I got an insight into the inner workings of the late Bob Tasca Sr. recently when I ran into his grandson Carl Tasca Jr. at the Northeast International Auto Show in Providence.

He told a couple of telling stories, one about his grandfather's childhood and the subsequent emphasis he placed on family. The other was the advice he gave to Carl Jr. on his graduation from Providence College.

Seems Bob Sr. had a trying childhood. He was an only child who was brought up by relatives as his mother died when he was young. His father remarried but Carl Jr. said Bob Sr. was not close to his father's new family.

He thus developed a passion for close family life. Carl Jr. said this was the main reason he did not take Henry Ford II up when the auto magnate invited him to Detroit to take a senior executive position with the company.

Certainly I remember him telling me that he declined the offer because he wanted to build a family dealership at home in Rhode Island.

The second story reflects the kind of work ethic he demanded of himself and expected of his family. Carl Jr. said he was barely down from the stage where he had received his degree from PC when "Pop" took him aside.

"You may think this is a certificate of achievement," he said Bob Sr. told him in no uncertain terms. "But it's really a certificate of initiation. You are now going to work harder and longer than you have ever worked before."

Thus was Carl Jr. welcomed into the Tasca Automotive Group, starting in the service area where all family members are groomed.

Peter C.T. Elsworth