L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS D ick Marconi is a man with many facets. Despite a tragic chemical accident left him blind in his left eye, he grit his teeth and pursued many endeavors in life. He co-founded and actively contributed to the success of the worldwide giant in wellness prod- ucts and nutritional supplements, Herbalife. He reached the top in car racing competitions and, over time, cumulated a priceless collection of stunning race cars. Today, they are on view at the Marconi Automotive Museum and & Foundation for Kids (Tustin, CA), whose proceeds go to charities across the country. For more info, please visit: http://marconimuse- um.org/. Good news is that, Dick's cars will soon be showcased in L.A., so you won't need to drive till Tustin, to view these "jewels." Dick Marconi's artistic life, similarly to Monet's, has been "positively" affected by his poor vision. In fact, in both cases, the artists, upon losing a conventional way of seeing reality, are able to make a decisive step towards abstract representation. To take a peek at Marconi's beautiful and original artworks, go to: www.dickmarconiart.com And now, let's hear directly from the Renaissance man, par excellence, Dick Marconi. Please, introduce yourself. How was your upbringing in an Italian-American household? I was raised in Gary, Indiana, along with my two broth- ers and my sister, by an Italian father and a Russian mother. My father taught me: "Learn, earn and return." My family struggled during the Great Depression. My dad used to earn $7.50 per week, working at a steel mill. I remember whenever my aunts and uncles came over to our house, my mother would tell them: "Speak English in this house!" She wanted all of us to feel integrated in the US. My mom used to repeat us: "Being second in anything is being first in a long line of losers. Always know who you are!" When you were just twelve, a tragic chemical accident left you blind in both eyes. However, through sheer determination, you were able to slowly regain vision in one eye. Could you share with us that difficult process of recovery and how the traumatic event shaped your own painting technique, called "color fusion art." Losing one eye totally and the other one for just a few weeks allowed me to eventually get my sight back in my right eye. I never viewed my partial blindness as a handicap, but rather as a challenge. I did not shy away from anything. I was class presi- dent and team captain of the foot- ball team. What stimulated my need to develop a new painting process later in life was my need for color! VALERIO VIALE Being blind for a week or so in both eyes and then getting my sight back and then seeing color again in a few weeks more, made my whole life about color. As far as artistic influences, my main source of inspiration was the style of Van Gogh and the other artists, seen during visits to art museums in Chicago, Illinois, where my mom used to bring my siblings and I. I eventually started creating abstract forms using mixed media and solvents. This brand new style became my signature tech- nique. I founded and named this form of art as "Color Fusion Art." Parallel to your art, you had a successful career as an entrepre- neur in the field of pharmaceuti- cals products, the likes of cus- tom-made vitamins, weight loss products and food supplements. Please expand on that. When I entered the pharmaceu- tical business, I was struck by how many people were affected by dia- betes, due to excessive sugar in their diet and eating too much alto- gether. After extensively studying medicinal herbs in China, I attempted to grasp that set of millennial traditions. I worked with major experts in the field and contributed to devel- op a weight loss program, carried out by a company in Texas. As the latter eventually went out of business, I partnered with one of its young employers, a charismatic young man, Mark R. Hughes. I helped him create Herbalife International, a multi-level mar- keting company that, over the years, has become one of the glob- ally leading distributors of weight loss and wellness products. Alongside your pharmaceuti- cal business, you were a long time race car driver and collec- tor, and opened, with your wife, the Marconi Automotive Museum & Foundation for Kids (in 1994). Could you tell us more about that? Alongside my successful ven- ture in the pharmaceutical busi- ness, I have been racing cars throughout my adult life. I was the oldest race car driver at the Long Beach Grand Prix. I've also collected race cars such as Lamborghinis, Porsches, perfor- mance race cars, muscle cars, and Ferraris. If anyone asks me, "What is your favorite car?," I could never answer them. It's the same as ask- ing a parent, "Who's your favorite child?" My cars are all my "babies." In 1994, I donated my full col- lection, amounting to 50 cars, including 17 one-of-a-kind Ferraris, to the Museum & Foundation for Kids, which is run by my wife, Priscilla "Bo" Marconi. One of our main beneficiaries is the Covenant House California, a non-profit organization commit- ted to provide services to the homeless and runaway youth. Dick Marconi, a success story against great odds Entrepreneur, philantropist, artist Dick Marconi. Photo Courtesy of Gaya Lynn The Bellini Galaxy painting by Dick Marconi. Photo Courtesy of Gaya Lynn

• Cover