# Crazy Eddie Dies! His Casket is Insane! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 12, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765 "2016-09-12T17:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/1 "2016-09-12T17:28:30Z")
It’s noted in the Celebrity Death Pool thread, but didn’t gets its own. Eddie Antar , founder of Crazy Eddie’s electronics, has died. He lived in New Jersey, not that far from Pepper Mill. His logo looked as if he stole it from Robert Crumb, and one of his stores was near me. His prices were low enough, but not really insane. As the Death Pool thread notes, he was involved in shady stuff – insider trading and suchlike. He fled to Israel, but was extradited back. He was charged and coinvicted and appealed and ended up serving some prison time. > **[Eddie Antar, Owner of ‘Crazy Eddie' Retail Chain, Dead at 68](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/eddie-antar-owner-of-crazy-eddie-retail-chain-dead-at-68/1180692/)** > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/2 "2016-09-12T17:42:22Z")
I dunno what to say; Crazy Eddie’s was an iconic place in the NYNJ area back in the '70s. The TV ads were awesome! Eddie Antar was less than awesome, tho. A lot less than awesome. Pretty much the anti-awesome, actually. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/3 "2016-09-12T21:32:27Z")
Insane!! I can’t believe he was still alive! ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/4 "2016-09-13T12:27:50Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Insane!! I can’t believe he was still alive! That was exactly my thought. I remember him being old when I was a kid, but I suppose at the time, anybody over 30 looked old. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/5 "2016-09-13T13:08:25Z")
Eddie Antar - the owner of Crazy Eddie and the guy who just died - was not the “Crazy Eddie” character who appeared in those ads. That was an actor. You’re probably remembering the actor, who appeared to be middle-aged back in the 70s, but Eddie Antar himself was younger. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/6 "2016-09-13T13:24:25Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Eddie Antar - the owner of Crazy Eddie and the guy who just died - was not the “Crazy Eddie” character who appeared in those ads. That was an actor. You’re probably remembering the actor, who appeared to be middle-aged back in the 70s, but Eddie Antar himself was younger. That makes me feel better. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/7 "2016-09-13T13:35:10Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Insane!! I can’t believe he was still alive! …I thought he buried the competition… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-Mhynh\_pg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCGsqBn9pog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=504ptsO-GUo ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/8 "2016-09-13T15:09:19Z")
I’m just glad it wasn’t Larry Niven… (science-fiction reference) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/9 "2016-09-13T15:25:39Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Eddie Antar - the owner of Crazy Eddie and the guy who just died - was not the “Crazy Eddie” character who appeared in those ads. That was an actor. You’re probably remembering the actor, who appeared to be middle-aged back in the 70s, but Eddie Antar himself was younger. The guy in the commercials was Jerry Carroll who was a long time New York radio guy. I remember my mother listening to him when he would sub on WOR radio long before it had a bunch of syndicated programing. He always came across as a really nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/10 "2016-09-14T01:15:03Z")
As a child of 70s NY, I recall those ads fondly. In the recesses of my mind they get mixed up with ads for Uncle Steve’s, a Canal Street electronics store that a quick Google search reveals to have been “shady.” Also sort of shares a musty room in my brain with Tom Carvel, the gravelly-voiced soft serve ice cream cake king. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/11 "2016-09-14T01:59:27Z")
What is it about shady family-run electronics chains with memorable mascots? The Wiz suffered a similar downfall, complete with a billion-dollar bankruptcy and convictions for money laundering and securities fraud. Crazy Eddie had better commercials, though. And he inspired a Futurama character, whereas The Wiz only got a Seinfeld episode. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/12 "2016-09-14T10:04:05Z")
Yeah, turns out even sweet old Tom Carvel had some “shadiness” – according to Wikipedia, his corpse was exhumed to look for traces of poison, on suspicion of some money-spinning deal or other gone wrong. Gotta love New York. ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/13 "2016-09-14T13:00:49Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > As a child of 70s NY, I recall those ads fondly. In the recesses of my mind they get mixed up with ads for Uncle Steve’s, a Canal Street electronics store that a quick Google search reveals to have been “shady.” > > Also sort of shares a musty room in my brain with Tom Carvel, the gravelly-voiced soft serve ice cream cake king. I really wanted a Fudgy the Whale cake for my birthday, but it seems you have to go way downtown or to an outer borough these days if you want one. So it was not to be. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/14 "2016-09-14T16:00:50Z")
I’ve seen tons of Crazy Eddie ads … and [Tom Peterson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Peterson) ads as well. Electronics chains go bankrupt. That’s the business they are in. In Tom’s case, he bought out another chain and that over-strained the whole business. No real shadiness as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/15 "2016-09-15T16:35:17Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > As a child of 70s NY, I recall those ads fondly. In the recesses of my mind they get mixed up with ads for Uncle Steve’s, a Canal Street electronics store that a quick Google search reveals to have been “shady.” > > Also sort of shares a musty room in my brain with Tom Carvel, the gravelly-voiced soft serve ice cream cake king. And also the radio commercial for Fall into The Gap ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crazy-eddie-dies-his-casket-is-insane/765765/16 "2016-09-16T03:29:27Z")
🙂