Ben Aronoff (Donald Aronow) Wikipedia, Real Story, Age, Wife, Family & Facts About Speed Boat Racer
Donald Aronow (aka Ben Aronoff) was a man of many talents and passions. He was a successful businessman, a world-class athlete, a boat designer and builder, and a friend of celebrities and presidents. He was also a man of mystery, intrigue, and controversy, whose life ended in a violent and unsolved murder. This is the story of Donald Aronow, the king of Thunderboat Row.
Ben Aronoff (Donald Aronow) Wiki/Bio
| Name | Donald Joel Aronow |
|---|---|
| Birth date | March 1, 1927 |
| Birth place | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Death date | February 3, 1987 |
| Death place | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Jewish |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Occupation | Boat designer, builder, and racer |
| Spouses | Shirley Goldin (m. 1948–1979), Lillian Crawford (m. ?–1987) |
| Children | Michael, David, Claudia, Gavin, Wylie |
| Awards | UIM Gold Medal of Honor, World and U.S. Championships |
| Links | Wikipedia- @Donald_Aronow Homepage- Newsunzip |
Birthday, Parents, and Education
Donald Joel Aronow was born on March 3, 1927 (age: 59 years, as of 2023), in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants Herman and Ruth Aronow. He had two older sisters, Sylvia and Lillian. He was a gifted student and a top athlete, excelling in football, wrestling, and track. He graduated from James Madison High School in 1944 and enrolled at Brooklyn College, where he studied physical education.
In 1945, Donald Aronow joined the United States Merchant Marine and worked overseas until the end of World War II. He returned to the United States in 1947 and completed his studies. He graduated from Brooklyn College in 1948 with a physical education degree.
Spouse, Kids
After finishing school, Aronow briefly worked as a physical education teacher before joining his father-in-law’s construction business. In 1953, he established his own construction company, the Aronow Corporation, which became one of the largest and most profitable in New Jersey. He built thousands of homes, shopping centers, and industrial parks, earning a fortune and a reputation for quality and innovation.
In 1948, Aronow married Shirley Goldin, whom he had met while working as a lifeguard on Coney Island. They had three children: Michael, David, and Claudia. He and Goldin were divorced in 1979. His second wife was Lillian Crawford, with whom he had two sons, Gavin and Wylie.
In 1959, Aronow decided to move to Miami, Florida, where he hoped to enjoy a semi-retirement of fishing and skin diving. However, he soon discovered a new passion: powerboat racing. He bought his first boat, a 21-foot Formula, and entered the Miami-Nassau race in 1961. He finished fourth, but he was hooked. He decided to pursue powerboat racing as a hobby and a business.
Boat building, Real Story, Racing
Aronow’s hobby evolved into a business, and by the end of 1962, he had formed the Formula Marine boat company. He sold Formula Marine to Alliance Machine in Ohio and started Donzi Marine in 1964, which he sold to Teleflex Inc. in mid-1965. In 1966, he founded Magnum Marine and in 1967 won his first world championship.
Due to a non-compete clause following the sale of Magnum Marine, Aronow was not permitted to build boats for several years. Despite this, in 1969 he built the first Cigarette boat under the name Cary, in Elton Cary’s Miami Beach facility. The Cigarette was a sleek, fast, and powerful boat that revolutionized the sport of offshore racing. It was also popular among drug smugglers, who used it to outrun the law.
In 1969, Aronow won his second world championship and third consecutive United States championship. He was the second American to win the Union Internationale Motonautique’s Gold Medal of Honor. In 1970, after the non-compete clause expired, He started the Cigarette Racing Team, which became the most dominant force in offshore racing. He also built boats for the Shah of Iran, Charles Keating, Robert Vesco, Malcolm Forbes, George H. W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Having sold Cigarette in 1982, Aronow formed USA Racing Team and built the Blue Thunders, 39-foot catamarans used by the United States Customs Service to patrol U.S. waters for illegal offshore activities, especially drug smuggling. His close friend at the time, Vice President George H.W. Bush, was a former Cigarette owner and was involved in testing out the 39-foot catamarans prior to government approval.
In addition to his championships, Aronow’s boats won over 350 offshore races. He was widely regarded as the best boat designer, builder, and racer of his time. He was also a charismatic and flamboyant personality, who attracted attention and admiration wherever he went. He was known for his generosity, his sense of humor, his love of women, and his fearless attitude.
Height, Weight
- Height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m)
- Weight: 176 lbs (80 kg)
- Eye color: Blue
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 1983 | $750k USD |
Speed Boat Racer Movie Facts
Speed Kills is a movie directed by Jodi Scurfield and based on the book of the same name by Arthur J. Harris. The movie follows the rise and fall of Ben Aronoff, a fictionalized version of Donald Aronow, a real speedboat racer and builder. The movie shows how Aronoff moves from New Jersey to Miami, where he starts a successful boat company and becomes a world champion. He also befriends celebrities and politicians, including George H. W. Bush, who is played by Matthew Modine. However, Aronoff’s boats also attract the attention of drug smugglers, who use them to transport cocaine. He gets entangled with the law and the drug lords, and eventually gets killed by a hitman in 1986.
