Don Aronow was an American designer, builder and racer of the famous Cigarette, Donzi, and Formula speed boats. He built speedboats for the His Imperial Majesty Shah of Iran, Charles Keating, Robert Vesco, Malcolm Forbes, and George H. W. Bush. President Lyndon Johnson – in retirement – owned several 16 ft. Donzi speedboats on his Texas ranch with which he would race his Secret Service agents. The great speed of Cigarette boats also made them a popular choice among cocaine runners. On February 3, 1987 Aronow was murdered in his car at the end of 188th Street in Miami (the famous Thunderboat Row) where his boat companies operated.
Don Aronow
