Sorry this is sooooo boring to some of you on the list, but the delete key is on your keyboard for a reason.
Anyway, I think my friend Ken hit the nail on the head:
"You gotta understand that alot of this Mario Confente mystique is regional (Southern California) great craftsman, no doubt, but since he was so short-lived his work didn't get assimilated into bike culture on a larger scale."
I might add though, that when Mario Confente showed his bikes at the New York bicycle trade show in March 1977 he had a very definite and maybe even profound effect on the other framebuilders in attendance.
From Velo News, March 11, 1977:
"Perhaps the star of the frame show was Mario Confente, who now handbuilds custom bicycles in Los Angeles. After a decade as master framebuilder for Masi in Italy and America, Confente last year opened his own modern shop complete with a number of technological innovations.
An expressive, amiable man, Confente handles all phases of construction himself, beginning with a full mapping of the prospective owner's physical dimensions and riding requirements. He has thus far constructed 32 frames under his own name, with No. 8 having been sent to longtime friend Eddy Merckx.
Confente has built other frames for Merckx over the years, as well as for many professional teams in Europe. Though he can hardly be called an American craftsman, Mario's presence in this country is already adding to the emerging prestige of U.S. framebuilding."
The article also stated:
"In attention to detail and design, several American builders were rated by Show-goers as exceeding those who heretofore have been the standard of the world -- the Italians. Though Masi, Guerciotti, Colnago and Gios were all represented, three U.S. craftsmen seemed to draw more attention, namely Bruce Gordon, Richard Sachs and Mario Confente"
Chuck "gee I _hope_ this is on topic" Schmidt South Pasadena, California