twitter @loudobbs like me on facebook, follow me on instagram at lou dobbs tonight. we thank you for being with us, see you monday. good [ film projector clicking, piano playing dramatic music ] >> announcer: a century-old movie theater, the passion of a small-town businessman. >> his dying words were, "angela, don't let the theater go." >> announcer: but from here to eternity could be a long haul. >> anything that could go wrong went wrong. >> announcer: are the final credits about to roll? >> did he know that you would step up? >> i didn't get to tell him. [ voice breaking ] i'm sorry. >> announcer: or will there be an encore performance? >> do you ever think to yourself, "i wish my grandfather would have just left me the house?" >> i wish that so many times more than you know. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ]

>> i'm jamie colby, and today i'm driving along the mighty susquehanna river that winds its way through central pennsylvania. i'm on my way to berwick, population 11,000, a tough old manufacturing town that built stuart tanks during world war ii. today it's best known for its wise potato chip factory and also its nuclear power plant. this strange inheritance is about another smaller business -- one that goes to the heart and soul of cities like berwick all across america. i'm angela diaugustine, and in july of 2013, when my father passed away, he left us an unusual inheritance that none of us knew what to do with at the time. ♪ >> this weathered movie theater looks like the sort of place you might pass and think, "how does

a business like this even make it in today's world?" angela not only inherited the theater, but, like most berwick residents, she spent a bit of time here, especially as a teenager. >> i remember once when i came to the movies here, it was "hush...hush, sweet charlotte" with bette davis. there's one scene where her hand gets chopped off, and it was so scary to me. i slept with my hands tucked under the covers. [ laughs ] >> everyone seems to have a story about this theater, so whether it's the first kiss, the first date, those memories hold a special place in all of our hearts. >> i'm told berwick native ginny crake knows the history of the place as well as anyone. she meets me in the lobby. >> welcome to berwick! >> i haven't seen a movie for $4 forever. >> [ laughs ] well, it's certainly unique for our town. >> wow. >> in a community, you need a place that creates culture and creates interaction with your community members, and this is what it is.

this is our downtown mainstay. >> just walking inside is a blast from the past. this concession stand harkens back to the days before large multiplexes, and so do the prices. how many years has this theater been here? >> well, it was built in 1868. it was an opera house. it was a playhouse. it has the original vaudeville stage. >> in the 1920s, it joined the silent-movie era, and in the '30s, it survived a fire and reopened as the strand. angela's family, the diaugustines, have been here almost as long as the movie theater. like many who arrived in the town for factory jobs, they were immigrants -- from silvi marina, italy. vincent diaugustine was born in berwick in 1924. >> his mother was a professional woman. she had a hairdressing salon. across the street was a tailor, and she sent him over to help the tailor, and that tailor taught him his trade. >> after pearl harbor, the

18-year-old vincent enlists in the marines. his needle skills catch the attention of the top brass. he serves in europe, tailoring uniforms for high-ranking officers. during the winter of 1944, vincent is on leave back in berwick and runs in to a former high-school classmate, lucille zapatore. he takes her on a date -- where else but the strand? >> when they drove home, it was a little cold out, and the windows were a little foggy, and he wrote in the steam, "i'm going to marry you." >> in 1947, vincent's prediction comes true. the couple go on to have four children -- frank, angela, vincent jr., and joseph. during the 1950s, it's a good time to raise a family in berwick. you could say it's a wonderful life. >> the old cliché that you never had to lock your doors was true, and we used to ride our bikes from morning until it was time to go to bed. >> like many industrial towns of

the era, berwick is booming. american car and foundry alone employs 9,000 people, building railroad cars. vincent, a classic go-getter, sets up his own tailor shop on front street. >> my father's a workaholic, and he's a perfectionist. he was very successful because he just was determined to be successful. >> from tailoring men's suits to selling them, vincent's reputation spreads beyond his corner store. >> he had people from all over come to buy the suits from him because no one else could fit suits like my father could. >> through the '60s and early '70s, vincent is in his element. he's confident in the future and borrows money to expand. in fact, he borrows more than he should. >> he started to put women's clothing in, and then when another store became available, he bought that one, as well, and opened up and made a bigger women's shop. >> vincent becomes so used to things booming that he's slow to react when factories like

