Famed New York retailer—and felon—dies

The man who founded the Crazy Eddie consumer electronics chain has died at the age of 68.



Eddie Antar grew his company from one location in Brooklyn, New York, to the largest electronics retailer in the New York metro area in the 1980s, with 43 stores in four states. The chain gained national fame for its television commercials which featured a maniacal-looking pitchman, pictured above, screaming at the end of the spot that Crazy Eddie’s prices were “insane.” For years, many people mistakenly took the pitchman to be Antar.



Antar’s retail empire, which he took public in 1984, eventually fell apart amid federal fraud charges. In 1990, he fled to Israel after being indicted on securities fraud and insider trading charges.



Antar was extradited back to the United States in 1993 and convicted on racketeering and stock fraud charges. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 1995. He eventually pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and served a prison term.



In 2001, Antar attempted a comeback of sorts when he and some former fellow associated attempted to remake Crazy Eddie as an online retailer, the New York Times reported. But the effort ultimately fell apart.



For more on Antar, click here.