3600 South Redwood: Where the Classics Sat and Stories Grew

Memories of DeMarco Truck Sales: Sam’s Yard of Rust, Rock Salt, and Rare Finds

For decades, drivers heading down 3600 South and Redwood Road couldn’t miss the scene: rows of old vehicles—some pristine, others rusting into memory—lined up like silent sentinels at DeMarco Truck Sales. The man behind the yard, Salvatore “Sam” DeMarco, was a legend in his own right.

Born in 1886 in Italy, Sam immigrated to the United States in 1903. He met and married Vittoria Romano (born 1897, also from Italy) in 1913, tying the knot in West Virginia before eventually settling in Utah. The couple raised their family while Sam worked hard as a railroad foreman and operated a farm in Bennion.

But it was his truck yard in Granger, and his eccentric ways, that made Sam unforgettable. Located at 3600 South Redwood Road, the DeMarco property became a treasure trove of classic automobiles—some dating back to the 1920s through the 1960s. Sam wasn’t in a hurry to sell, either. Locals recall that he was "stingy with his stock"—more collector than dealer, really—and he was quick to chase off trespassers with a shotgun loaded with rock salt.

The yard was iconic. A place of fascination for young boys on bikes, car buffs, and curious neighbors. To some, it looked like a junkyard. To others, it was a museum of motoring history in plain sight.

Sam DeMarco passed away in 1975, and his beloved Vittoria died in 1966, but their names—and that yard full of stories—still live on in the memories of longtime residents. The land is now transformed, but the legend of Sam’s empire of trucks and rock salt still rumbles through West Valley City history.