Bodybuilding icon Lenny Persin, better known as ‘Big Lenny’, has died at the age of 60 after reportedly suffering from congestive heart failure.
The tragic news was announced last weekend by fellow bodybuilder Dave Palumbo in a YouTube video.
Palumbo said, “Big Lenny Persin is no longer with us. He passed away in the last few days, we don’t know exactly which day.
‘He had been suffering from congestive heart failure for some time.
“Big Lenny was an icon in the sport. He created a unique niche for himself and led a group of bodybuilders who went by the name Del Rey Misfits.
Bodybuilding icon Lenny Persin, better known as ‘Big Lenny’, has died aged 60
Persin reportedly suffered from congestive heart failure prior to his tragic death
“He was their fearless leader.”
Persin – who last competed at the 2017 NPC Ruby Championship and finished in second place – rose to fame on the bodybuilding scene for his eccentric looks and larger-than-life personality.
He also suffered from a disease known as palumboism, a difficulty contracting the abdominal muscles typically caused by the use of HGH and insulin, meaning he didn’t have the conventional bodybuilding look.
Although he was reportedly suffering from heart problems, Persin’s official cause of death has yet to be announced.
In another recent YouTube video, bodybuilding expert Jon Bravo also confirmed Lenny’s death while paying tribute to him.
Bravo said, “I had a chance to get to know him and he was a gentle giant, you know.
“One of the greatest guys, the biggest man in the room, and you know, if there’s one thing we can all learn from Big Lenny is that he lived every day to the fullest and it didn’t matter if he was in a dilapidated state lived. apartment filled with cockroaches, dirt and mold, every day he had a smile on his face, and every day he found a way to make himself happy.”