IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Lou Bengivenni

Franklin — Specializing in high performance and racing engines — from street to strip to circle track to marine — LRB Performance handles all of the machining required in house at its headquarters in Franklin. Despite the recent economy, the shop has continued going strong and continues to pride itself on high quality on every job. The man behind the commitment to customer service and this specialty machine business is Lou Bengivenni. Born and raised in Clifton, Bengivenni got his first job in his hometown working at Arlington Machine and Tool. “I was an apprentice tool maker and I worked there for three years when I was a teenager,” he said. At the same time, Bengivenni was working for a friend at Bob O’Brien Competition Engines, in Fairfield, and it was there that his love of engines and racing in general was born. Spurred on by this new passion, Bengivenni headed to college at Northrop University, in California, where he studied airframe and power plant maintenance. After college, he eventually ended up back in Clifton where he went to work for a welding company for several years. He was then hired by LJ Costanza as the head mechanic for his large construction company in the early 1980s. Around 1984, Bengivenni’s father asked him if he would be interested in opening his own repair shop. “Of course I was,” said Bengivenni, and “That was the start of it all.” With his wife, Shawna, at his side, they started out as Louie B’s Auto and Truck Repair with a location in Clifton. “We always specialized in high performance and racing engines as well as muscle cars and restorations,” Bengivenni said. “We had become so busy in our shop that we slowly stopped working the cars and progressed to just engines.” In 1990, they changed the name to LRB Performance Machine Company. Bengivenni’s father was ready to retire, so they sold the shop in Clifton and moved to Paterson where they stayed for 10 years. Time for a move “Times where changing,” said Bengivenni, and in 1997, they decided to move north. They built a house in Wantage and continued to do the commute to Paterson every day. As the years rolled on, because of increased traffic, the once 55-minute commute between Wantage and Paterson grew to an hour and 25 minutes each way. Consequently, in 2003 they moved the business to Franklin. “Moving the shop here to Franklin was one of the best things we ever did,” said Bengivenni. “We have kind of filled a niche here as there where no performance automotive machine shops in the area.” “The economy had been a real struggle for us,” he acknolwedged, “and the past year has proven challenging. After 26 years in business we wondered if we where going to make it. Fortunately, thanks to our wonderful customers, we are still here.“ The Bengivennis did, however, have to make some concessions. “We would rather have the work than not.“ They took in jobs they would have, at other times in different economic climates, turned away. “You have got to keep the light on. I am lucky enough to be able to work with my hands. I am the guy that everyone comes to when no one else can fix it or has tried and failed, and right now we are blessed with work.” A passion for hunting Because he is an avid hunter, Bengivenni said he has always loved Sussex County. “I have been hunting up here at a friend’s farm for 30 years, so when we had the chance to buy a piece of land and build, we did it here in Sussex County. I have been hunting since I was 14 years old, and my Uncle Benny is the person who instilled the love of hunting in me.” Recently, he’s spent hunting season on the quest for the elusive Whitetail living in Wantage. Bengivenni enjoys hunting and fishing with a friend Brian Campbell. “We do it all, small game, Whitetails, ducks and turkeys, but we only hunt for the stuff we are going to eat.” His biggest hunting adventure was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hunt elk in Wyoming. “It was the greatest experience,“ he recalled. He got to hunt in Medicine Bow National Forest where elk can weigh up to 1,000 pounds.“ The one he got weighed around 650 pounds and Bengivenni said. “To take him with a bow was quite exciting, something I will never forget.”

Louie Bengivenni’s Venison Meatloaf
“My wife, who does not eat meat, will even have bite when I make this,” said Lou Bengivenni. “It can be made with any kind of chop meat but I use game meat — venison. It’s really good made this way.”
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds Ground Venison
1 Medium Onion Diced
1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Eggs
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 CUP Brown Sugar 1/4 CUP Balsamic Vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (except for the brown sugar and Balsamic vinegar.)
If your mixture is too dry add a small amount of broth or wine just to moisten.
Place into a loaf pan or casserole dish and make a small well in center of the meat.
sprinkle the brown sugar on the meat keeping it in the well so when it melts it does not run off, then pour the Balsamic vinegar on top of the brown sugar, making sure to keep it in the well.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.