Zamparelli, Howard Hughes’ chief designer, dies
Sep 10, 2012, 9:59 PM
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Internationally renowned artist Mario Armond Zamparelli, best known for creating the distinctive logos and images for reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes’ many companies, has died at age 81.
Zamparelli’s daughter Marisa Zamparelli tells The Associated Press the artist died Saturday at a Southern California hospital.
During an 18-year association with Hughes, Zamparelli created corporate designs, images, logos and posters for the billionaire’s airlines, Las Vegas casinos, his movie studio and other holdings.
Among them were the bright yellow, mini-skirted uniforms Hughes Airwest famously decked out its female flight attendants in in the 1970s
Zamparelli, who began his career as an illustrator, also did numerous oil paintings.
Among them is what is believed to be the only authorized portrait Hughes sat for.
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