american car and foundry shut down and big new malls start luring shoppers away from the old downtown. >> my father just kept trying to reinvent himself. he was doing other things to keep the business successful -- selling slot machines, jukeboxes, antique guns. anything he could, he was just trying to keep afloat. >> in 1974, vincent learns that the owner of the former strand, now called the berwick movie theater, has fallen on hard times and wants to sell. at the age of 50, vincent buys it for $30,000. always the consummate host, mr. diaugustine rules the roost with his teenage moviegoers. >> i remember when people got a little rowdy, vince would come around and tell us all to be quiet, but you always knew that he was there watching you and caring for you, and, as a kid, you respected that. >> he had a passion for this movie theater. he loved seeing the people come.

he greeted everyone. i know there were some people that couldn't afford the tickets, and he would, like, shuffle them in. >> more than 20 years pass, full of films like "star wars" and "titanic," until, in 1997, the manager at the berwick theater up and leaves and opens one of the big multiplex theaters -- a double cross! but vincent decides, at the age of 73, what the heck? he'll run it himself. >> my father would be popping popcorn for the evening, and when the reel broke, he was up there splicing the film back together, and after the movie was over, he was with the broom, sweeping up droppings of popcorn. >> by 2007, vincent is 83 years old, and his businesses, including the berwick, haven't made money in years. he has $400,000 in debt and could lose everything. he has nowhere else to turn when he appeals to his daughter, angela, now 55 and an account manager for a fragrance company, to bail him out.

>> so, we were in a dilemma. he wasn't making a go of it. >> is it lights out at the berwick theater? that's next. >> announcer: but first, our "strange inheritance" quiz question. the answer in a moment.

(sfx: orchestra warming up) where's tommy? (sfx: stage doors opening) i thought he was with you? no jack! (sfx: piano plays "twinkle twinkle little star" tommy? (sfx: audience laughing) go get him! don't stop. keep playing. (sfx: pianist playing masterful duet)

here we go here's the fun part did you do this? great job! (sfx: audience applause)

>> announcer: the nickelodeon opened there on june 19, 1905. ♪ >> in 2007, it looks as if all the work 83-year old vincent diaugustine has invested over a 60-year career is about to be lost to crushing debt. then his daughter, angela, intervenes. she buys dad's buildings but leaves him full ownership of his businesses, including the berwick theater. >> i pitched in to help financially because he absolutely would not hear of closing any of his businesses. >> knowing he has a reprieve, vincent starts showing granddaughter renee how to run the berwick alongside him. renee already has a good association with the family heirloom, starting as a youngster. what do you remember about this theater when you were growing up? >> i remember being allowed to pour the soda, and i was so

excited 'cause that was my first real job. >> did you ever come here on a date? >> i did when i was younger. my first date was here. his name was ryan cordingly. i had a huge crush on him. he was my first boyfriend, too. >> vincent continues to inject his trademark enthusiasm into running four businesses, even at the age of 89. then, in january of 2013, he suffers a devastating stroke. >> he thought that he was gonna run the theater forever. he wouldn't just say, "renee, can you run things?" he asked me, you know, "what am i gonna do? how am i going to keep this place open?" >> his dying words were, "angela, don't let the theater go." >> on july 8, 2013, vincent slips away. but the question remains -- who's going to honor vincent's dying wish? all eyes look to renee. i'm 23, just out of college, and right before i graduated, i remember saying that i really just wanted to do something

meaningful. >> only days after her grandfather's death, renee decides to take on the challenge of running the berwick. >> did he know that you would step up? >> i didn't get to tell him. um... [ voice breaking ] i'm sorry. >> at vincent's wake, the community flocks to pay its respects. >> a boy came by, and he just said, "your father helped me, and i wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for your father." another younger boy used to come here, and my father used to give him all the history of the war, and he loved my father so much that he wanted to be sure to come to the viewing. >> soon renee surveys the mammoth task before her. the theater hasn't been updated since 1969. moviegoers bring pillows because the seats are so uncomfortable. the curtains are tatty. and that's just the start with this money pit. >> we need a digital projector, which means that we would need a

