Eddie Antar, the man who turned the Crazy Eddie electronics stores into a retail giant before it collapsed amid federal fraud charges has died. He was 68.
The Bloomfield-Cooper funeral home in Ocean Township, New Jersey, confirmed Sunday that Antar died Saturday, The Associated Press reported. A cause of death wasn't disclosed.
The Crazy Eddie chain was known for its ads featuring the late maniacal pitchman Jerry Carroll, a radio DJ, who starred in thousands of Crazy Eddie radio and TV ads for 13 years. The ads always ended the same way, with Crazy Eddie prices being touted as "in-SAAAANE!"
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.
Antar 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.
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