As we celebrate the life and legacy of our co-founder Martin Stein, who passed away 12 years ago (March 8, 2010), we thought we'd tell a story not everyone knows.  Martin and actor Tony Danza (born Anthony Iodanza) were college roommates while attending the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa.  Danza received a wrestling scholarship to attend and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor's in history. Shortly after graduation, Danza landed a TV role in the series Taxi playing cab driver and part-time boxer Tony Banta, and would go on to star in Who's the Boss? in which he portrayed Tony Micelli, a former baseball player, housekeeper, and single father.  Perhaps not as glamorous but equally important, Martin pursued a career in direct marketing with Walter Karl Company before co-founding RMI Direct in 1985 with John Forte.  We continue to celebrate Martin's life here at RMI by reflecting on his many contributions and keeping his memory alive through stories like these.  To us, Martin will always be the boss.

Grate the zest from the lemons using a microplane grater, taking care to leave the pith behind. Place the zest in a 3-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over it and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a spot where it won't be disturbed, at room temperature, and let steep 1 week.

Combine 3 1/2 cups water and the sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Let cool completely, then pour the syrup into the pitcher with the zest and stir. Cover tightly again and let stand for 24 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Pour into clean bottles with tight-fitting caps. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 1 month.