12 Facts About Aaron Russo

Aaron Russo was an American entertainment businessman, film producer and director, and political activist.

Aaron Russo was best known for producing movies including Trading Places, Wise Guys, and The Rose.

Aaron Russo was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family.

Aaron Russo booked numerous prominent rock groups and musicians at the club such as The Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Vanilla Fudge, Rotary Connection, and The Who.

Aaron Russo then moved into producing and directing movies, six of them receiving Academy Award nominations and two receiving Golden Globe Award nominations.

Aaron Russo's first producing credit was for Midler's Clams on the Half-Shell Revue.

Aaron Russo became involved in political issues in the mid-1990s when he produced and starred in the documentary entitled Mad As Hell in which he criticized the North American Free Trade Agreement, the federal government's War on Drugs, the concept of a National Identity Card, and government regulation of alternative medicine.

In 1998, Aaron Russo took his political interests to a higher level, running for governor of the state of Nevada as a Republican.

Aaron Russo was planning to run again for Nevada governor in 2002 as either an independent or Libertarian, but was sidelined by cancer.

In January 2004, Aaron Russo declared his candidacy for the President of the United States initially as an independent, but then as a Libertarian.

At the Libertarian National Convention in May 2004, Aaron Russo received 258 votes to Michael Badnarik's 256 votes and Gary Nolan's 246 votes, short of the majority required to receive the presidential nomination.

Aaron Russo was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.