Vincent Marotta
| Vincent Marotta Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 22, 1924 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | August 1, 2015 (aged 91) Pepper Pike, Ohio |
| Occupation | Businessman, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Developer of Mr. Coffee Co-founder of North American Systems |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Marotta (m. 1954–2015) |
| Children | Mary Marotta Jane Marotta Susan Parente Charles Marotta Timothy Marotta Sr. Vincent Marotta Jr. |
Vincent George Marotta Sr. (February 22, 1924 – August 1, 2015) was an American businessman, investor and philanthropist. He is best known for being the co-creator of Mr. Coffee, one of the first automatic drip coffee makers to be introduced to the American consumer market. Marotta, who conceived the idea for the Mr. Coffee machine, developed it with his business partner, Samuel Glazer, to replace the slower, more challenging percolator for use in homes. Marotta and Glazer began marketing Mr. Coffee in 1972. Marotta, who was responsible for much of the company's marketing as chairman and CEO, recruited Joe DiMaggio to appear in a series of Mr. Coffee television commercials. By 1979, just seven years after its consumer launch, sales of Mr. Coffee accounted for 50% of the U.S. consumer coffee maker with sales of $150 million.
Marotta was born Vincent George Marotta in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 22, 1924, to Italian immigrant parents, Calogero "Charles" Marotta, a coal dealer, and the former Josephine Mirabella. Marotta was born on February 22, the birthday of George Washington, so his parents chose George as his middle name.
Marotta, an athlete, completed high school. In 1942, Marotta was signed as center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. However, Marotta enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II just before spring training and never played professionally for the Cardinals. He served in a domestic capacity during the war. He completed his bachelor's degree in history at Mount Union College, now called the University of Mount Union, in Alliance, Ohio. H
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