Russell “Bo” Ruggerio was one of Ocean City’s most recognizable characters for over 30 years. He owned the Dutch Bar on the Boardwalk, The Kitchen restaurant and numerous rental properties in the downtown area. Bo had a white Rolls Royce and reminded some of the television character known as “Mister T” because of the gold chains and rings he liked to wear. He had a cat that slept in a box filled with dollar bills.
Bo’s gruff exterior hid a heart of gold. He’d take homeless people to the doctor, pay medical and dental bills for those who couldn’t afford to and even pick up funeral expenses for the less fortunate. He was particularly good to the foreign kids that worked summer jobs in Ocean City, many of whom rented from him. Bo would buy phone calls for them and made sure they called their families in Russia and Eastern Europe on a weekly basis.
When he passed away in 2008, Bo Ruggerio had become a Boardwalk legend. He was greatly missed by many.
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Photo courtesy Ron Ihle