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In 1927, seventeen year old Jimmy Bruzzese left his native home in Italy, with hopes of forging a better life in the new world. With just a few dollars in his pocket and little knowledge of the English language, he settled in Detroit, Michigan. An accomplished musician and composer, he soon opened the Alhambra School of Music on Woodward Avenue where he taught accordion lessons and sold various musical instruments. He fell in love with one of his students, JoAnn Nudo, and they were married in 1937. They had two sons, Jim Jr. in 1939 and Larry in 1942. In addition to starting a family, Jimmy had launched a career as a builder.
Jimmy and JoAnn, always seeking new opportunities, built their first bowling center, Fantasy Lanes in 1952. Located at 7 Mile Road and Hayes, the Fantasy had 16 lanes, a fine dining restaurant, and an entertainment lounge where Jimmy often performed his own music. By the end of the 1950s, Jimmy and JoAnn were already looking to improve and expand their business by capitalizing on the city's migration north to the suburbs. Jimmy put his building skills to work, and in 1960 he and JoAnn opened a new, modernized bowling center, Pampa Lanes on Van Dyke between 13 and 14 Mile Road. With three banquet rooms, Pampa Lanes was the center they had always wanted. They worked 7 days a week and watched their dreams manifest into reality. They were soon joined by their son Larry who had developed an active interest in the bowling business.
On a Sunday afternoon in 1962, a fire engulfed Pampa Lanes and burned the entire building to the ground. Jimmy and JoAnn began the overwhelming task of rebuilding the dream that took 25 years to achieve. The building process began once again, and in the spring of 1963, Larry married Sue Lapshan, his high school sweetheart. Before Jimmy could see Pampa Lanes' grand reopening after the fire, he died unexpectedly of a heart attack in the summer of 1963. JoAnn and her twenty-two year old son were thrust into the bowling business without Jimmy. With two mortgage payments and a list of creditors longer than a bowling lane, it seemed impossible to make ends meet. Through the 1960s and 1970s, they worked harder than ever. Larry had three children during these difficult times, Jimmy in 1965, Jeff in 1966, and Molly in 1969.
A short time later, Larry's brother, Jim Jr. joined the family business. Like his father, Jim Jr. was an accomplished musician. Regarded as one of the top drummers in the nation, Jim Jr. had made a name for himself by playing for such legendary performers as Sammy Davis Jr. and Ann Margaret. In the 1970s, Jim Jr. opened Pampa Sound Studios inside Pampa Lanes, and did studio work for the likes of Bob Seger, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Burt Bachrach. When Jim Jr. decided to rent out his studio less than 10 years later, he already had five gold records to his credit.
In the 1980s, JoAnn started thinking about retirement. Pampa Lanes was getting back on track financially, and Larry and his mother considered selling the family business. Jim Jr. had begun a career in video doing various film and editing projects, and became less involved. It was Larry's children that saved Pampa Lanes, when they expressed an interest in keeping the center when they finished college. One by one they joined their father after graduation, and by the early 1990s Pampa Lanes was once again a family affair. As Larry heads into retirement, his children carry on the family legacy that build Pampa Lanes.
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