Evansville's most beloved ticket taker is being memorialized with a bench at Ford Center

Ryan Reynolds, Evansville Courier & Press
Bob and Paula Guzzo unveil a bench dedicated to their late son Scott Guzzo outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Scott Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.
Bob and Paula Guzzo unveil a bench dedicated to their late son Scott Guzzo outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Scott Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.

EVANSVILLE − If you went to an event at Ford Center or Roberts Stadium anytime over the past two decades, odds are you saw Scott Guzzo taking or scanning tickets.

And if you met Scott Guzzo, odds are you never forgot him.

Guzzo, an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member, died in June at age 39. He will be memorialized with a bench outside Ford Center, where his friends and family gathered Thursday night for a dedication ceremony. The bench features pictures of Scott, as well as some of his favorite sayings.

At age 10, Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a craniofacial condition so rare that there have been only a few documented cases of it since 1981. Guzzo's parents, Bob and Paula Guzzo, say they have long assumed their son had been the only person living with the condition.

Scott graduated from Central High School in 2004, and went to work collecting tickets for Evansville's concerts and sporting events. He was in a wheelchair and had someone with him during his shifts to help with certain physical aspects of the job. The personal interaction with customers, though? Scott handled that himself.

"(The job) fit Scott to a T," said Bob Guzzo. "He liked seeing everyone come through. He loved interacting with people."

A bench dedicated to Scott Guzzo was dedicated outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.
A bench dedicated to Scott Guzzo was dedicated outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.

The customers loved him back. So did many of the entertainers he met during his time at work. Syesha Mercado, an "American Idol" finalist who performed in Evansville, was so struck by her meeting with Scott that years later, when Scott and his family were on a trip to Los Angeles, the singer recognized him when they were both in the same Apple Store.

The same thing happened when the family went to see "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno twice, four years apart.

"(Leno) would do this little warm-up thing with the crowd. ... He saw Scott and remembered him and said, 'Hey, you've been here before,'" Bob Guzzo said. "That's how unique Scott was."

Scott was the first EVSC student with multiple disabilities to attend mainstream classes in an inclusive setting at Stockwell Elementary, Highland Elementary, and Thompkins Middle School before graduating from Central.

The success from his inclusive learning led to Scott being invited as a guest to the White House during President Bill Clinton's signing of the 1997 Reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Bob and Paula Guzzo speaks to the crowd gather before unveiling a bench dedicated to their late son Scott Guzzo outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Scott Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.

Eventually, he joined the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Advisory Board on Disability Services as an appointee by County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave. There, he served as an advocate for the disabled.

"He always had ongoing advocacy efforts when it came to bettering our community and make it more accessible," said Michelle Kirk, a close friend to the Guzzo family and manager of disability resources for the University of Southern Indiana. "When he was made aware of something, issue or call to action, he would always ask his parents what he could do or how he could help."

Kirk led the push for Scott Guzzo's memorial.

Bob and Paula Guzzo sit on the bench dedicated to their late son Scott Guzzo for the first time outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Scott Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.
Bob and Paula Guzzo sit on the bench dedicated to their late son Scott Guzzo for the first time outside the Ford Center during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 25, 2023. Scott Guzzo was diagnosed with Crane-Heise syndrome, a rare craniofacial condition, at age 10. He was an advocate for the disabled and beloved community member who died in June at age 39.

"(Michelle) has moved mountains to make this happened," Paula Guzzo said.

So why a bench?

"When thinking of a way to honor him, it was a struggle because he was such a big personality," Kirk said. "A bench made sense because it is an open invitation to sit down and connect.

"Being at the Ford Center fits because not only did he work there, but he reconnected with old friends and made new friends there. He was unique, and he brought people together. He was small in stature but had an enormous heart."

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Memorial bench at Ford Center dedicated for Evansville's Scott Guzzo

Advertisement