathered up enough money to fix up the Town Car. Limo Bob did the body work and then took it to a local Earl Scheib and had it painted white. Sandy answered the Limo phone line and helped with the bookkeeping. Limo Bob continued his doorman duties so he could buy business cards and create working capital. He had a dream and he intended to make it come true. Limo Bob scoured junk yards for Limos to build up his fleet. He bought two old blue Limos -- one from New York with rusty bullet holes down the side, the other with grass growing through the rotted-out floor -- for $2,000. Once again he did the body work with bondo, fiber glassed the rotted-out floor, and then took them back to Earl Scheib because they advertised they’d "paint any car for $99.95" -- except they wanted $119.95 to paint a Limo. Limo Bob argued that, "A Limo is a car, not a truck." He got the Limos painted for $99.95 and Elite Limousine Service was born. Three repainted Limos does not build a business, however. Limo Bob had no money but starting at the bottom left him no place to go but up, even if his Limos rippled with Bondo and left ponds of oil in million-dollar driveways. In order to garner business, his company slogan was, "Guaranteed to be on time or the trip is free." His beater Limos got him on television when two boys sued him for being late. The free publicity created more business. Once, outside a church, Limo Bob overheard a groomsman say, "Tell me this guy doesn’t have the market cornered on Bondo!" Everyone laughed. Limo Bob, dressed in an ill-fitting used Tux, was totally embarrassed. There was no denying that he was the undisputed king of beater Limos! But the worst was yet to come. Behind his Limo carrying the bride, the groom, and the customary champagne, the wedding party cars, all festively adorned with crepe-paper, were ready to caravan to the reception, but the Limo wouldn’t start. Limo Bob popped the hood and jiggled a few wires. The Limo still wouldn’t start. He didn’t know what else to do to make it start. After the people stopped laughing, they started impatiently blowing their horns. They wanted to get their show on the road and party at the reception. Limo Bob wondered if all he’d gone through was worth it. Would he ever "make it"? It’s a good thing Limo Bob is blessed with quick thinking. If he couldn’t get his customers to the party, he’d bring the party to them. With a white towel over his arm, Limo Bob proceeded to pour champagne. He clicked his heels together, butler-style, and served each guest with a panache and style that would later become his trademark. In 1984, when Limo Bob and Maureen got married, they had a fleet of five Limos. The following year they took a Sunday drive up Roberts Road in Hickory Hills in one of the Limos and passed by a nursing home. An elderly man with no legs sitting out in the sun waived to them as they drove by. Maureen said, "You should give him a ride in the Limo." Limo Bob took it one step further. "Why don't we give him and a few of his friends a ride downtown and serve them all champagne?" Limo Bob called the director and offered the free Limo ride. The director was delighted and said yes. On the following Sunday, Limo Bob and Maureen rounded up the man with no legs and 11 of his nursing home friends, packed them and the required nurses aids into three of the Limos, and took them on a chauffeured grand tour of Chicago. At one point, a news truck pulled up and a reporter asked what was going on with the Limo procession. "We’re driving some nursing home folks around to lighten up their day," Limo Bob said. The reporter asked a nursing home resident what was going on. "Oh," said the man with no legs, "this nice man is taking us for a ride." When they returned to the nursing home after the day’s grand tour, the other residents begged to go for a ride. Limo Bob promised that every year he would double the number of nursing home passengers if, God willing, he could double his fleet. He promised to give free rides until every nursing home resident -- 76 in all -- had ridden in his Limos. That night Limo Bob made the 10 o’clock news. The reporter who had interviewed his nursing home passengers called his story, "The man who watches the world go by, gets a ride -- Limo style. The Grand Chauffeured Tour." After that, Limo Bob received hundreds of calls telling him what a nice thing he had done for the nursing home residents. All the money in the world couldn’t have made Limo Bob feel as good as he did right then. Soon thereafter, Limo companies from around the world