M. Walter Levine

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1937, M. Walter Levine attended various schools in the New York area. In 1957, Mr. Levine joined the Army and began training for the Military Police. After serving in the US and Europe, he returned to the States where he met and married Fritzie Mogford. After his military service, Mr. Levine returned to Brooklyn where he attended Wilford Academy and won the Academy’s hair styling competition. With his wife and young son, he moved to Miami and took a job at the prestigious Fountain Bleu Hotel. He quickly became known as the “Stylist to The Stars” with a client list that included Edie Gorme, Lucille Ball, Jane Morgan, Connie Francis, and Barbra Streisand. Deciding to go into business for himself, and with financial backing from a strategic partner, Mr. Levine began his entrepreneurial trek by returning to New York where he built the salon at the Concord Hotel in the Catskill Mountains, which grew into one of the most successful operations in the area in addition to starting five other salons and a cosmetic company, Jon Pierre. In New York, M. Walter Levine, at the age of 24, became one of the youngest Jaycees Presidents in the country. However, upon learning that their second son, Larry was mentally retarded, the Levines moved to Colorado Springs to enroll Larry in a research program at The Rocky Mountain Rehabilitation Center. It was here that the Levines began their 40 year commitment to fund raising, charity and volunteerism. They went to work at the Center and raised both needed funds and community awareness to help make the program stronger. Unfortunately, the program was not able to help Larry and after the death of his father, M. Walter Levine returned with his family to the New York area. He had exhausted all of his resources and returned to New York with $300 and 7 mouths to feed. Again, in his entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Levine decided to change career directions and started a car wash business. This business was particularly attractive to Walter because of the residual income generated from selling the cleaning soap and wax. Walter’s thinking was to sell to automobile dealers the idea that offering a clean car to their customers gave them an advantage over their competition. Franchising the car washes throughout the United States and Canada was a full time job. However, Walter always found time to do what was important to him; raising funds for retarded children. He helped host an annual week long bazaar at the Armory in Long Island and brought in groups such as the Harlem Globetrotters to benefit programs in Long Island, New York. After selling the car wash business in 1969 and always looking for new opportunities, Mr. Levine was successful at a variety of ventures. He sold real estate in the Bahamas and there he helped develop the entire Lucaya/Freeport area. He was the number one salesman worldwide in a 2000 man organization for Bahama Realty Corp. for three years. In 1972, Mr. Levine started the Dictograph franchise for the Greenwich, Connecticut area called Protective Alarms (PRO). He won numerous sales contests and was the number one sales manager worldwide from 1972-77. Walter’s innovative concept was to go to insurance companies and get them to offer a discount to their clients that purchased and installed an alarm system. After 5 years, Mr. Levine turned over the day to day operations of the company to his son, Steve. In 1977, he started The Amtax Group, that included an equipment leasing company, oil and gas exploration, and real estate syndication partnerships. Amtax grew to 870 million in sales until the tax laws changed in 1986 and then Amtax was dissolved. In 1982, The Amtax Group entered into the entertainment industry when Mr. Levine became a partner in Gordon Enterprises, which from 1982-87 owned and operated East Side Film & Video, Super Dup, Automated Sound, and Post Perfect Recording Studios in New York City. In 1987 all of the studios were purchased by Sachi & Sachi. Protective Alarms grew into a national, multi-million dollar corporation with over 100 employees and approximately 15,000 residential and commercial clients. After growing into one of the top 20 alarm companies in the U.S., in 1998 the company was sold to Alarmguard and immediately thereafter was sold to ADT. After the huge success of The Amtax Group, M. Walter Levine moved to Westport, Connecticut on a full time basis. In addition to their work for retarded children, for nine years Mr. and Mrs. Levine founded and chaired the “We’re in This Together” Celebrity Golf and Tennis Gala for the benefit of the Westport Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Council. Together they have raised almost one million dollars for this organization. In 1995 the Council honored Walter and Fritzie with a Tribute Dinner. In 1991, The Levine Family began sponsorship of the Pro Sports Challenge. Enlisting the aid of other corporate sponsors such as Citibank, The Thomson Group, General Re, ABB, the Sports Authority, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and many others, they hold an annual event for the benefit of The Lower Fairfield Regional Center and other group homes for the mentally retarded. Applying his same entrepreneurial spirit to his fundraising efforts has enabled Mr. Levine, along with his sponsors to raise over one million dollars for this group to do works such as building a swimming pool, buying handicapped vans, refurbishing apartments and in 2004, opening a complete Respite Center that assists over 200 families in Connecticut. In January of 1991, Walter was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and melanoma and subsequently, bladder cancer. Refusing to yield to the disease, he sought out the best treatment in the world and found it in the form of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center in Little Rock and Dr. Bart Barlogie. In addition to traditional medicine, Walter began taking a sea cucumber holistic dietary supplement from Australia. Coupled with a stem cell transplant, Walter believes that this product aided in his remarkable recovery. Because of this, he began making the product available to other cancer patients as well as people with various medical problems on a not-for-profit basis and continues to do so today. (For information on this, please visit www.sea-cucumber.com ) Fourteen years later, Walter is alive, well and dedicated to helping other cancer patients become cancer survivors. Cancer did not dampen Walter Levine’s business spirit and entrepreneurial drive. In 1993, he raised financing to begin a partnership with Richard Kline and Marty Erlichman for what was known as Interactive Television, LLC. In 1998, he co-founded High Speed Video, an interactive video conferencing and broadcasting company. Walter was responsible for bringing in such clients as the NFL (for the NFL Network), The Imus Show on MSNBC, ESPN Zones, and large corporations worldwide to utilize High Speed Video’s patented technology. In 2004 he turned over the day to day operations of the company to a private investor group. In June of 1996, stemming from his contacts through helping cancer patients and retarded children, Walter was fortunate enough to meet Mother Theresa in a private audience. He spent hours with her and believes it was a great blessing in his life. This meeting touched a desire in Walter to help and work with others and share as much as he could about his own experiences in life. Another highlight in Mr. Levine’s lifetime of achievements occurred on May 10, 2004 when he was awarded an honorary PhD in humane letters from the University of Bridgeport. He currently hosts the M. Walter Levine Lecture Series at the University which has proven to be a huge campus favorite with such lecturers as Stew Leonard, Joseph Abboud, Jim Nantz and many other industry leaders. In 2004, Mr. Levine began his tenth start-up, Bentax New England. Bentax is an air purification company based on technology invented by Albert Einstein. Mr. Levine, along with his son, Steve at the helm, is bringing this exciting product into the US market. Recently, at the urging of many friends and associates, Mr. Levine started a new phase in his life by becoming a professional sales motivator. His insights into the business community and experiences in the health field make him much sought after as a public speaker. Since his recovery from cancer, the majority of M.Walter Levine’s time is dedicated to helping others beat the disease. Offering encouragement, advice, sympathy and support, he makes himself available to cancer patients 24 hours a day. He receives phone calls and letters from across the world and knows that helping others beat cancer is just another part of his life’s work. Concern, care, and determination combine to make him the special man he is to all who know and love him. M. Walter Levine resides in Fairfield, Connecticut. Walter has four children and seven grandchildren, all who live within Fairfield County.