Shorty Rossi
Keynote Speaker, Pit Bull Rescuer/Activist, Motivational Speaker, Cigar Rights Activist, Talent Manager, Cigar Blender, Author, Producer, Wine Lover, World Traveler, Cigar Lover, United 1K Member.
Shorty Rossi, grew up in two different worlds – one a middle/upper-class almost completely white suburban neighborhood of Los Angeles with his dwarf parents and the other in Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in Watts, a section of South Central Los Angeles, where he lived with a family friend to avoid conflict at home. By the age of 15, Shorty was living on his own.
When he was 18 years old, he was involved in a gang-related shooting and convicted of several felonies. He was sent to a youth facility and later to Folsom State Prison to serve a total sentence of 10 years, 10 months and 10 days. While in prison, Shorty turned his life around, and by the time he was released, he was determined to make something better out of his life.
Looking to make a fresh start, Shorty turned to entertainment jobs and soon learned he could earn lucrative gigs as a little person. Shorty landed his first job in show business at Universal Studios Hollywood as “Alvin” for an Alvin and the Chipmunks stage show. Since then, he has appeared in several commercials and worked on several movies such as “The Grinch” with Jim Carrey; “The Kid” with Bruce Willis; “Call Me Clause” with Whoopie Goldberg; and “ShowTime” and “Daddy Day Care” with Eddie Murphy, among others. He’s appeared on dozens of TV shows and has performed live in theatre for years.
In 2000, Shorty founded his own company, Shortywood Productions, to provide and manage little people entertainers for all types of shows, private parties and corporate events. But, Shorty has a special passion that’s been a major part of his life since he was a teenager — championing the cause of pit bulls. Shorty has owned pit bulls since he was 14 and credits them with “saving his life” for being such loyal companions through some of the roughest times in his life. Because of this, Shorty took on another huge endeavor, forming Shorty’s Pit Bull Rescue, a second business which rescues, rehabilitates and places neglected and abused pit bulls in loving, nurturing homes.
Shorty’s Rescue is not a shelter or a charity; its employees work tirelessly to help relieve the suffering of and prevent cruelty to pit bulls through education and activism. Through positive pit bull involvement in the community, Shorty’s Pit Bull Rescue influences a healthy/much-deserved reputation for the breed. Shorty’s Pit Bull Pet Stars have worked on several independent, student and short films as well as public-service commercials and various print ads. The group does volunteer work by visiting nursing homes, schools, functions and hospitals.
Shorty is a workaholic by nature; therefore, he doesn’t have much spare time for socializing. When in social settings, he often surrounds himself with people of all backgrounds in his home in Mexico. He spends a lot of time promoting pit bull awareness, not only in the United States, but throughout Latin America.
Shorty has currently been on tour for the past 3 years promoting breed awareness, fighting BSL (Breed Specific Legislation), fighting for Animal Rights, Spay and Neuter clinics, promoting his book “Four Feet Tall and Rising,” Motivational and Keynote speaking and promoting his cigar line. His tour has already brought him to almost every state in the USA, all over Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Argentina. Next year (2016), he already is booked for 38 tour dates.
Shorty loves cigars, wine and relaxing with friends and his eight pit bulls.
If you want to book Shorty Rossi for a speaking engagement or appearance for your next event, please email Shorty Rossi at keynote@shortyrossi.com