started emptying out homes the world over. From that single good deed, Limo Bob’s business flourished. Every year he went to the nursing home and gave residents a free Limo ride, and every year his fleet doubled. Three years later, he made good on his promise to the nursing home: all 76 residents had ridden in his Limos. From that television news story, people called and booked his Limos. Limo Bob was on his way to "making it." No one could have ever believed what was about to happen to his life from this point on. In 1985, Limo Bob bought a 1985 executive Stretch Limo. In 1986, he bought the longest Limo in Illinois. By 1987, Limo Bob was the owner of the world’s longest and most exotic limousines and fine exotic cars anywhere. He was on television news around the world and in newspapers and magazines. Limo Bob was on top of the Limo world with 40-footers furnished with Jacuzzis, beds, hot tubs, and rumble seats. His fleet consisted of Ferraris, Excaliburs, Rolls Royces, Mercedes, to name a few. Little People in tuxedos served cocktails and hors d’oeurves inside. Limo Bob went from King of the Beater Limousines to the King of the World's Longest and Most Exotic Limos Anywhere. Life couldn't have been sweeter: Limo Bob was King of the Road. Then, in 1991, Limo Bob was approached by a man named Tom Thompson, who represented himself as Kim Basinger's partner. Kim and her brother, Mick, wanted to buy half of Limo Bob’s empire. They had seen Limo Bob on TV and they wanted to make him super rich and famous beyond his wildest imagination. Kim would heavily endorse the company and together they would open up Extraordinary Limo Services all over the world. Of course, Limo Bob said yes. With his lawyer present, Limo Bob signed eight blank documents. Limo Bob and Basinger were now partners in Extraordinary Limo Services. They gave him less than 10 percent down, but he was told he would receive a stock purchase agreement in 30 days, along with the rest of the money. When Limo Bob received the Stock Purchase Agreement, it stated that Kim Basinger held 51 percent of the stock and Limo Bob held 49 percent. Limo Bob’s own lawyer had sold him out for an extra one percent. Even worse, no more money would be forthcoming. As the minority shareholder, Limo Bob was ousted from the company. They removed almost half a million dollars from his bank account and took over a million dollars worth of the World's Longest & Most Exotic Limousines away and fraudulently sold them all off within three months, and then left town. The Limos weren’t entirely paid for and still in Limo Bob’s name. His excellent credit rating went into the toilet. His reputation as a successful and honest businessman he had worked so hard to achieve was totally destroyed. Limo Bob was devastated. And broke. Limo Bob and Maureen lost their house, their furnishings their cars, their personal and business bank accounts because all assets had been transferred to the new corporation. He had to hock the 22 pounds of gold he wore around his neck -- gifts from the rich and famous who used his limousine service that had become his trademark. Could Limo Bob start with nothing a third time and end up on top of the world? Maureen put things into proper perspective when she said, "Your best revenge is your success." For a while Limo Bob and Maureen sold Barney, the purple dinosaur, on street corners in order to feed the kids. Eventually they made enough money to buy some karaoke equipment so Limo Bob could emcee the nightclub circuit. The only drawback to starting another Limo service was the Non-competition Agreement he’d received from Basinger and Company, prohibiting him from entering the Limo business for a period of five years. To make matters worse, Limo Bob couldn’t even be around a Limo or he’d end up in court, possibly threatened with jail time. Limo Bob became so paranoid he couldn’t even look at a Limo for fear of going to jail. Basinger & Company were making Limo Bob’s life miserable. After two years in the night club circuit, Limo Bob sold his karaoke company and bought Sylvester Stallone’s Mercedes Benz Limo. Once again, Limo Bob was in business. Maureen’s mother, Theresa O’keefe, fed them and used her husband’s death benefits to help the fledgling business and Star Limo was born. Limo Bob took Kim Basinger and Company to court in a multi-million-dollar lawsuit. Six years into the case, his lawyer decided to drop out because his wife passed away. He was, quite naturally, devastated. He would never return to the courtroom but he forgot to notify