AUDIO: CRAZY EDDIE DIES
The man who turned the Crazy Eddie electronics stores into a retail giant before it collapsed amid federal fraud charges has died. Eddie Antar was 68. Antar died Saturday. A cause of death wasn’t disclosed. The Crazy Eddie chain was known for its ads featuring a maniacal pitchman who touted “Our prices are insane!” Antar started working in Brooklyn, and the chain eventually grew into 43 stores. But he fled to Israel after being indicted on securities fraud and insider trading charges. He was extradited to the United States in 1993 and was convicted on racketeering and stock fraud charges. That was overturned in 1995. He eventually pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and served a prison term.
* You know, my home stereo did look a little down this morning.
* Crazy Eddie should have gone with an insanity defense.
* I’m sad to hear bad news about Crazy Eddie. The guy who did their screaming TV commercials? Not so much.
* The chain collapsed amid federal fraud charges, plus it was starting to be politically incorrect to scream “Our prices are insane!”
* See? This is the type of guy who gets indicted for stock fraud while the bigger players on Wall Street go scott free.
* And keep in mind that insider trading was legal if you were in Congress.
* I guess he’s gone to that great infomercial in the sky.
CLIP: A Crazy Eddie commercial.
