Early life
– Born in Brooklyn
– Son of Julian and Josephine Rizzuto
– Father changed his name from Nicola to Julian
– Had two sisters, Anita Casamento and Pauline Navarra
– Dropped out of St. Johns University in 1959 to assist family in setting up a hair products business in their Brooklyn home, which later became Conair
Career
– Net worth estimated at $3.5 billion in December 2017
– Co-founder and chairman of Conair
– Built Conair into an iconic hair products brand
– Successful business selling hair dryers and other products
– Forbes article highlights Conair’s Italian roots
Personal life
– Divorced with four children
– Lived in Sheridan, Wyoming
– Died from pancreatic cancer on December 3, 2017
– Son, Leandro Rizzuto Jr., appointed as Ambassador to Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia by President Donald Trump
– Reference to his obituary in The New York Times
References
– Bloomberg Billionaires Index lists Leandro Rizzuto
– Forbes article on Conair’s Italian roots and Rizzuto’s immigrant parents
– Italian article mentioning Rizzuto’s wealth and business success
– The New York Times obituary for Josephine Rizzuto, Leandro’s mother
– Forbes article on Leandro Rizzuto and his family
Death and legacy
– Rizzuto died from pancreatic cancer
– Announcement of his passing by Conair
– Mention of his death in American Salon magazine
– President Donald Trump’s appointment of his son as Ambassador
– Wikipedia page with details about his life and careerSources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leandro_Rizzuto
