Background
Toti was born in Visalia, California, and died in Modesto, California.
Toti was born in Visalia, California, and died in Modesto, California.
Toti attended Modesto High School through tenth grade. He completed his education through correspondence courses.
He held more than 500 United States. patents at the time of his death. Toti was honored by the Edison Society in 1995. Among his many inventions, the most famous include an inflatable lifejacket (nicknamed the Mae West), an automated chicken plucker, light-weight construction beam (commonly used in Australia), and the EndoFlex endotracheal tube (co-invented with Michael H Wong and Jay Kotin).
He invented a combination lock when he was 12 years old.
Toti related that his mother was the inspiration for the invention of the Mae West life vest. He had built a boat, and his mother was worried because he couldn"t swim.
He designed a personal life preserver filled with duck feathers. However, that was too bulky and heavy, so he used air.
Toti sold the rights to the Mae West life vest to the United States War Department in 1936 for $1,600.
Toti owned and operated Tro-Pic-Kal Manufacturing Company of Modesto for approximately 60 years. Toti worked at a pet project, building a perpetual motion machine. The physical laws of thermodynamics mean such a machine is impossible: if it were possible, it would offer a limitless energy supply.
Toti"s machine was both mechanical and electromagnetic.
He said he had reached 95% to 97% levels, meaning a power conversion loss of 5% to 3%. "I still believe it"s possible," he said.
Spouse: Marion Toti
Daughter: Andrea Pimental née Toti
Stepson: Raymond Webster
Toti"s parents, who immigrated to the United States from Italy, bought a delicatessen when he was nine years old. Son Tom
Unknown child.