I had to take a step back when Gay Porn Blog broke the news that former gay porn star Roman Ragazzi (real name, Dror Barak) had committed suicide. In retrospect, he was one of the first adult stars I had ever “met”. I’m using that term loosely, because I merely greeted him at the offices of an NYC nightlife magazine I used to work for… But he still left a lasting impression on me.
He came off as a shy, professional and thoroughly sweet man. There was none of the ego or self-entitlement that some porn stars fall victim to. He was just there to drop off the creative for his personal training ad and move on with his day. Nothing more, nothing less.
It should be noted that everyone in our office was stunned by Dror’s physical beauty (including a few folks who weren’t even interested in men). I’m not really sure what this adds to the story, aside from highlighting the fact that he was a lovely man with a magnetic presence.
Out of respect for Roman/Dror, I’m leaving the comments on this post closed. While I’m sure some of you may have your own memories that you’d like to share, I’d rather avoid the chance of any snarky remarks and consider this a moment of silence.
– Dewitt
Photo credit: Raging Stallion
Click through for more pictures of Roman:
Two more:
