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'Gas Phantom' Reveals Identity

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Dave Legarreta, right, with Clear Channel, hands Milo Muchard $55.00 as part of a gas giveaway.

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By MIKE WELLS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

Updated: 05/22/2008 02:37 pm

TAMPA - It's no myth. It's just M.J.

For the past few weeks, the "Gas Phantom" has handed out wads of cash to grateful motorists at dozens of gasoline pumps across the Tampa Bay area.

After doling out more than $14,000 to patrons, a man in a dark business suit appeared today at a Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway and revealed his identity.

Standing in front of a crowd of reporters, Dave Legarretaswept aside his tie and opened his dress shirt to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the M.J. Morning Show on 93.3, WFLZ FM.

Legarreta works in the maintenance department of Clear Channel Radio and said he was asked to undertake this unusual philanthropic gesture precisely because of his anonymity.

"Nobody knows me," Legarreta said. "I'm older and I've been with the company for years, so they can trust me. They've given me thousands in cash to hand out."

Reactions from puzzled drivers have been mostly positive, he said. Some people refused the cash, but most didn't and expressed a lot of gratitude.

"It was nice," Legarreta said. "It's kind of like a Santa Claus effect. Some people, I could tell, really needed the money. For others, it was like a found gift."

With only about three minutes per visit to a gas station, Legarreta said he didn't have time to seek out people driving less expensive cars. He offered the cash to whoever was at a pump.

"I gained the knowledge that a lot of people are hurting when it comes to gas prices," he said. "Fifty-five dollars won't fill up a lot of people's tanks."

AAA is reporting that about 31.7 million people are expected hit the road over Memorial Day weekend. The average gas price in Tampa was $3.75 on May 19.

Tammy Torres was one of the lucky drivers who received $55 from the Gas Phantom at the Shell station.

"It helps a lot," she said. "I'm a single mom with three kids. It takes about $75 to fill my tank. Every little bit helps."

Torres said she'd heard about the Gas Phantom and was surprised to learn a radio show was behind the money.

"Still, they helped a lot of people out," she said.

The Gas Phantom's identity was kept top secret, even amongst the radio show's staff, said Kim Collelo, an associate producer for the "M.J. Morning Show" who also is known as on-air sidekick "Jabberjaw."

"M.J. had the whole crew in the dark," she said. "We found out during the press conference, too."

The goal wasn't to boost the show's listener ratings, she said.

"It's all to ease the pain of the gas prices," Collelo said. "It was to put a smile on people's faces. It's just 'take this gift.' "

Other companies are seizing on the same idea and are having similar giveaways.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, the Verizon Yellow Pages and Superpages.com will hand out $40 pre-paid gas cards to the first 200 vehicles at the Shell station at 6901 West Hillsborough Ave.

The program is being rolled out to 23 other communities across the nation.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.

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