Heart Attack Grill Spokesman Dies After Heart Attack

Sad news coming out of Downtown Las Vegas, where the second unofficial spokesman for the high-calorie Heart Attack Grill died from a heart attack on Monday. John Alleman, who stood outside the restaurant to encourage passersby to enter, suffered a heart attack last week waiting for a bus on Las Vegas Boulevard next to the restaurant in Neonopolis, the Las Vegas Sun reports.

The 52-year-old man, who weighed about 180 pounds, was taken off life support around 1 p.m. on Monday. Heart Attack Grill owner Jon Basso says the Pennsylvania native had a predisposition for cardiac problems; both of his parents died of heart attacks. Alleman is survived by one brother, Paul.

Alleman became a fixture outside the restaurant, known for its Quadruple Bypass Burger that clocks in at 9,982 calories and free meals for anyone who weighs more than 350 pounds, since it opened in 2011.

Basso told Eater Vegas last November that he considers the high-calorie foods such as flatliner fries and butterfat shakes at Heart Attack Grill obesity intervention. "I put out a broader, far-reaching message about health and fitness than any other physician in America," he said.

This isn't the first time a Heart Attack Grill spokesman has died. Blair River, a 29-year-old spokesman who weighed 575 pounds, died in March 2011 of flu-related pneumonia.

Last year in February, a man suffered a heart-related problem while eating the Triple Bypass Burger. Two months later, a woman suffered from a similar medical problem while reportedly eating a Double Bypass Burger. With both incidents, it was unclear if the Heart Attack Grill food caused the medical problems.
· Heart Attack Grill Spokesman Dies of a Heart Attack [LVS]
· Heart Attack Grill's Jon Basso Pulls No Punches on His First Year in Vegas [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Heart Attack Grill [~ELV~]
Heart Attack Grill [Photo: Chelsea McManus]