What a coincidence, I had taped the last installment of Boy's Toys and was watching it last night. When they showed his picture and started talking about his designs I began to think about his death and what a shame it was. A great loss to us all.

Great loss but what a legacy!

Don's spirit rode with me every time I took that little Donzi out. A true legend of this sport. He is definitely missed.

Iggy,

I missed the boys toys show, any chance you could copy it for me? I will be happy to pay for the tape and shipping? Please e-mail me at [email protected].

Thanks,

Shane

Don was a week from his 60th birthday when he was gunned down by a thug hired by racer Ben Kramer.

He was building a new 45' USA Racing team deep vee hull for my 1988 363 mile Miami-Nassau-Miami Searace, which would have marked his first major race since he quit the sport in 1969!

At the time of his death Don, who I did PR for 20 years for, had become the most successful powerboat figure in history, surpassing the fabled Gold Cup and offshore racer-inventor Gar Wood and the late Unlimited hydroplane driver Bill Muncey.

His killer, Robert Young, hired by racer-boatbuilder Ben Kramer over an argument about money Kramer claimed Aronow owed him when he backed out of a deal to sell him his USA Racing Team company, never served a day or paid a dollar for the crime.

After Young pleaded no-contest (tantamount to pleading guilty) the presiding judge in the case gave the career criminal 19 years to be served concurrently with another sentence!

He walks the streets of America today!!!!!!

John Crouse...

[ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: john crouse ]

I sat at Fort Apache Marine drinking Rum Runners with Ben Cramer one time.Glad I didn't stiff him for the bar bill!!!!
And yes Don Arronow was THE man in offshore!!!!

John, can you confirm this story that I read somewhere?
Seems while spending his life sentence, Ben Kramer planned a daring jail break. He hired someone to fly into the prison yard in a chopper to pick him up, but when Kramer jumped in, many of the other inmates tried to hang on for a free ride & the chopper couldn't get airborne. The guards quickly took care of the situation.
I forget where I read it but I think it's true

DJD,
I remember reading an article in the newspaper a few years ago about that jail break. As far as I know it's true. John might know more of the details.

Actually Kramer had gained 60 lbs on prison food. That, coupled with an inexperienced pilot in a grossly underpowered helicopter (Robinson), contributed to the crash. Their weren't any other prisoners hanging on.

For the best story on Aronow's death (without the PR) read "Blue Thunder". It tells the tail of a competitive, talented man, with a huge ego and a fair amount of greed, continually playing macho games with some pretty nasty people. The result was predictable....
"He who lives by the sword.........".

By the way John.... I think Billy Seebold blew away every other racer in terms of victories in multiple categories years ago.

Billy is, in fact, the true "Man" in powerboat racing.

T2x

PS: the last time I saw Ben Kramer, he was trying to give me the "Aronow" Unlimited tunnel boat. He, too, was (is) "bigger than life".

[ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: T2x ]

the Indiana prison in which Ben is a permament resident now has steel wires stretched overhead in the yard, they are called "Kramer wires"