Fausto Vitello
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| Fausto Vitello | |
 Fausto, 1978 |
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| Born | 8/23/1946 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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| Died | 4/22/2006 |
| Residence | San Francisco, CA |
Fausto Vitello (born August 23, 1946 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, died April 22, 2006) was an American businessman and magazine publisher. Vitello was the creator of Thrasher magazine in 1981 and co-creator of Independent trucks, started in 1979.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Vitello was born in Argentina, but his family left when he was 9 to escape the political terror of the Revolución Libertadora. His family moved to San Francisco and he was raised on Frederick Street in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood.[2] Vitello did not speak any english upon arriving. He taught himself english by listening to San Francisco Giants broadcasts, starting a lifelong love for the Giants.[3] Vitello spent a year at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring and eventually graduating from San Francisco State University with a degree in Spanish.[2]
[edit] Business life
In the late 1970s skateboarding's popularity was waning.[2] Vitello and a business partner, however, saw an opportunity and opened the Independent Truck Company. The company was just what the industry needed, offering high quality parts made in America, as opposed to the cheaply made parts produced in China that many skateboard manufacturers were offering. Independent Trucks quickly became an industry leader and Vitello saw an opportunity to expand and capitalize upon the rediscovery of skateboarding in America.[4]
In 1981, Vitello started Thrasher Magazine. The photos and articles brought the latest tricks, fashions, and gear to the attention of the youth of America, contributing to rise of the skateboard culture in America. The advertisements also helped push the success of Independent Trucks, which was quickly becoming one of the largest names in skateboarding.[4] While many were still dismissing skateboarding as a fad, Thrasher helped establish it as a dominant subculture that has evolved into the billion dollar industry it is today.[2]
As Vitello's business empire grew, so did the number of projects he undertook. He started High Speed productions, which publishes Slap Magazine, and the international alternative art magazine, Juxtapoz. He founded two distributions - Deluxe, which carries Spitfire Wheels, Thunder Trucks, Antihero Skateboards, Real Skateboards and Krooked Skateboards, and Street Corner, which carries Hubba Wheels, Think Skateboards, Lucky Bearings and Venture trucks.
[edit] Death
Fausto died on April 22, 2006 of a heart attack while riding on his bicycle with his best friend, Lin Ho.[3] He is survived by his wife, Gwynn, his son, Tony, and daughter, Sally.[2]
