Today it was learned that we've lost Leonard Persin Jr., aka Big Lenny. Everybody he came in to contact with, touched, and reached, either in person or through his Youtube presence over the years, will choose to remember him in their own special way. Despite all of the crazy and memorable things we were a part of both on and off-camera, I will always remember him for something he told me after the 2017 Ruby Classic
We were driving back to his old place so he could throw on some fresh clothes before heading out to meet up with and the gang in Downtown Delray Beach - No shirt on, still covered in oil, and all wound up from the excitement of the post Ruby adulation from the many Maniacs who came to cheer him on. While in the middle of a bug-eyed sentence, he suddenly stopped talking, was quiet for 3 seconds, faced me, and said "Andrew, I just want to thank you." I asked him, "For what?" He replied "For putting me on Youtube, because if it wasn't for the Maniacs I would have killed myself a long time ago." Completely taken aback and caught off guard, I simply responded with "You're welcome, bro." I didn't know what else to say. But his words in my car that night always stuck with me over the years, now more so than ever.
As his relationship with all of you grew since his DRM debut in 2014, that bond became more important to him than any of you will ever know. It was you, the Maniacs, who motivated him, sustained him, and inspired him, whether it was from a squat rack, a bodybuilding stage, or even laying in a hospital bed. It was the opportunity to interact with all of you from The UK, Canada, Australia, and here at home that genuinely gave him something to live for, especially during his recent bouts of deteriorating health. He literally viewed all of you as his family. So in the same manner that Lenny thanked me back in 2017, I want to thank all of you on his behalf for welcoming him into your lives, giving him a sense of purpose, the chance to entertain you in his own non-cookie cutter way, motivate, educate, and make a meaningful, lasting impact on so many people around the world. "Death smiles at us all, but all we can do is smile back."
RIP Lenny.