Thomas DeFranzo

Patriots Sign Pair of Undrafted Quarterbacks

The 2020 NFL Draft came and went without the New England Patriots selecting a quarterback, but the team did sign a pair of undrafted free agent quarterbacks shortly after the draft. New England signed Brian Lewerke and J’Mar Smith, who recently played with Michigan State and Louisiana Tech, respectively. Many believed the team would draft a quarterback with one of its 10 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, but that wasn’t the case.

As the owner of Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage in Windsor, Connecticut, Thomas DeFranzo builds award-winning hot rods based on the Hot Wheels designs. His vehicles have participated and won awards at SEMA Show in Las Vegas and Boston World of Wheels. Outside of his professional endeavors, Thomas DeFranzo is a fan of the National Football League’s (NFL) New England Patriots.

This past season, Lewerke started 13 games at Michigan State and accumulated a career-best 3,079 passing yards. He threw 17 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 363 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. Smith, meanwhile, recorded 2,977 passing yards to go along with 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2019. He also had 422 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns. Both players are expected to compete for the starting quarterback position alongside Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham.

Bruins Acquire Nick Ritchie from Anaheim Ducks

Thomas DeFranzo is an experienced mechanic and entrepreneur who has owned Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage in Windsor, Connecticut, since 2011. In that time, he has built life-sized replica Hot Wheels cars and won multiple car show awards. Beyond his professional endeavors, Thomas DeFranzo is a fan of the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins.

In an effort to improve its roster ahead of the 2020 trade deadline, the Bruins acquired power forward Nick Ritchie from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Danton Heinen on February 24. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound native of Ontario, Canada, Ritchie was selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 NHL Draft and accumulated 109 points in 287 regular season games with the team. He had 19 points in 41 games prior to the trade, while Heinen had 22 points in 58 games.

Heinen is a fourth-round pick of the Bruins who recorded a career-best 47 points in the 2017-18 season, but has seen a decline in production in each of the following two seasons. Both players are signed through the 2020-21 season, but Ritchie has a lower salary cap hit at $1.5 million compared to Heinen’s $2.8 million.

This was the second trade in less than a week between the two teams. On February 21, the Bruins traded David Backes, Axel Andersson, and a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft to the Ducks for forward Ondrej Kase.

Bruins Sign Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to Two-Year Contract Extension

An alumnus of Prince Tech in Windsor, Connecticut, Thomas “Tommy” DeFranzo founded Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage in 2011 and has since earned multiple awards for his construction of life-sized Hot Wheels cars. Beyond his interest in automobiles, Thomas DeFranzo is a sports fan who counts the Boston Bruins as his favorite National Hockey League (NHL) team.

Amid the 2019-20 NHL season, the Bruins signed 22-year-old defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to a two-year, $1.7 million contract extension on February 14. A native of Val d’Or, Quebec, Lauzon started for the Bruins in six consecutive games in place of the injured Connor Clifton prior to being suspended two games for a hit to the head of Arizona Coyotes’ player Derek Stepan on February 8.

Known primarily for his defensive capabilities, Lauzon played in 23 games with the Bruins over the past two seasons before signing his extension. He scored two goals in that time. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound defender has spent the majority of his professional career with Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence, where he has three goals and 24 assists in 126 games. He played four seasons of junior hockey with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and was selected by the Bruins in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Make-A-Wish and Subaru Team Up Again

The owner of Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage in Windsor, Connecticut, Thomas DeFranzo builds custom hot rods, some of which are full-sized replicas of Hot Wheels Cars. Outside of his professional life, Thomas DeFranzo supports nonprofit organizations like the Make-A-Wish foundation, which provides life-changing experiences to children who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

In late 2019, Make-A-Wish once again partnered with Subaru of America in its 12th annual Share the Love fundraising event. The event allowed people to contribute to Make-A-Wish and other charities alongside the purchase or lease of a Subaru vehicle. Additionally, Subaru itself contributed $250 for each vehicle purchase and lease.

Through the eight years Make-A-Wish has been a partner in the Share the Love event, it has over brought in over $20 million in donations from the program. Last year alone, the event raised $3.6 million, which is the largest single-year total yet. To learn more about Make-A-Wish and its life-changing work, visit wish.org.

Vehicles of the Year Announced by SEMA

Thomas DeFranzo is an automobile enthusiast who owns the Windsor, Connecticut-based hot rod shop Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage. Supplementing his ownership of the business, Thomas “Tommy” DeFranzo attends the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Vegas. He won an award at the event in 2015.

Although the 2019 SEMA Show began on November 5, awards were handed out for best vehicles of the year the night prior as part of the SEMA Vehicle Reveal. For the second consecutive year, the Ford Mustang was named the SEMA Car of the Year. The Jeep Wrangler and Polaris RZR Turbo S were also awarded once again as SEMA 4×4/SUV of the Year and SEMA Powersports Vehicle of the Year, respectively. The Chevrolet Silverado displaced the Ford F-Series as SEMA Truck of the Year and the Audi RS 3 was named SEMA Sport Compact of the Year, which was awarded to the Ford Focus in each of the past four years. Awards were chosen based on votes from SEMA Show exhibitors.

The SEMA Award was created in 2010 to recognize vehicles with the most aftermarket potential. Only current or next year models are eligible for the award. SEMA announces the finalists for each category in October before honoring the winners at its Monday Night Reveal event.

About Thomas DeFranzo

A longtime resident of Windsor, Connecticut, Thomas (Tommy) DeFranzo has owned and operated Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage for the past eight years. Under Thomas DeFranzo’s leadership, this two-man auto-building shop concentrates on the design and creation of one-of-a-kind custom vehicles based on Hot Wheels toys.

Thomas DeFranzo named his Connecticut business after his first Hot Wheels creation: a full-size version of the iconic Twin Mill Hot Wheels car. The completed vehicle garnered an official endorsement from Ira Gilford, the man who designed the original Twin Mill Hot Wheels car in the 1960s.

Building on the success of their first creation, Mr. DeFranzo and Twin Mill Garage have continued to make drivable Hot Wheels recreations in a variety of styles. Their work has earned them a Showstopper Award at the 45th Annual World of Wheels Show at Seaport Hotel Boston and a Show Award at the 2019 Syracuse Nationals Classic Car Show at the New York State Fairgrounds.