Norb Simon calling it quits after half a century in the business

NORWALK — One last tow. After more than half a century in the automobile service business, Norb Simon is calling it quits on June 30. And has been the case for many of those years, Simon's partner in crime — Frank Resor — is also retiring. There will be an open house from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (or later) June 30 at Norb's Northside Service, 27 St. Mary's St. — across from Contractors Stadium. All are invited. Food and drinks will be provided. The two started together back when Simon ran the gas station on the corner of League Street and Whittlesey Avenue. Resor, 67, said the first thing he will do when he retires is work on his house. Will he miss the phone calls in the middle of the night? "Nope," he said. Resor owns all three wreckers and plans to sell them. He's worked with Simon for about 0 years. "At the gas station first," he said. "I started out working for Door's (Chevrolet). Norb would order parts and I lived on Newton Street at the time. At lunchtime, I would deliver the parts to him. "He asked me if I would help him put in a clutch one night and I said, 'Yeah, I'll help you.' We're still putting the clutch in 30 years later." Simon, 86, has been in the business 54 years. "I never graduated," Simon said. "I quit out of the eighth grade. "I started the gas station in 1969 ... just about four days after the flood. I was there for almost 30 years. I moved here in 1998." It's been a good run for Simon. "It's been real good," he said, adding he won't miss the late-night wrecker calls. "Oh jeez ... I don't think so. I get tired of pushing that broom (cleaning up after the wrecks). I've had three trucks with over 400,000 miles. "(Norwalk policeman) Ralph Braker used to tell me 'you money-hungry SOB. I work day shift. I work night shift. You are working all of the time.'" Simon said he couldn't do it without all of his customers over the years. "I would like to thank all of the customers. They have supported me. They all turned out to be friends," he said. "It's been a lot fun." Simon said there were some tough times, especially the big snowstorm in 1978. "We would get calls at 7 in the morning and not to get to them until 8 or 9 or 10 o'clock that night," he said. "We about burned up the phones. "The accidents slowed down after Friendly Corners closed because the drunks used to come down Townsend Avenue and run into the parked cars," Simon said with a chuckle. "I don't know how many police chiefs I worked with. The mayors. The state patrol." What's next for Simon? "I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "I will keep the garage for a while and work maybe a little bit. But I won't be running wreckers."