$70,000-plus upgrade. >> today only a fraction of theaters, most of them single screens like the berwick, have celluloid film projectors. more than 80% are digital. and on that note, i can't resist the opportunity for a last look at a relic of the 20th century. [ film projector clicking ] >> hi. >> hey, how are you? i'm jamie. >> good. i'm kim. i'm the film girl. >> film girl? love it! this is tonight's feature? >> yes, this is our full-length feature, about an hour and a half. >> how does this contraption even work? >> this is the brain... and it comes through here... and straight up... and over...to that side. >> it's a new film, but are movie companies making film this way? >> they are not. that is why we have to go digital, because our choices are getting slimmer and slimmer. >> motor up. [ film projector clicking ] we have a movie! instead of these huge reels,

movies are now being shown electronically and stored on a high-capacity hard drive. but at $4 a pop at the berwick, the $70,000 required for a new digital system feels like mission impossible. renee tries one fundraising event after another. >> we've had poster sales to raise money. we've done other small things. some things have been very successful. some things haven't. we did an indiegogo fundraiser, but it takes a lot of effort. >> in just a few months, renee manages to drum up $6,000 and, just as quickly, spends it on repairs. >> anything that could go wrong went wrong. our furnace broke, so that was an immediate $500 right off the bat. >> then, in october 2013, the berwick theater has a real disaster. this one's a doozy. what was happening -- people falling out of the theater? >> some people were passing out. it was really scary. >> that's next. >> announcer: here's another

quiz question for you. the answer in a moment.

the answer is "b," "star wars: the phantom menace," in 1999. >> renee diaugustine-bower takes over running the movie theater that her grandfather, vincent, had owned for more than 40 years in berwick, pennsylvania. she's trying to do him proud, but that's not easy. first, there are a series of small repairs, including to an old jalopy of a furnace.

then comes a cold night in october 2013, during the 7:00 p.m. showing of "despicable me 2," that really tests her mettle. >> i got a phone call from one of the girls saying that people are acting weird. we found out that there was a carbon-monoxide issue. >> it turns out the berwick did not have carbon-monoxide detectors. no law required the theater to have them, so they were never installed. and the cause of the accident -- pigeons had gotten trapped in a furnace pipe. >> my husband actually made it down here before i did, and i came right down, as well, and he had already done a quick sweep of the premises, and he about passed out, so i was like, "oh, my gosh! what is happening?" i was terrified. >> what was happening -- people falling out of the theater? >> some people had carbon-monoxide poisoning, and they were passing out. i immediately got on facebook and urged everyone that was there that night to go to the hospital. but it was really scary.

>> anyone sue? >> we did have to pay some people's medical bills. some people were upset with me, rightfully so. if i had a kid and they got carbon-monoxide poisoning, i would be upset, too. >> it's a huge relief when none of the 17 people taken to the hospital is seriously injured. the flue is cleaned out and the furnace pipe replaced. but it's a lesson for 23-year-old renee in crisis management. >> did you lose business? >> i don't think so. we put in our detectors everywhere, and i showed everybody what we did. it actually kind of raised awareness in the community. my grandfather had to have been with us for that, because it sounds so terrible, and it was, but it just somehow turned out okay. >> after being continually sidetracked, renee finally sets her sights on the berwick going digital. it's the only way to keep the movies playing in downtown berwick and honor her grandfather's dying wish. she looks at getting a

small-business loan, but the numbers don't add up. without that cash injection, the berwick theater could be just another small-town, small-business casualty. do you ever think to yourself, "i wish my grandfather would have just left me the house?" >> i wish that so many times more than you know. >> what if you don't make it? >> failure isn't in my vocabulary, and it's just not an option. find out if that's true, next on "strange inheritance."

