The guy behind South Florida's best market — and that is saying something — left this world recently. Ben Laurenzo, the genius of Laurenzo's Italian Market in North Miami Beach, died of a liver ailment January 15.

A half-century ago, the man who at the age of 15 entered the military and survived a hydrogen bomb explosion at Bikini Atoll, founded the store that has given us reasonably priced and amazing wine, feta, olives, cold cuts, and much more. He was 89 years old.