Gym serves everyday people

By Jon Moffett

The American Gladiators gym is a good family option, its creator says.

NILES — People who dreamed of going from scrawny teens into the bulging behemoths of “American Gladiators” may soon have that opportunity.

A new American Gladiators sport and fitness center is scheduled to open in September at the Eastwood Mall.

The 30,000-square-foot facility is located where Gold’s Gym used to be and will offer the “weekend warrior” a chance to stay physically fit, said Johnny Ferraro Sr., the president and executive producer of Flor-Jon Films Inc. and creator of “American Gladiators.”

“In the days of Rome, the gladiator fought for survival; he was trained for kill or be killed,” said Ferraro. “In today’s world, it’s the everyday working person that is the gladiator, it’s not the guys in Spandex.”

Ferraro is a former Brookfield resident who used to own the Gold’s Gym in the mall. His sons have moved to this area from Chicago to take over the new venture.

Today’s gladiators will be treated to a host of amenities and attractions. Though the lobby is currently bare studs and insulation, Ferraro envisions a 15-foot water fountain greeting customers. A pile of drywall sits in a room on the third story, which will be transformed into Mount Maximus theater, where a movie screen will entertain patrons doing cardio workouts.

The facility will feature three floors worth of options for people and their families, Ferraro said. More than $1 million has been spent on equipment, including 120 pieces of cardio equipment and $100,000 worth of “virtual sports” machines for kids.

Having options such as the movie theater, as well as nursery and kids areas, will help add the family feeling, Ferraro said.

Although prices are subject to change, Ferraro said fees will be around $30 a month with a one-time initiation fee of around $60. Ferraro added that a family pass has been considered and could cost around $75 to $80 a month.

Family is what is being stressed by the center, said Ferraro’s son Johnny Jr. “Even though it has a big international brand behind it, we are going to run it as a family for the family,” he said.

The elder Ferraro said the idea for the gym was the product of his two sons, Johnny Jr., 26, and William, 20, who will primarily run the facility. The most recent owner of Gold’s Gym was moving to another location, so his sons suggested they take over the space.

It was completely gutted, leaving not even an existing wire in its place, the elder Ferraro said.

“There are people who have been coming here since 1984, so it has to be something spectacular; it’s got to be Caesar’s Palace,” said Ferraro of the new facility. “We want something as an attraction, like if you were to go to Las Vegas and look at a hotel, it’s spectacular and it draws you inside. We want to do that for this area; we want something spectacular where people can feel good about themselves.”

Ferraro said that there won’t be direct ties to the “American Gladiators” show in terms of characters or certain events, but the brand will remain strong.

“The show is based on competition, it’s based on sports, it’s based on the everyday guy laying it on the line, and that’s sort of what we’re doing here,” Ferraro said.

Ferraro said the facility is designed for everyday workers, which is also what the show was designed for.

“‘American Gladiators started in 1982 ... in a high school gym with pretty much ironworkers, and it was almost like a Tough Man-type of competition,” Ferraro said.

Ferraro added that the event was originally held to raise money for a school bus for children. Ferraro saw the potential of an everyman’s Olympics.

“‘American Gladiators’ started reality television,” Ferraro said. “To get it on television, it took like eight years of knocking on doors, and that’s what I did. ... I heard ‘no’ every day. I heard ‘no, forget it’ or ‘it’ll never happen.’ It was very hard.”

Ferraro said he persisted in his dream of seeing “5,000 people going crazy.”

“It was so far ahead of its time. We were Jerry Springer when everybody was watching Phil Donahue.”