Limo Bob. Limo Bob later learned that his lawyer had been bought off. Limo Bob vs. Kim Basinger was thrown out for non-response. Limo Bob reinstated the case in another courthouse, pro se, and managed to keep it going until March, 2000, when the statute of limitations ran out. After nine years of litigation hell, the case was dismissed. Money and power rule. (Limo Bob has a letter from the judge that says: "You were perfectly capable of winning pro se, but time ran out.") Limo Bob learned a harsh lesson: Money and power rule! For years he had toiled over his case -- putting in 16-hour days and giving it all he had -- only to lose because time waits for no one. Not only do money and power rule, money equals power. Limo Bob appeared on numerous television talk shows to tell his story. Twenty million viewers gave him the will to move on and to forget the past. From that point on, Limo Bob would only look forward and vowed that if life ever again puts negative obstacles in his path, he will jump over them and turn the negative obstacles into positive situations. But he trusts nobody on first sight. He’s learned to let time, his former enemy, build trust and loyalty in others. Another hard lesson learned. With the roses come the thorns. What got Limo Bob through all the ups and downs was having someone to share them with -- his wife, Maureen, and his best friend, his sister, Sam. "If you have that dear someone," Limo Bob says, "like I have in my beautiful, loving, and supportive wife and my sister, then you will prevail through anything. Sam has always been there for me and we are always in each other’s hearts and thoughts no matter how far apart we were physically. Then my wife came along and I had two best friends. I am, indeed, the richest man in the world because nothing compares to the power of love. I thank God every day for blessing me with such love and support.  "Keep the faith. Don’t ever give up! Go for what you believe in and give it all you’ve got and you will succeed in anything you can possibly dream of. Your dreams can come true! I’m happier now, and more knowledgeable than I have ever been -- thanks to the wonderful support of my wife of twenty-four years and the undisputed love of my beautiful daughter, Jennifer, and my superstar son, LBJ (Limo Bob, Jr.). I worship the ground they walk on and I’m fortunate to spend every day in unbelievable happiness with them. Just to see them smile makes my day!" Life couldn't be better, and Limo Bob has never been happier! His slogan today is: "Give from the heart to those less fortunate than you and you will be rewarded." He continues to give free Limo rides every year to the less fortunate, and gives generously to many causes. LIMO KING ENTERPRISE OR LKE is Limo Bob’s nationwide company today. He builds limousines and he sells limousines, new and used. Limo Bob consults with people in the industry to get the most bang for your buck. As a graduate from the School of Hard Knocks, Limo Bob is happy to share his hard-won knowledge with anyone who asks. When the odds are totally against you, look up. The key is having faith in God. And to never forget where you came from. His father gave him the business know-how and his mother gave him bookkeeping skills. Limo Bob’s kindness to others and his flamboyant Golden Style -- always with a smile -- propelled him over the top. Super Star Limo Service features the newest and longest Limos in the world: Excaliburs, Rolls Royces, Mercedes, Navigators, and SUVs of all kinds. And don’t forget the SHEIK LIMO, the $1.8 million world-record holder as the longest 2-piece Limo in the World! Since September 11th, it’s now called THE PATRIOT LIMO. At his 10-year-old son’s (Limo Bob, Jr.) request, Limo Bob turned the biggest Limo into an 65-foot American flag! (Limo Bob also owns the world’s longest one-piece Limo.) Super Star Limo Service is Limo Bob’s other company that services the Chicagoland-area with, once again, The World's Longest & Most Exotic Limousines & Fine Cars Anywhere! Super Star Limo Service also rents yachts, jets, and helicopters. Limo Bob’s got you covered: by land, by sea, and by air. Feel free to call Limo Bob anytime for a free consultation or just to say "hi" @ 888-LIMO-KIT or 708-945-LIMO. Copyright 2001, Robert J. Strauser. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by electronic, video, laser, mechanical, photocopying, recording means or otherwise, in part or in whole, without written permission from Robert J. Strauser. | |||||||
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