The movie was released in 2018 and received mostly negative reviews from critics and audiences. The movie has a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 2.5/10. The movie was criticized for its poor script, direction, editing, and acting. Some reviewers also pointed out the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the movie, which changed some of the names, dates, and events of the real story.
- The movie is based on a book by Arthur j. Harris, titled Speed Kills: Who Killed the Cigarette Boat King, the Fastest Man on the Seas? The book was published in 1998 and is a journalistic account of Aronow’s life and death.
- The movie is not very accurate in portraying the facts of Donald Aronow’s life and death. Some of the inaccuracies include:
- The movie changes the names of some of the real people involved in Aronow’s story, such as George H. W. Bush, Robert Vesco, Meyer Lansky, and Ben Kramer.
- The movie shows Ben Aronoff winning the world championship in 1964, but he actually won it in 1967 and 1969.
- The movie shows Aronoff being killed in 1986, but he was actually killed in 1987.
The Appeal of Ben Aronoff: How John Travolta Brought the Speedboat King to Life
Speed Kills, is a 2018 film that tells the story of Ben Aronoff, a speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire who gets involved with drug lords and ends up murdered. But who is Ben Aronoff, and what makes him so fascinating and appealing to the viewers?
The Character: Ben Aronoff
Ben Aronoff is the main character of Speed Kills, a movie directed by Jodi Scurfield and based on the book of the same name by Arthur J. Harris. The movie follows Aronoff’s rise and fall as a powerboat champion, businessman, and friend of celebrities and politicians. He is also a man of mystery, intrigue, and controversy, whose life ends in a violent and unsolved murder.
Aronoff is a fictionalized version of Donald Aronow, a real speedboat racer and builder who lived from 1927 to 1987. Aronow was a successful construction magnate who moved from New Jersey to Miami in 1959, where he discovered his passion for powerboat racing. He started his own boat company and became a world champion. He also befriended celebrities and politicians, including George H. W. Bush, who is played by Matthew Modine in the movie.
The movie changes some of the names, dates, and events of the real story, but it captures the essence of Aronow’s life and personality. Ben Aronoff is portrayed as a charismatic and flamboyant man, who loves speed, money, women, and adventure. He is also a generous and humorous man, who cares for his family and friends. He is a man of contradictions, who lives a double life that lands him in trouble. He is a man of ambition, who pursues his dreams and challenges. He is a man of legend, who leaves a lasting legacy in the sport and the industry of powerboat racing.
The Actor: John Travolta
John Travolta is the actor who plays Ben Aronoff in Speed Kills. Travolta is a famous actor who has starred in many movies and TV shows, such as Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, and American Crime Story. He is known for his versatility and charisma, as well as his dancing and singing skills.
Travolta brings his talent and charm to the role of Ben Aronoff, and he delivers a convincing and captivating performance. He captures the nuances and emotions of the character, and he makes the audience empathize and sympathize with him. He also shows his physical and vocal abilities, as he performs some of the stunts and adopts a New Jersey accent. He also transforms his appearance, as he ages from his 30s to his 50s throughout the movie.
Travolta does justice to the character of Aronoff, and he makes him engaging and attractive for the audience. He makes the audience root for him, laugh with him, cry with him, and feel for him. He makes the audience interested and curious about his life and his fate. He makes the audience appreciate and admire his achievements and contributions to the sport and the industry of powerboat racing. He makes the audience remember and honor his legacy and his memory.
Murder and legacy
On February 3, 1987, Donald Aronow was murdered in his car at the end of 188th Street in North Miami Beach, where his boat companies operated. He had just left his office and was driving his white Mercedes-Benz 560 SL when another car pulled up alongside him and fired several shots. He was hit in the chest and died at the scene. The killer drove away and was never caught.
The motive and the mastermind behind Aronow’s murder remain a mystery. Several theories have been proposed, involving drug dealers, business rivals, jealous lovers, or government agents. Some of the suspects include Ben Kramer, a former associate and competitor of Aronow who had a dispute with him over boat designs and money; Robert Young, a hitman who confessed to killing him but later recanted; and George Morales, a drug lord who claimed that he owed him millions of dollars.
Aronow’s murder shocked and saddened the boating world and the public. He was mourned by his family, friends, fans, and admirers. He was also honored and remembered for his achievements and contributions to the sport and the industry of powerboat racing. His boats are still considered among the best and most iconic in the world. His legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him and those who follow his footsteps. He was a legend, a hero, and a king.