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so, no matter where they begin, they can have a brighter future. learn how one small act from you can create a ripple of change for children- and the future we all share. changing a life lasts a lifetime. save the children. the side effects of chemotherapy oon a child's body cancer? we are so close to finding better treatments for kids with cancer visit lls.org to save a child's life >> announcer: now back to "strange inheritance." >> less than a year after inheriting a movie theater from her grandfather in berwick, pennsylvania -- and promising him to keep it open -- 23-year-old renee diaugustine-bower is at her wits' end. the projection equipment needs updating to digital, which would cost $70,000, the furnace breaks, and movie patrons are accidentally given a dose of carbon monoxide.

it looks, quite simply, like a horror show. luckily, there's a fairy godmother waiting in the wings. it turns out to be a long-time berwick theater patron. remember ginny crake? she's still in town and now works at berwick's united way. she suggests the berwick go non-profit. that would allow renee to solicit charitable contributions to help fund the digital transition. >> it became pretty clear that local businesses couldn't help them unless they became a non-profit. >> ginny introduces renee to local business leaders equally dedicated to revitalizing downtown berwick. they agree to join the theater's board if it goes non-profit and becomes what the irs calls a 501(c)(3). but even that could take two years, and the theater's coffers are running low. united way comes up with a stopgap solution. >> the united way is allowing them to accept donations on behalf of the theater under our non-profit umbrella so that people can make donations now.

>> it opens the door to so many more opportunities for us. we don't have a hub for the arts, something for kids to do, something for families to do. we want to cover all the bases. the digital switch is the number-one thing on our list, but it's just part of our whole entire goal. ♪ >> with great joy and fanfare, on july 19, 2014, renee and her family celebrate the berwick's new non-profit status and its long-time owner, vincent diaugustine. >> we've kind of designed this day to remember him and dedicate this place to him but also to let everyone know that the berwick theater is about to undergo some major changes and that it's a new chapter. >> it's also a great night for me to try my hand as an entrepreneur. okay. thank you very much. enjoy the show! tonight would have been vincent's 90th birthday. ooh! maybe i'll even get my name on the marquee! that'll be $4, please. thank you very much.

what a great crowd! what's your favorite candy? sour patch kids? i have sour patch kids, and today, it's on me. it may take a little longer than usual, folks. it's my first night on the job. i have never worked at the movie theater before. i realize it's no cinch to run your own movie theater. you, like, relax. i see you not even helping out here. [ laughter ] here are these, okay? enjoy it. >> thank you. >> pretty soon, it's all lights, camera, and action. >> so, we're having a dedication, and we're gonna be dedicating the theater to my grandfather. >> inside, renee holds her own as she introduces the berwick's new board of directors. >> i'd like to introduce myself not only as renee diaugustine-bower, the granddaughter of vincent diaugustine, but also the executive director of the berwick theater. >> what's your approach to bringing the theater back to life? >> now i have my dream team, which is the board. we want that downtown feeling

back. >> the theater will soon close for the next year, when it'll be renovated and then reopened. but don't worry -- they'll still be playing the standard hollywood fare at the berwick, including "transformers 19," whenever that comes out. where there's a will, there's a way. >> i think my father's probably smiling from ear to ear, and i think he's very happy and very proud of all of us. >> i'm pretty sure with the town's support and renee's sheer determination, the berwick theater is going to be just fine. in fact, becoming a non-profit might be just the ticket. and i did finally get my name in lights... but i'm still stuck working the ticket counter. i'm jamie colby, and i hope you enjoyed this red-carpet edition of "strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you.

