Longtime West Mt. Airy resident Mario Zucca is a spectacularly talented artist/illustrator who has done work for professional sports teams and corporations. He has recently been getting national media attention — but not for his artwork.

On Oct. 3, out of 900 people who applied, Zucca was crowned the city’s first Best Parallel Parker. A first-of-its-kind competition in the city, the contest was organized by the newly formed Philadelphia Parallel Parking Association (PPPA), founded by a businessman, Adam Wodka.

Hundreds of spectators packed Headhouse Plaza in Society Hill to watch Zucca and 13 other finalist drivers angle their personal vehicles into tight spaces without backup cameras or parking-assistance systems.

“I set the bar for the future,” Zucca told the Local after his victory. “Kelly Ripa mentioned it on her TV morning show. The Washington Post wrote about it, and The New York Times had it on page one, next to a story about a Russian arms dealer and the Cornell rape story. It is also streaming on ABC-TV. I have been recognized in my jump suit. I am milking my 15 minutes of fame.”

Zucca, who now calls himself “One-Shot Mar,” entered the competition driving a 2012 Mazda 3 hatchback with about 150,000 miles on its odometer. He sported an Evel Knievel-style helmet and jumpsuit (secured from Facebook Marketplace) as he defeated other fine parallel parkers, including a former driving school instructor. The competitors had to parallel park in a space just 18 inches longer than their cars.

Zucca, 46, from Indiana, Pennsylvania, originally came to the Philadelphia area to attend Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 1998. He later married wife Karen Onorato, from the neighborhood around Media, Delaware County.

“I told my wife, we have to move to Northwest Philly, which we did in 2011,” Zucca said. “We have lived in a few locations: Chestnut Hill Village, near Carpenter Woods and now Burnham Road. We can walk to the co-op and coffee shop. Hiking trails are just five minutes away.

“And I always prided myself in being able to fit a car into tight spots. I have had people applaud me for it,” he continued. “Two or three friends told me in July about this competition, and I immediately applied. I don’t know how they pared it down to 15 from 900. One of the 15 was a no-show.”

Contest applicants had to submit a video, Zucca said. He played it “cocky” in his entry and said he would win. “I brought some flair. I had friends there cheering me on. It was so much fun,” he said. “Some other cities have also done this like Pittsburgh, Portland and Austin.”

The competitors faced three rounds before a panel of judges. The first round, called “One Shot,” was a typical parallel parking in a single attempt, judged by distance (in inches) from the curb.

In the second round, “Tight Squeeze,” drivers had to maneuver into a space only about 18 inches longer than the car, scoring on the fewest moves while staying within about six inches of the curb.

The third round, called “Under Duress,” evaluated the drivers’ ability to park as close to parallel as possible in spite of distractions and physical barriers intended to resemble what real Philly drivers routinely confront.

The top three drivers/parkers went on to a final competition that was analyzed based on competency, flair and style.

After being declared the winner, Zucca was given a trophy and an actual piece of Philadelphia street curb, $76 in cash (the amount a Philadelphian would have to pay for an average parking fine) and free parking in any Center City garage for the month of October, courtesy of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The two other finalists also received the free-garage gift.

The afternoon also featured an emcee, a deejay, celebrity judges, decorated cars and plenty of Philly “addytood.” The event was a fundraiser for Families for Safe Streets Greater Philadelphia, a Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia program that advocates for safer streets and assists people affected by traffic violence.

“I admit I did practice a lot for the event. I kept parallel parking the car over and over and over again,” Zucca said. “Finally, a man who had a Mercedes parked nearby came out and moved his car.”

For more information, visit mariozucca.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.