He’s not a ringside A list celebrity at courtside with Spike Lee, or riding in the [NBA championship parade](https://www.otdowntown.com/news/knicks-parade-draws-two-million-fans-orange-blue-forever-LJ5957827) like Council Speaker Julie Menin, but Larry Greca may be one of the Knicks fans in the city.
He showed up on opening night outside Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20, driving a 2013 BMW convertible with 90,000 miles on it, tricked out in Knicks logos and team colors and a front door emblazoned with the words “WE FINALLS DID IT. The sign on the rear bumperreads: ‘NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE.
He is a notary public living on the Upper West Side by day and a rapper by night and since 1993 when he was only 11 he has been a die hard New York Knicks fan.
He was one of a legion of fans who joined in a spontaneous celebration outside Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20, which seemed to be made up largely of fans who could not afford to buy tickets but wanted to partake in the celebratory atmosphere as the defending champions received their rings in an opening night ceremony before the tip off against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He still has the Knicks blanket from that season when he first started rooting for them, which be brought to the opening night that the Knicks ultimately lost. “It was a Christmas present,” recalled Greca, now 45 years old and every bit as entwined with his fortunes team when he first began rooting for John Starks and Patrick Ewing. “Starks was my favorite. Ewing was the Warrior. Everyone in the city was imitating his fade away jumper.”
His car on opening night was a fan favorite, although not with police and security outside MSG “I did two laps, but every time I tried to pull over I was chased away” he said.
He said he’s applied for custom plates with variations of KnicksinFive and other distinctive custom plates for Knicks, but was unsuccessful. “I tried about 70 variations but they were all taken,” he said. So he’s just going to go with “Grecaman” which is the name he goes by as a rapper. And of course he has a rap song about the many years of frustration and one glorious championship after a 53 year drough.
He said he had brought his car, a 2013 335 series, with its turbocharged engine when it already had 13,000 miles on it, paying $35,000 for it.
This spring, he was initially just getting a mechanical overhaul with new shocks, brakes, windows, tires without any thought of converting his car to a Knicksmobile.
Then the Knicks made an amazing comeback in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers after being down 20 points. The car was already deep blue similar to the Knicks color. He said after that game, he posted a mock up of his car with a Knicks logo superimposed on the hood and orange rims. “I asked my friends, ‘what do you think?’ and they all said ‘Go for it’, he recalls. “I was half crazy, but I did it.” He specified the logo and orange tire rims. He said the detailer added a NYC skyline.
He attended New Utrecht High School, the setting for the old tv comedy, “Welcome Back Cotter.”
”I kind of hung around with the cool kids, so I didn’t graduate from there. I got my GED. But that was the school I was enrolled in,” said Greca, now 45 years old.
He has a button on the car window that says: “For Knicks Fans Only. Make Me an Offer.” And the native of Bensonhurst added a photo of Don Vito Correlone, played by Marlon Brando in the classic “The Godfather.”
‘’It’s not really for sale, but if someone wanted to make me a big offer that I couldn’t refuse...” his voice trails off.
When not running around the tri-state area with his mobile Knicksmobile, he can often be found playing chess in Bryant Park. “It’s getting a little chilly,” he said when we caught up with him again on Oct. 23.
Most of his rooting is done outside the world’s most famous arena, but he said he has tickets for a “nose bleed seat” in a few weeks with some buddies from Brooklyn.
He attended New Utrecht High School, the setting for the old tv comedy, “Welcome Back Cotter.”
”I kind of hung around with the cool kids, so I didn’t graduate from there. I got my GED. But that was the school I was enrolled in,” said Greca, now 45 years old.
The opening day loss was disappointing, but he has confidence it was a temporary lapse. “The whole world has adjusted to us, because we’re the champions. But they play the best team ball, I’ve ever seen, and the only player they lost is Mitchell \[Robinson who signed with the rival Celtics\].”
“The got a good chance to repeat,” he said.