| We recall a store chain that filled our lives with wonders of technology and made us grin with terrific commercials. These discount electronics stores are gone, but our memories of his products and advertising will never be forgotten. This is our tribute to Crazy Eddie. |
 If you grew up around
the Tri-State area, then the guy on the right needs no
introduction. For well over ten years, he was the spokesman for
electronics chain Crazy Eddie. His name is Jerry Carroll,
and his persona while reading the Crazy Eddie ads was...well,
crazy. His stare was maniacal, his voice boomed, he flailed his
arms about, and we loved it! This image personified the Crazy
Eddie name just as the Antar family duo (father Sam and son
Eddie) had intended. These tv spots were a hallmark of New York
City area television throughout the late '70s and well into the
'80s. |
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The store chain began with a modest shop in the Coney Island
section of New York. The Antar business enjoyed success there, and
opened more shops through the '70s, eventually spreading into
Manhattan, the outer boroughs, Long Island and New Jersey. Despite the
success, we saw little change in what we feel were the keys to success--
terrific audio and video products and these unique advertisements.
Jerry Carroll endured as a true-life incaranation of Crazy Eddie--armed with a turtleneck and sport jacket, he guaranteed that prices were the lowest anywhere, truly in-saaaane! |
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Crazy Eddie even delved into the music business, going toe to toe with record store giants like Musicland, Sam Goody and downtown Manhattan hallmark J&R Music World. The commercial below is one for the seemingly huge Crazy Eddie Record and Tape Asylum, promoting the "Nice Price" albums.  |
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So what happened? Good question, we'd like to know, too! It was all so sudden, but nearly all of the stores closed around as the '90s began. We noticed other local electronics chains like Tokyo-Shapiro and Newmark and Lewis endure hard times, also. Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was a change in the market, we're not sure. But, this failure paled in comparison to the legal trouble that became public in the mid-1990. The owner, Eddie Antar was investigated by the SEC for suspicion of manipulation of financial books and earnings. Antar fled and lived as a fugitive for a while, during which time the government issued a $73 million judgement against him. He surfaced in Israel, and was extradited to the US in 1992. Eddie Antar finally pled guilty in 1996 for conspiracy and racketeering and spent seven years in prison. The Crazy Eddie name is not forgotten, let's hope they re-open some of those magical stores someday! |
| Crazy Eddie Audio and Video Clips! | ||
 "Crazy Eddie: His prices are insaaane!" |
 1980 Beta & VHS recorder TV spot |
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Our friend Dean lived in the New York area for a while and was a loyal Crazy Eddie customer. Whoa, he's still got his Crazy Eddie promotional t-shirt!!! |
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Got a piece of Crazy Eddie memorabilia? An Ad or a receipt? Or a fond memory, perhaps some trivia? Visit the Crazy Eddie Guestbook! |
When the home computer
market exploded, Crazy Eddie was there, selling several top
makes: Texas Instruments, Commodore and Atari, Timex-Sinclair.
Department stores of the day provided one or two if you were
lucky.