Aaron Russo

Aaron Russo ( born February 14, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York, † August 24 2007 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American businessman, film maker, a political figure of the U.S. Libertarian Party and a tax reform activist.

Career in the entertainment industry

During his career in the entertainment industry, Russo was manager from 1972 to 1979 by Bette Midler and The Manhattan Transfer as well as producer of the films The Rose and Trading Places ( Trading Places ). Russo has booked Be the first Led Zeppelin for a performance in the U.S. (1968 in the "Electric Theater" in Chicago).

He received an Emmy award for a Bette Midler TV special, and a gold record for the production of the soundtrack for the film The Rose and 1989 was director of the film Rude Awakening.

Russo's films such as Trading Places ( starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd ) and The Rose ( with Bette Midler ), have received six Oscar nominations. Russo himself has received both an Emmy and a Tony Award and his films have won a number of Golden Globe Awards.

His last film, America: Freedom to Fascism, may be classified as a " Advomentary ", a documentary that calls for personal commitment; he directs his criticism against his opinion fraudulent institutions of the Federal Reserve System and the U.S. Supreme IRS.

Political career

Russo was politically in the early 1990s, when he produced a film called Mad As Hell in which he criticized NAFTA, the War on Drugs, the concept of a national ID card, and the state regulation power over the alternative medicine. He sees in these measures a gradual curtailment of civil rights, which the U.S. could be a free country ultimately become a police state (see America: Freedom to Fascism ). In an interview he doubts the official account of the events of 11 September 2001. That stems partly due to his friendship with Nick Rockefeller, who had announced him nine months before the terrorist attacks of September 11, " an event ", as a result, you 'll see soldiers, " looking in caves for terrorists " (see video interview with Alex Jones).

Russo ran in 1998 in the prefix ( Primary) for governor in Nevada and finished with 26 % of the vote in second place. Russo was planning then again in 2002 as a candidate for the governorship as an independent or " Libertarian " to enter into the election campaign, but was prevented by a cancer in it. In January 2004, he declared his candidacy as an independent candidate for president, then decided on the nomination by the Libertarian Party. On the " Libertarian National Convention " in May 2004, Russo received 258 votes, his opponent Michael Badnarik 256 and 246 went to Gary Nolan. Russo, however, was defeated in the third round of voting by 423 to 344 votes with Badnarik.

Russo died on August 24, 2007 at the age of 64 years to cancer.

Filmography (selection)

21973
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