>> a booze-born idea... >> he said, "i'm thinking i might buy myself a b-17 and put it over a gas station." >> ...to sell burgers and fuel. >> people were lined up for blocks to get in. 30,000 gallons a day. >> decades later, a dad's dying wish. >> art wanted us to restore it to flying condition. >> a family's flight of fancy... >> they're foolish to be trying this. >> ...that's totally the bomb. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] >> i'm jamie colby, today driving through salem, oregon,

one of the final destinations of settlers on the oregon trail. i'm here to piece together an inheritance story that revolves around a wild bar bet, a crazy roadside attraction, and a sky-high tale of guts and gumption. >> my name is punky scott. when my father passed away, he left me a massive, corroding world war ii bomber that he acquired in a most bizarre adventure. >> i meet punky at this airplane hangar. hi, i'm jamie. >> hi, jamie. thanks for coming today. >> inside isn't a plane, but rusted-out hunks of metal, disheveled stacks of doors and flaps, damaged pieces strewn about. what is all this? >> these are all b-17 parts. >> the b-17 bomber? >> b-17 bomber known as a flying fortress. >> this is an inheritance? >> this is my inheritance.

>> i have got to learn more about who would've left you this. that would be art lacey, punky's father and a character for the ages. during world war ii, the amateur pilot joins the army corps of engineers and worked stateside on military fortifications along the pacific. >> they were looking for someone who was knowledgeable about the coast range, and my dad was very, very helpful. >> in 1944, art opens up a gas station outside portland, oregon, and when the war's over, he wants to rev it up. >> he was very ambitious and intuitive about what customers would really like to have. >> what he thinks they really want to have is not just gas, but an experience. the eureka moment comes when art learns that altus army airfield in oklahoma is selling surplus war planes -- b-17 bombers, to be precise. >> he said, "you know, i've been

kicking around the idea of getting a world war ii bomber and using it as a centerpiece for a gas station." >> jayson scott is art's grandson. >> he thought, "i can end up with a canopy, but i'll also have a roadside attraction that'll draw people to the facility." >> art sets his sights on the right plane, says rob collings, who runs a foundation that organizes living-history events featuring war planes like the b-17. >> it's got a 104-foot wing span, it's 75 feet long, and it has nearly 5,000 horsepower. when this thing was first produced, it was one of the biggest airplanes ever to take to the skies. >> was it very valuable in combat missions? >> yes. heavy bombers, strategic bombers were the most valuable asset that we had. >> so, america builds more than 12,000 b-17s, which drop more than half a million tons of bombs over enemy territory. each plane costs about 200 grand, but the government heavily discounts them in a

post-war garage sale. >> once the war was over, these were just obsolete, so they were basically cutting these things up as scrap. >> so anyone, you give them your cash and you walk off with a plane? >> we didn't need them. there was gonna be no more war. world war ii ended it all, right? >> it's at his 34th birthday party in 1947 when art blurts out his cockamamie scheme to buy one of those b-17s. >> he was with all his cronies and they were having a few adult beverages. one of the guys said, "well, art, there's no way in heck you can do that. that's just not gonna happen." >> well, that was definitely the wrong thing to ever tell him, because he was gonna prove you wrong until the day he died, and he said, "i'll bet you $5 i can do it." >> when the alcohol wears off, he doesn't say to himself, "oh, my god, what was i thinking?" >> never. never in his whole career. >> he sounds like he was a little eccentric. >> he was a wild child, yes.

>> the wild child scrapes up 15 grand and hops the first flight to oklahoma. >> my grandmother never actually admitted whether she thought he was nuts or [laughs] had lost it. >> the flight back would not go so smoothly. >> he slid it across the runway... [ crashing ] ...and he crashed it into another parked b-17. >> but first, our "strange inheritance" quiz question. which hollywood star filmed the crew of a b-17 through 24 missions during world war ii? the answer after the break. woow! yeahhh! there we go! this memorial day, start your summer off right in a new chevrolet. oh, wow!! it's time to upgrade. you guys out did yourselves there. i'm gonna go and get a chevy.

