Edward Runci was an Italian-born American painter best known for his work as a pin-up artist. Born on July 4, 1921 in Genoa, Italy, he moved with his family to the United States in 1930. Spending much of his adulthood in Los Angeles, he created depictions of voluptuous women for calendars and advertisements for companies such as Coca-Cola. Along with his pin-ups of the late 1940s, the artist painted landscapes and portraits of celebrities. Notably, his portrait of Gerald L.K. Smith, a one-time presidential candidate, was included at a show held a the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Runci died on July 12, 1986 in Big Bear Lake, CA.