Friends, family remember Wildwood tramcar icon John "Gig" Gigliotti: "He always brought the sun"

You likely can't hear the famous warning in Wildwood, "Watch the tramcar, please," without thinking of one of the most recognizable faces on the boardwalk.

"He would talk to everyone, smile for everyone," said Renie Leiter of John Gigliotti, better known as "Gig."

That smile was a fixture on the boards for decades. Gigliotti drove the yellow Sightseer tramcar on the boardwalk for 35 years, greeting visitors.

"Every time he came on that boardwalk and going up and down, he always brought the sun. He would wave to so many people," said Timothy Smith, who worked with Gig.

Last week, the 97-year-old died peacefully. On Thursday, family and friends celebrated his life in Woodbury, and Gig's personalized tramcar was transported from the shore to the funeral home as a way to say goodbye.

"I'm sure he's looking down at us right now, sees his tramcar out here, and I'm sure he's smiling right now. This meant the world to him," said Bill Gigliotti, Gig's grandson.

Gig also served as the Sightseer's safety coordinator, and he officially retired this past May.

"Gosh, the amount of people he introduced me to and the amount of people I met he's had an impact on, it's so special to think about," said Nick Novak, Gig's grandson.

Gig spent 40 years as a railroad conductor, so his grandchildren say driving the tram was a fitting second career.

"He truly is an icon down there, everyone knows him, he's synonymous with the tramcar," said Matthew Novak, Gig's grandson.

His family knows Gig's legacy will live on, and they say he will forever be watching over the boards.