By Ben Harris

(JTA) – Sy Sperling, the Jewish son of a Bronx plumber who became famous for his hair loss treatment commercials, died Wednesday, Feb. 19 in Boca Raton, Florida following a long illness. He was 78.

In the 1960s, Sperling opened a salon in New York where he offered services for men suffering from hair loss. But he became nationally famous two decades later with commercials that always ended with Sperling holding up a photo of his formerly bald self with the tag line, “And remember, I’m not only the Hair Club president, but I’m also a client.”

Sperling sold the business for $45 million in 2000.

Along with his wife, Susan, Sperling left a portion of his estate to the Jewish anti-hunger group Mazon. In an interview conducted years after he sold his business, Sperling described himself as very involved in his Florida synagogue.