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♪yeah ♪(rock music) ♪you can't do this, you can't deny♪ ♪they feed us lines, but i won't act♪ ♪and all good things will come to pass♪ ♪but the truth is all you have to have♪ ♪and would you lie for it? ♪cry for it? ♪die for it? ♪would you? ♪i believe ♪believe we're still worth the fight♪

♪you'll see there's hope for this world tonight♪ ♪i believe, i believe >> so, which hollywood star filmed the crew of a b-17 bomber through 24 missions during world war ii? it's "a" -- clark gable. >> well, how was it? >> you know, cap, i don't think those germans like us. >> he flew with the 351st bombardment, making a documentary called "combat america." >> in march 1947, gas station owner art lacey shows up at altus army airfield in oklahoma, cash in hand, to purchase a surplus world war ii bomber and fly it back to portland, oregon.

>> he said, "i'm thinking i might buy myself a b-17 and put it over a gas station. >> so, what happened when he said, "hey, i'm here to buy a b-17"? >> it was all controlled by the war assets administration officer, and he was able to strike a deal on a plane. it was $13,750. >> but there's a hitch. >> he didn't know how to fly any aircraft that had more than one engine, and a b-17 has four. he also needed to have a co-pilot, and he didn't have one. >> so in art's telling, he just wings it. >> he said it looked like it was about a mile off where the tower was, and nobody could tell what was going on. >> he slid it across the runway. [ crashing ] and he crashed it into another parked b-17. >> art slumps back to the airfield commander, who art discovers really wants to get

rid of these planes. >> he said, "worst case of wind damage i've ever seen," and wrote that plane and the one he crashed into off as wind damage. >> and then the fellow that was in charge said, "can you come up with any more money?" and he said, "i have $1,500 left to my name in the world. that's it." >> deal. a new bill of sale is typed up, and art's given the title and keys to another flying fortress, number 44-85790. this time, art calls in some pilot buddies to help get the thing home. it must've been some trip, says rob collings. turns out the collings foundation owns a b-17, too. rattling around in the noisy aluminum cockpit, i see that

art's 1,800-mile trip from altus to oregon is no easy flight. of course i have perfect flying weather, unlike art's crew. >> they got caught in a terrible snowstorm, and all of a sudden, they see a mountain right in front of them. fortunately, didn't crash. >> sounds like a movie of the week. >> it does. >> did you ever doubt the story your dad told? >> no. he would embellish, but he always was a pretty truthful man. >> this much is indisputable. art does fly the b-17 all the way to oregon. there he faces another hurdle --

how in the world to get the 100-foot-wide plane the last 20 miles from the airport to his property. can't just drive the beast down the road. or can you? >> he told the trucking company, "no matter what happens, you just keep on going." >> here's another quiz question for you. the answer in a moment. the latest innovation from xfinity

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>> so, which 1960s sitcom was set in a nazi prisoner of war camp? it's "b" -- "hogan's heroes."

the tv classic followed the exploits of a group of allied pows led by colonel robert hogan, played by bob crane. >> in 1947, art lacey lands this recently purchased b-17 bomber in portland, oregon, planning on using the war plane as a canopy over a new set of gas pumps. but first, he has to figure out how to get the massive aircraft to his property. >> he had to take it apart and put it on trucks, but they wouldn't give him any permits 'cause it was still too big. and so he decided he was going to do it anyway. >> in the middle of the night, art sneaks his partially dismantled b-17 out onto the highway. >> he told the trucking company that was moving it, "no matter what happens, you just keep on going, and i'll pay any tickets that you get." made it all the way out there with no problem at all. >> local officials are not amused. >> he was in trouble, but of

course the sentiment right after the war was very patriotic. a woman justice of the peace took sympathy on what was going on, and so she fined him $10. >> four months later, art opens his new bomber gas station with his shiny b-17 canopy. word soon spreads about the unusual attraction. >> his business boomed, and people were lined up for blocks to get in, and in order to keep people in line, we would give them free coke floats and we would wash every windshield, and we pumped a lot of gasoline. >> then art opens a second b-17-themed business right across the lot, the bomber restaurant. he decorates its walls with world war ii photos and memorabilia. >> i was very popular with all my friends. i had an airplane out in front and a cool place to fix meals. >> did he ever get an offer to sell the plane? >> oh, all the time.

