Atomic Fireball, Red Hots and Lemonhead Creator Dies at 93 [VIDEO]

Do you have a favorite candy?

My favorite is Lemonheads, made by the Ferrara Pan Candy Company. They also make Atomic Fireballs, Red Hots and Boston Baked Beans.

Earlier this month, on February 3, Nello Ferrara died at the age of 93. He was the son of the company's founder, Salvatore Ferrara.

The birth of Nello Ferrara's son is often cited as the inspiration for Lemonheads. "He always claimed that when I was born, that I came out of my mother sideways," his son Salvatore Ferrara, the company's current president, says, "and my head was shaped like a lemon."

His son says he came up with the idea of flaming hot Atomic Fireballs while serving in the military in World War II.

The Ferrara Pan Candy Company was founded in Chicago in 1908 by Salvatore Ferrara, an Italian immigrant, and today the company produces a million pounds of candy each day.

The pan in the company's name comes from the process of coating certain candies by revolving them in large pans.

Take the virtual tour at their website to see how the candies are made and have an Atomic Fireball in honor of Nello Ferrara.

Here's a bonus video of some of the other amazing robotic equipment at the candy company in Chicago.

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