Briefly studied for the priesthood.
Famous for always appearing in public in candy-striped Dolfin shorts, and tank tops that have been hand decorated with Swarovski crystals.
Has not appeared on the "The Howard Stern Show" (1990) since November 1992, though he was once a regular guest. During his last appearance on the show, he ran out of the studio in tears after Howard told him "Your belly hangs like your nuts."
He runs his own workout studio, Slimmons. He opened it over 30 years ago,in Beverly Hills, California after finding that established gyms and exercise studios tended to favor already fit people while discouraging beginners and the overweight. As such, he endeavored to create an encouraging environment for that previously neglected clientèle. He still teaches three days a week when he's in town.
He was initially motivated to lose weight when he received an anonymous note, left on his car, reading, "Fat people die young. Please don't die."
His top weight was 268 lbs before he learned to control it.
Loves Barbra Streisand, Broadway musicals, and one of a kind Art dolls, and Art Glass...having been an Art Major in college himself. He owns a vast of Art Dolls. Much of his Art Glass collection was destroyed by the Northridge Earthquake.
Much of his hair fell out due to losing weight in an unhealthy manner. He then had to have hair transplants, moving some of his own hair from the back of his head to the front. He urges others to lose weight in a healthy manner so they won't have the same problems he did.
When appearing with two of his weight-loss clients on the "The Howard Stern Show" (1990) in 1990, Stern taunted his clients by waving food in front of their faces using a fishing pole. A large roasted chicken was lowered from the ceiling as well, to the shock and dismay of Richard's clients. One of those clients, Michael Hebranko, later ballooned to over 1,000 pounds and had to be rescued from his New York brownstone by 20 paramedics, policemen and firemen. Though he quickly dropped much of the weight he had regained, three years later Hebranko again had to rescued from his apartment after gaining the weight back.