Law Grad Who Created Lemonheads and Atomic Fire Balls Dies at 93
A lawyer who made his mark by operating and expanding a candy company founded by his father has died at his home in the Chicago suburbs.
Nello Ferrara was 93 years old.
Inspired by the shape of his then-newborn son’s head in the early 1960s, he created the company’s well-known Lemonheads. He came up with the idea for Atomic Fire Balls due to serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Ferrara Pan Candy Co. is also known for its Baked Beans and Red Hots.
Ferrara earned his law degree from DePaul University. Focused on family as well as his family business, Ferrara also liked to sing when the mood struck him, whether at home or in public, his son tells the Associated Press.
At one point, the elder Ferrara met Frank Sinatra at a charity even and, when they again encountered each other a year later, tried to outsing Sinatra, says Salvatore Ferrara. “My dad insisted that he had a better voice, he just wasn’t as good looking.”
Also see:
Sun-Times: “Nello Ferrara, 93, invented Lemonheads, saw MacArthur in occupied Japan, sang with Sinatra”
