© Photo by Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, New York) – Leonard Riggio, the founder of ‘Barnes and Noble’ has passed away at 83 years old after his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A statement released from his family calls Riggio “a true son of New York,” born in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Leonard also founded Barnes and Noble College Booksellers, wholesale distributor MBS Textbook Exchange, and GameStop.
Riggio began his career as a bookseller in the early 60’s, when he worked a gig at New York University’s college bookstore to help pay for his tuition, paving the way for his empire.
Besides being a successful entrepreneur, Riggio was a humanitarian at heart. He served on the board of the Children’s Defense Fund, where he put together and funded the 1996 Stand for Children March in Washington, D.C. and in the wake of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Riggio created Project Home Again, building and giving away 101 homes to families in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans. He put back together an entire neighborhood that had been ravaged by the storm.
