A Hungarian In America: The Journey of Zoltan Gerencser

 Imagine reaching the decision to leave behind of your family and friends and deciding to move to another country. That's exactly what Zoltan Gerenscer did when he left his native Hungary in the last 1980's.

While he loved his homeland and certainly his family, Gerenscer did not like the oppression of the Communist government that controlled Hungary at that time. It was a difficult choice; after all, Gerenscer was once a member of Hungary's Olympic team.

Gerenscer was very active as a teen and exceled at many sports, but especially rowing. His abilities and skill in that area allowed him to earn a spot on the Hungarian Olympic Rowing Team. That honor combined with his love for his family made it a difficult choice; however, this free spirit knew all too well that he could not live with the rest of his life being dictated to him by the Communist government. 

Dressing in a suit, Gerenscer boarded a train and simply rode it to freedom in the West. In the that business attire, Gerenscer looked like a professional and he simply told the train conductor he was on a short business trip. The chiseled face of Gerenscer must have seemed honest for the conductor as Gerenscer was never questioned again until he reached freedom.

When Gerenscer arrived in the US, he worked as a bus boy in various New York City restuarants. He learned the English language through the instructions of the other service staff as well as the conversations he overheard in the restaurants. He would go on to work various odd jobs from being a bouncer to learning massage. Eventually the modeling world discovered this blue eyed hunk. Gerenscer was even featured in the February 1996 issue of Playgirl as the centerfold--and trust me, you need to go now to eBay and bid on an old copy as Gerenscer is well worth it.

Gerenscer is a man in every sense of the definition. At 6'5", he towers over most people in any room. His smoldering eyes and sly grin can seduce almost anyone. And even in his forties, Gerenscer's form is amazing. The abs, the pecss...well every inch seems almost perfect and truly not fair when compared to us mere mortals.

Today, Gerenscer lives in South Florida where he renovates bathrooms--a trade and skill he learned from his father in Hungary. Gerenscer likes working with Travertine tile the best. How fitting that someone who looks like they were chiseled by Michael Angleo himself now works with stone to create things of beauty.

This blog will feature an in-depth interview with Gerenscer in the coming weeks.

From Modesto to Milan: The Amazing Career of Brian Buzzini

Brian Buzzini is considered to be one of the first male supermodels. And a quick review of his professional experiences, one can understand that title. On one hand, Buzzini has that all-American, boy-next-door quality. But, then there are times that he also shows this bad boy gleam in his eye. And when that happens, you certainly hope you can be part of that fun.

Those two incredible characteristics rolled into one person helped propel Buzzini from the small farming community of Modesto, CA to the runways of Milan. But along the way, Buzzini crafted a brand for himself that has been unmatched by any other male model. His achievements are amazing. His life, well it seems to be torn from the pages of a Danielle Steel novel. And this post can only skim the surface of the complexity that is Brian Buzzini.

Born August 18, 1962, Buzzini is the youngest in his family. His father was a golf instructor and his mother was a stay-at-home Mom. Little did they know that during his high school days, Buzzini would often crawl out his bedroom window in search of fun and sometimes that fun was in the form of trouble or girls—and on several occasions, both trouble and girls.

Growing up only an hour from San Francisco, it seemed natural that Buzzini would somehow be spotted by a photographer. And those first photos made there way to the editors at Playgirl who quickly signed him on as the June 1985 centerfold. Smoldering. That’s the word many would use to describe that spread. And only fitting that this amazingly handsome young man with that bad boy gleam in his eye would be selected as the 1986 Man of the Year.

But no one was prepared for what would be unleashed with that single edition of Playgirl. For the first time in the publication’s history, the centerfold was not only nude but also showing off a rock hard dick.  Subscribers, both female and gay men, were delighted; however, religious groups were outraged. The controversy eventually lead Playgirl to make an executive decision to cover up its models. For the next year, centerfolds would be shown wearing speedos, thongs, or at the very most having only their ass exposed. That decision would lead to a decline in circulation and sales and thus the decision reversed; however, Buzzini’s spread would certainly leave a lasting impression on the history of that magazine.

For most models, that singular event might be a career breaker or might be the pinnacle of their success. Not so for Buzzini. Following up his Man of the Year title, Buzzini signed on with International Male, a mail order company specializing in men’s apparel. Prior to the days of the Internet, the company successfully sold its clothes through various catalogs. Buzzini graced the pages of many of those catalogs, often wearing only the skimpiest of underwear. With Buzzini, sales increased sharply and so did the admiration of every gay man, closeted or otherwise, who would anxiously await the next catalog.

Buzzini then began expanding his modeling career beyond print work, landing television commercials for Diet Coke and Edge shaving cream. This lead to his ultimate achievement, the first ever Davidoff Coolwater model. Take a look at one of those tv spots here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs1d-ROKw4M

With a career like that, it’s not wonder Buzzini came to the attention of world renowned fashion designer Gianni Versace. Soon, Buzzini was walking the runways of Milan for that designer.

From Modesto to Milan. What a journey. An incredible career befitting a uniquely talented individual. Today, Buzzini is retired from modeling and lives with his girlfriend in Thousand Oaks, CA. Buzzini has three daughters, whom he adores. He loves dogs. He loves riding bikes of all kind. And he loves life. And how would I know this, well, I’m not only a huge fan, Buzzini also happens to be one of my best friends. So, yes, this piece could be considered a little biased, but I can truly say I know the model and the man—and I am a better person for knowing them both. My grandmother would say they broke the mold when Buzzini was born; however, I would say that Brian Buzzini would break molds his whole life.

Follow Buzzini on Twitter: @BrianBuzzini. You can also get to know Buzzini better through his many posts on Facebook.

And, in the coming weeks, this blog will post a one-on-one interview with Brian Buzzini.

HEY BABY WELCOME TO YOUR NEW BLOG