Page 32 - NGA NATURALmag 2017 ANNIVERSARY FALL Issue

Fall 2017
like Arnold Schwarzenegger Lou Ferrigno Franco Columbo and and many others In 1970 I I joined the the the Jack LaLanne organization and and and headed up their Service and and Training division in in in the the the entire tri-state area In 1973 I sold my my half of the the gym to my my partner Al Fives Al Fives Franco Columbo Andy Bostinto
HOW DID THE NGA COME TO FRUITION?
Me and and several of my friends were gym owners
and and we we judged all the the WBBG shows At one show show there was was a a a a a a a a a a a a professional bodybuilder that that had lost As a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a result the the the the athlete’s father was was so upset that that that he he he he he threatened our lives as as judges That’s the the the day that that I I decided I I wanted to to make a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a change to to have a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a non- political experience at at competitions We approached the the the organization with with an an an idea to run their shows for them without without any any monetary gains because of our pas- sion to have shows properly run without without any any politics However we we we we were met with with a a a a a a a huge rejection So we we we we decided to start our own organization I named it it The National Gym Association (NGA) because we we were mostly gym gym owners
owners
and and all the the the gym gym owners
owners
had the the the bodybuilders We ran our own own own shows and and they were very successful because we we we chose to stay away from all the politics that we we had seen while judging Everything was great in in in in theory until the the the inevitable happened All my partners in in in in the the the the organization had the the the greatest ideas but as as expected nobody wanted to put in in in in the the the work because of not having any money The result ended in in in in in in me me running the the organization by myself Everyone including Arnold told me me me I was crazy to to start this organization organization with with nothing but a a a a a a a a a a a a a name and reputa- tion tion tion But my passion to to run an an an an an organization organization without the the typical politics and with with with a a a a a a a a a a a a a goal to to treat the the athletes with with respect pushed me forward Arnold was starting
his own organization and he he persisted in in in trying to to to get me to to to join forces with him to to to make money What he he he couldn’t understand is that I I wasn’t doing doing it it it for for for the the money I I was was doing doing it for the athletes HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED PARTNERING WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION?
The NGA grew slow and steady as planned We did try working together with two different organiza- tions however we we we found them too controlling and they were slowly trying to to absorb the the the NGA You see on on on on social media people want or or or or think that organizations should work work together together However from past experi- ences I have learned that working together together with other organizations organizations doesn’t work work Heads of organizations organizations tend to to have large egos and and each want to to be be the the the big- gest and and some even try being on on on the the the the coattail of the the the the NGA Some organizations knock one another We do not not instigate or or get involved in in in news threads when political topics arise on on social media In 1990 along with my wife Francine we we reorganized the NGA and we we we relocated our corporate offices to Florida where there were no natural organizations 32 NGA NATURAL mag