Man Vying To Win Custom Chopper Honors Brother Lost To Heroin

MATTITUCK, NY — A North Fork local is vying for the chance to win a custom-built motorcycle from Orange County Choppers — and hopes to also build a memorial bike for his brother, lost to heroin addiction.

OCC, said Paul Maffetone, who was born in Mattituck and now lives in Baywood, is a world-famous custom motorcycle manufacturer based in Orange County, NY and founded in 1999 by Paul Teutul, Sr.

He's entered into a contest and is hoping to win a chance to work with them on the build and be spotlighted on the reality show "American Chopper," he said.

Currently, he's ranked Top 2 in the competition.

Maffetone said he has been in second place through every round so far. With voting set to end on August 12, he said: "We are closing in on the final rounds where I’m going to need to seal first place. If I win I’ll be building a memorial bike for my brother and others who have passed from addiction. I want to help bring awareness to the fact that there is still a huge epidemic going on with opioids and addiction."

Maffetone said he has been a fan of the OCC builds for years, and had an opportunity two years ago to meet Teutel and his son and tour the OCC shop.

"I really would love to win this competition to bring both my passion for motorcycles and the love of my brother together," said Maffetone, who created a not-for-profit organization, Michael's Hope, after his brother died at 29 in 2012 of a heroin overdose in their home.

"I think having a custom-built motorcycle for those lost to addiction is a great way to keep the conversation going," Maffetone said. "My love for motorcycles is more than just the feeling I get when I’m saddled up and behind the bars — it’s a community, a family."

He and fellow riders participate in events for charities, including motorcycle runs, he said. "Being a part of this community gives a feeling that is totally indescribable," he said.

Maffetone said he has loved the OCC motorcycle builds since he was younger, "watching and dreaming of one day building one of my own. A few years ago my wife Kristina worked some magic and got us a private tour and to meet Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr.; it was an amazing day."

Winning the competition, he said would be "such an amazing experience and create a wonderful tribute to my late brother and those touched by addiction."

Voting is free and people can vote daily; there are also paid votes if people want to cast more than one vote at a time. Each paid vote is $1 and all the proceeds go toward the Hudson Valley SPCA, Maffetone said.

To vote, click here.

For Maffetone, the effects of addiction touch a deeply personal chord: "The ugliest disease hides in the most beautiful people," he said, adding that his aim is to shine a light for those struggling, showing them that there is "hope after dope."

Maffetone added, "Watching my brother go through his addiction alone, because we couldn't talk about it, due to the stigma, and also, knowing how my family and I felt —I wanted other families to know that they aren't alone.""

Losing his brother was something that will forever color Maffetone's world. "It was truly the most devastating thing I've ever had to deal with," he said. "He was my best friend, my hero, my keeper. I shouldn't have had to carry his casket down the church aisle when he was 29 years old."