Leandro Rizzuto

Leandro P. "Lee" Rizzuto (April 10, 1938 – December 3, 2017) was an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and co-founder of Conair Corporation, which was almost 100% owned by him.

Leandro Rizzuto
Born(1938-04-10)April 10, 1938
Brooklyn, New York, US
DiedDecember 3, 2017(2017-12-03) (aged 79)
NationalityAmerican
EducationSt. John's University (dropped out)
OccupationBusinessman
Net worthUS$3.5 billion (December 2017)[1]
TitleChairman, Conair Corporation
Spouse(s)divorced
Children4 including Leandro Rizzuto Jr.

Early life

He was born in Brooklyn,[2] the son of Julian and Josephine Rizzuto.[3] His father was born Nicola in Italy, but later changed his name to Julian, and Josephine's New York Times 1983 obituary refers to him as Nicola.[4][5]

Leandro had two sisters, Anita Casamento of Brooklyn and Pauline Navarra of Phoenix.[5]

In 1959, Rizzuto dropped out of St. John's University to assist his family in setting up a hair products business in the basement of their Brooklyn home; this would later become Conair.[1][3]

Career

In December 2017, his net worth was estimated at $3.5 billion.[1]

Personal life

He was divorced, with four children, and lived in Sheridan, Wyoming.[1]

On December 3, 2017,[6] Rizzuto died from pancreatic cancer.

On January 5, 2018, President Donald Trump appointed his son Leandro Rizzuto Jr., to the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Barbados, as well as St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia.[7]

References
  1. David Lariviere. "Leandro Rizzuto & family". Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  2. "Bloomberg Billionaires Index - Leandro Rizzuto". Retrieved 12 February 2018 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  3. Wang, Jennifer (October 6, 2016). "Conair's Italian Roots: How Leandro Rizzuto And His Immigrant Parents Built The Most Iconic Hair Dryers". Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  4. "Leandro Rizzuto, 70 anni, italoamericano, ha fatto i soldi vendendo bigodini, fatturato 2007 di 2,3 miliardi di dollari con un utile dopo le tasse del 10 per cento". cinquantamila.it. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. "JOSEPHINE RIZZUTO". The New York Times. 24 January 1983. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  6. "Conair Announces Passing of Co-Founder and Chairman, Leandro P. Rizzuto". American Salon. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  7. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Additions to his Administration | The White House". The White House. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
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