>> big numbers? >> million dollars. >> rumors spread that paraguayan rebels and rich collectors are making the seven-figure offers. art says it's not for sale. >> that's a lot more than he paid. >> but it was his sign of his business. >> a business that's making money hand over fist. >> at one time, he was the largest volume single-unit gasoline station in the world -- 30,000 gallons a day. >> for all his nuttiness, he was a smart businessman. >> he very much was so. >> but by the late 1980s, the business of owning an independent gas station is getting tougher. art's mom-and-pop pumps can't compete with the big corporate chains, even with a b-17 overhead. so in 1991, art, now 78 closes down the bomber gas station after 44 years of operation. >> it broke his heart, but that was part of a business that just

had to happen. >> art keeps his bomber up as a symbol of the restaurant, but after four and a half decades exposed to the elements, the war plane is starting to look like she just came out of battle. corroded fuselage, busted parts, even graffiti. maybe it's finally time to send old number 44-85790 to the scrap heap. as he tries to figure out what to do, art learns something that really troubles him. of all those b-17s built to win world war ii -- 12,000 of them -- fewer than 50 have survived. >> we're literally down to a handful of these planes remaining in the world. >> so, battle plans are drawn up to restore the bomber to full flight-worthy condition. >> over the years, i really think it got to his heart. he loved that aircraft.

and he always talked about the veterans and how they valiantly served our nation, and that aircraft stood for that. >> the collings foundation has restored several world war ii bombers. rob collings knows firsthand what art is up against. is it realistic, and what's involved? >> it's monumental. i would say, to a degree, they're foolish to be trying this. >> what are we talking about in terms of time and money? >> i would say about 97,000 man hours. you equate that into one person working, that would be about 54 years of work to do and tens of millions of dollars. >> but art is once again ready to wing it, intent on taking the controls of his flying fortress before he pulls into that big filling station in the sky. to officially kick off the restoration, art finally gives his plane a name, christening her the lacey lady. >> we were cheering and we were

taking pictures and we're playing loud music. it was a lot of fun. >> but this time, art won't see his wild scheme through. in april 2000, he dies of heart failure at age 87, and his family inherits the daunting challenge of restoring the b-17. >> i mean, we are restaurateurs and caterers, not airplane manufacturers. you can't just go down to the store and buy the parts. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. what's going on up here? can't see what it is yet. what is that? that's a blazer? that's a chevy blazer? aww, this is dope. this thing is beautiful. i love the lights. oh man, it's got a mean face on it. it looks like a piece of candy. look at the interior. this is nice. this is my sexy mom car. i would feel like a cool dad. it's just really chic. i love this thing. it's gorgeous. i would pull up in this in a heartbeat.

i want one of these. that is sharp. the all-new chevy blazer. speaks for itself. i don't know who they got to design this but give them a cookie and a star.

♪yea, you can be the greatest ♪you can be the best ♪you can be the king kong ♪bangin on your chest ♪you can beat the world you can beat the war♪ ♪you can talk to god while bangin on his door♪ ♪you can throw your hands up you can beat the clock♪ ♪you can move a mountain you can break rocks♪ ♪you can be a master don't wait for luck♪ ♪dedicate yourself and you can find yourself♪ ♪standin in the hall of fame ♪yea ♪and the world's gonna know your name, yea♪

♪and you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame♪ ♪you can be a champion ♪be a champion ♪in the walls of the hall of fame♪ ♪be students, be teachers, be politicians, be preachers♪ ♪yea, yea ♪be believers, be leaders, be astronauts, be champions♪ ♪standin in the hall of fame >> now back to "strange inheritance." >> the family of art lacey is determined to restore the broken-down world war ii b-17 bomber they've inherited and get her back in the air. >> there were probably a few people who wondered, you know, maybe we're crazy.

