Newman Chittenden proposed creating a gun and knife show to Martin Fasack in early 1984 at a diner in Elmsford, NY. They had met earlier when Mr. Chittenden bought a Lionel train car from Mr. Fasack and Mr. Fasack bought a Browning .22 caliber pistol from Mr. Chittenden.
The first show was at the Westchester County Center in November ’84 under the Westchester Collectors Inc. company name.Later, Loretta Fasack and Carole Chittenden created a new corporation called Mid-Hudson Promotions Inc. to run a now defunct show in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Following that they established a show at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield,MA that now runs 3 times a year and is one of the largest gun and knife shows in the Northeast with some 500 tables. Following this they opened a new company called Newmart Promotions Inc. which now runs 3 gun and knife shows in Middletown,NY at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Later this company added a show inMarlboro, MA which runs three times a year, and in Wilmington, MA at the Shriner’s Auditorium that runs twice a year.
Mr. Chittenden and Mr. Fasack are always considering new shows in other areas for the future. Stay tuned.