Hiroaki "Rocki" Aoki, Founder of Benihana Restaurants, Dies At Age 69

Hiroaki "Rocki" Aoki, the founder of restaurant chain Benihana, died Thursday night at age 69 in New York City. No cause of death was given.

According to previous reports, Aoki suffered from diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver, as well as hepatitis C, which he said he contracted from a blood transfusion.

With Aoki at the helm as chief executive and chairman, Benihana Inc. grew to run or license about 90 restaurants worldwide.

Aoki was born in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 1938. He spent most of his childhood in his parent's restaurant. Aoki earned a spot on the Japanese Olympic wrestling team for the 1960 Summer Olympics, but did not attend. He then came to the U.S. on an athletic scholarship.

He opened his first Benihana of Tokyo restaurant, which had just four tables, on West 56th Street. He opened a second restaurant just three blocks to the east, then one in Chicago. By 1972, he was running six branches.

Aoki is the father of supermodel and actress Devon Aoki, and Dim Mak Records CEO Steve Aoki.

For more People News, please go to http://news.yourfindit.com/NewsList.aspx?cat=14&wcat=16

About YourFindit

YourFindit Community is a music, business and social networking community. It caters to individuals providing them with a wealth of tools that enable them to create their own web site within YourFindit and display their content. Members can create free profiles that include an About Me, Background and Lifestyle, Videos, Music, Blogs, Photos, their unique URL and network with other members inside the community. YourFindit provides each member the opportunity to reserve an exclusive profile displaying only ads they upload on their pages. Members have the right to sell their advertising space to advertisers.

To create your YourFindit profile sign up and within minutes you too can have your People profile running your ads and building your network with new members daily. Sign and create your YourFindit profile where Your space is really Your Space

Join the social networking community, YourFindit, and create your profile