My first memories of this pioneer and King of daily exercise and good nutrition were in my Aunt Tina & Concetta’s living room. My “right off the boat” Sicilian aunts were fascinated by this exuberant dynamo who preached the gospel of health and fitness. Thus, I became fascinated with an American icon who would impact my life for the next 40 years. Thank you Jack LaLanne. For being ‘born again’ after meeting Paul Bragg when you were 15; for starting a rudimentary gym for police officers and firefighters when everyone thought you were a crackpot; for opening the first real gym in 1936 – LaLanne’s Physical Culture Studio in downtown Oakland, CA; for starting the first morning TV show dedicated to health and fitness that encouraged kids to wake-up their moms for their morning workout; for your multitude of daring feats to get people to believe in you – like towing 76 kids across the Long Beach Harbor while being handcuffed and shackled; for inciting a national craze of weight rooms, exercise classes and fancy health clubs; for always accepting people for who they were – like your 300 pound best friend who was a chain-smoker and a boozer; for all the exercise machines and health related products you created; and most importantly, for inspiring me to embrace a daily fitness routine since that fateful day I felt your unparalleled fervor. You’re a true and inspirational legend the world will never forget. Rest in Peace – R
