Bob Cassilly-- Part 2: Renovated a Neighborhood and Created the City Museum in St. Louis

Bob Cassilly was born in Webster Grove, Missouri, near St. Louis.  He built and ran a restaurant after college, then sold it and used the money to move to Hawaii where he carved wooden figures.  He reportedly tired of Hawaii and returned to St. Louis.

In May 1972, he was visiting St. Peter's Basillica at Vatican City when Laslo Toth infamously attacked Michelangelo's The Pieta.  Bob was one of the first to act and subdue Toth.

In the mid-1970s, he renovated a townhouse in a dilapidated St. Louis neighborhood.  This led to the area rebounding.  He then started making sculptures professionally.

He and his wife Gail bought a 250,000 square-foot complex which included the International Shoe Building Offices and a ten-story high warehouse in 1983.This they renovated into the very popular City Museum (which i had never heard of before the article I wrote about last week.

Bob Cassilly is a big part of what has become a major renovation of downtown St. Louis.

I Sure Would Have Liked to Have Met This Man.  --RoadDog