Listen up.
The owner of a car audio shop, which has installed a prominent “Charcello” speaker system, is urging city residents and officials to ease the tension surrounding loud car meetups in New York.
Lewis Colon, the owner of All-Star Auto Solutions in Pasaic, New Jersey, along with his wife, Janet Beat, mentioned that these gatherings are intended to be “family-friendly” and could potentially raise money for charity if they were better organized.
“I don’t want 99 people involved in the trouble,” Colon emphasized in response to concerns about illegal car meetups.
Both Colon and Beat, who have roots in the Bronx, noted they’ve seen a sharp decline in their business—about a 50% drop—due to the negative perception surrounding the “car music” community.
Colon remarked, “We’re being portrayed worse than drug dealers right now.” The couple shared that some customers travel long distances, from places like Texas, Missouri, and Florida, to have speaker systems installed. They plan to showcase over 400 cars in Middletown, New York, in May and are promoting another event in Atlantic City in August.
“These kinds of events happen in other towns, and families attend,” Beat commented. “Our customers are like family.”
The systems sold by Allstar Auto Solutions range from $1,000 to $60,000, reflecting the growing interest in high-quality audio installations.
Colon and Beat are calling on “car music” fans and community leaders to collaborate on clearer guidelines and better management to hold events in a way that respects the community, such as setting designated areas and times for gatherings.
“This can be a lucrative venture with proper direction,” Colon stated.
Nick Telzo, who grew up in the Hudson Valley and is now based in Miami, runs a car show company by the name of Clean Culture, hosting around 35 events annually across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
He mentioned that his events often include robust “Charcello” systems, and he’s looking for ways to adhere to regulations by utilizing designated areas—as demonstrated by a recent successful event that attracted around 2,000 attendees over the July 4 weekend in Lakewood, New Jersey.
“I do enjoy loud music,” Terzo admitted.
He wants to provide a platform for enthusiasts to showcase their cars and give them a safe space away from the streets. However, Colon and Beat feel that it’s not just critics harming their business.
“Skyrocketing tariffs are hurting us, too,” Colon noted. “Some prices jumped by $100 from May to June.”
Victor Martinez, who works at Inspire Auto Sound and Details in the Bronx, echoed this sentiment, discussing how the speaker tariffs have impacted sales significantly.
“What used to cost $30 or $40 now exceeds $90 or $100 because of these taxes,” Martinez stated. “It’s frustrating.”
Residents from Queens, the Bronx, and Nassau County have expressed their frustrations to local lawmakers, demanding the NYPD be authorized to seize and destroy “Charcello” systems.
An NYPD official explained, “If the sound device can be detached from the vehicle, it could be seized. If it’s a built-in component, the vehicle might be taken as well.” They added that if a device is in a moving car and can be safely stopped, the same rules apply.
Meanwhile, Colon and Beat, who believe that “music is good for the soul,” aspire for a more harmonious relationship between the “car music” community and the public. Colon remarked, “If we can find someone willing to advocate for us, we’ll see better outcomes. But if no one listens, people will keep playing music when they shouldn’t, leading to tickets and arrests.”
