Tony Sansone (September 19, 1905 – January 13, 1987) was an Italian-American bodybuilder and model. Background Anthony Joseph Sansone was born September 19, 1905, in New York City. His parents were both Sicilian immigrants: Ignazio (Charles) Sansone and Paolina (Pauline) Giardina. Sansone married Sophie Frank ("Rita") in 1926, and had two children, Pauline and Anthony Joseph, Jr ("Nino"). Early Interest in physique development At an early age, Sansone (pronounced sahn-sown-eh, later Americanized to san-sown-ee) had contracted scarlet fever and then typhoid fever, leaving him with a fragile build. At 14, he took an interest in sports and began working out at a nearby park, doing running, chin-ups, handstands, and other acrobatics. At 16, he came across magazine pictures of physique star Tommy Farber in Physical Culture magazine and became interested in physical development. He trained under the tutelage of bodybuilding publisher Bernarr Macfadden and bodybuilder Charles Atlas (aka Angelo Siciliano). In October 1923, Sansone, 18, won a physique contest sponsored by Atlas. He did not pursue competitive bodybuilding as a career, however, and has never earned any titles like Mr America. Modeling Much of Tony Sansone's enduring fame in bodybuilding history was the result of his success as a model. Sansone began modeling when he was still a teenager. During the Depression, Sansone profited by selling pictures of himself through mail-order ads. He became a much sought-after model who posed for paintings, photographs, and sculpture. He was featured on many magazine covers, both American and European. He modeled for statues by James Earle Fraser ("Meriwether Lewis;" Fraser also designed the US buffalo nickel), Arthur Lee ("Rhythm" which was created over five years, 1925–1930), and Malvina Hoffman ("Nordic Type" and "Elemental Man"). Sansone published several photo books, including Modern Classics, Rhythm, Du-ets (sic), and Nudleafs. By 1936, he had sold over 15,000 copies of Modern Classics and Rhythm combined. Theater, film, businessman In the mid-1920s, Sansone began studying dance as an exercise. He was selected by Alexandre Gavrilov to perform in "Ballet Moderne" which debuted on April 10, 1928. He also toured with Polish-Yugoslavian ballet dancer Desha Podgorska. His dance career was cut short by a knee accident, but the training influenced his style of posing. From 1928 to 1929, Sansone performed in David Belasco's elaborate sci-fi theater production of "Mima." The show ran for 180 performances before being closed down due to money problems. Among the spectators of "Mima" was