but it represents a great era for our country and we need to take care of it. >> did he leave money to do that? >> well, yes and no. at the time, we had to remove all our underground storage tanks from the old gas station, and we had to put almost $600,000 into that. >> the environmental regulations take a big chunk of the money art left behind. the family quickly burns through another 400 grand on costly restorations. at some point, did you realize this was going to cost more than you actually had in your pocket? >> yes, i was somewhat naive. the money that our family had to put into it was just going to not go all that far. >> it was more than we could take on by ourselves. i mean, we are restaurateurs and caterers, not airplane manufacturers. >> so the family creates a nonprofit foundation called the b-17 alliance. to their amazement, interest in

the bomber quickly takes off. >> our volunteers went from 10 volunteers to over 100 volunteers. >> people out of the blue show up and say, "hey, this is a great project and i want to be a part of it. >> those 97,000 man hours suddenly seem possible. donors show up in force, too. >> we just finished a campaign to raise $50,000 in two months, and we were successful. that's really exciting. >> to date, they've raised nearly half a million dollars, enough to move the lacey lady to a restoration facility. but they'll need much more than that to get the plane back in the skies. >> it's a lot of money to restore a b-17 bomber. you can't just go down to the store and buy the parts. >> then another really big break. >> just recently, we had an aerospace manufacturing company that approached us. they said, "we are prepared to donate materials and to build parts free of charge for the duration of the project."

>> a gift potentially worth millions. so what kind of condition is the lacey lady in today? i get a sneak peek at the progress art's heirs have made. >> this is the first section that was restored, and this is the navigator bombardier's compartment. >> how long did this take? >> this took us about three and a half years and about $350,000. >> this ball turret, one of the dozen machine-gun stations, has also been restored. >> this one cost about $25,000, and it's taken a couple of years. >> the current focus -- the bomber's 100-foot wingspan. are these ever gonna be fly-worthy? >> absolutely. they will definitely be flight worthy and reassembled to the fuselage. >> it's a great start, but the family still has a long journey ahead. how many years do you think this will take? >> it's at least a 10-year project. >> how much money is this gonna

cost? >> we estimate the project to be about $6 million on the aircraft itself, and then in order to build a permanent home and museum for the aircraft, about $3 million. >> that's right. the family plans on using the lacey lady as the centerpiece of a museum dedicated to the legacy of world war ii heroes. in fact, they've already created a temporary one here on site. >> we're still a little bit grassroots, but last year we had over 15,000 visitors. >> what is your hope for the restoration? >> i fully expect to see it flying around our country, telling the story of our country and the sacrifices of our veterans. hopefully i'm still around when that is completed. >> a legendary war plane helps preserve freedom, becomes the icon for a small-town business,

and is now inspiring americans once again. what's dad thinking? >> i talk to my dad every day, and it's so important to him and to our whole family that this happen. it was a dream of his, and we've carried it on, and it's coming along beautifully. >> since it may be a while before punky and her family get their b-17 airworthy, we thought we'd leave you with a look at another one of the dozen or so b-17s still flying. in june 2016, a dozen world war ii b-17 veterans, all in their 90s, met at the boeing airfield in seattle to take to the skies. the vets recalled the beating the planes took on combat missions over europe. one vet said, "we brought some back so badly butchered up they never flew again, but they got us home." i'm jamie colby. thanks for watching

"strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. >> from the u.s. embassy in ottawa, canada, this is a special edition of maria bartiromo's "wall street." maria: happy weekend. welcome to program that analyzes the week that was and helps position you for the week ahead. coming to you this weekend from ottawa, canada. coming up in just a few moments, i'll be speaking with vice president mike pence about the new usmca deal as well as secretary of state mike pompeo. the vice president just finishing a meeting with the prime minister of canada. we will talk about that. but first, while much attention has been given to administration's trade talks with china, the united states is on the verge of implementing another major trade agreement, the usmca. vice president mike