EDINA, Minn. — Marlene Bertino, co-founder of Fantasy Gifts, has passed away at the age of 84.
Bertino co-founded Fantasy Gifts with her husband Bob in 1986, following a successful career in nursing. She had three children by then, but somehow found the time to go back to school, earning a bachelor's degree in business in 1991 at age 48.
By then, Bertino had learned how to run the controversial retail empire she had created with Bob, whom she first met on a blind date in Dayton, Ohio, while she was in nursing school.
One of the first women to own adult stores in the U.S., she came to be known as a trailblazing force to be reckoned with in the adult retail industry — especially in Minnesota and New Jersey, where Fantasy Gifts has multiple stores.
When her stores were threatened with closure due to zoning ordinances, Bertino proudly defended her constitutional right to "sell porno," as she put it. She was both sued — unsuccessfully — and arrested several times while running Fantasy Gifts and defending her First Amendment rights, but never had any regrets and always enjoyed the full support of her family and friends.
Bertino remained active at Fantasy Gifts until only a few years ago, when she finally decided to let her kids take over the business.
Today, Fantasy Gifts continues to thrive under second-generation leadership, as Bertino's daughters, Colleen Bertino and Stevie L. DeGiulio, operate the company's Minnesota locations, while Bertino's son Robert and daughter-in-law Dee, a former attorney, manage the New Jersey stores.
Though Fantasy Gifts now faces competition from the internet and big-box retailers, the company's longtime customers appreciate the high level of customer service it provides as an independent retailer, through which Bertino's legacy will live on.
"I was heartbroken to hear about Marlene’s passing," her friend Angie Weidemann wrote online. "She was one of my very first clients, and from the moment we met, we hit it off right away. Despite the nearly 50-year age difference between us, she quickly became a dear friend — someone who treated me like a granddaughter.
"Marlene had such a vibrant, spunky spirit that made everyone around her feel instantly at ease," added Weidemann. "I think of her often, and every memory brings a smile to my face. Marlene will always have a special place in my heart. She was truly one of a kind."
Industry veteran and SEXchat podcast host Kim Airs also paid tribute to Bertino.
"What a legacy for a truly well-loved woman," she wrote. "Rest in love and peace."
Bertino is survived by her three children, her seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, as well as her brother Tom Gudorf and her sisters Dorothy Stein and Patricia Lorenz.
There will be a memorial gathering for Bertino's friends and family on April 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Westin Hotel in Edina, Minnesota, where her loved ones will celebrate the life of a true pioneer in the adult business.
