1998 Hall of Fame--The Son Also Rises

"He's a man of his word," Gaspari says. "When you make a business deal with him, it is a deal. And after he went through hard times, he never forgot his friends when the good times came back."

Hobby has similar feelings. "John is more than just a customer," he says. "When the relationship goes beyond business to friendship, that's when business really becomes a lot of fun."