Fabio Sweeps ‘Em Off Their Feet at Book Signing

Fantasy met reality Monday night at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena as about 150 women attended a book signing featuring Fabio, the hunky cover model who combines the rippling muscles and long blond hair of the Norse god Thor with the Beatles’ uncanny ability to generate lash-batting lust in millions of female fans.

“I’m still shaking. I haven’t shook like this in a million years,” said Laura Lamp, a 35-year-old Mary Kay beauty consultant who Fabio literally swept off her feet as she posed next to him for a picture.

“I have to sit down,” she added, her blush visible through the makeup on her cheeks.

Vroman’s employees had to ration the number of people allowed into the store to meet the 32-year-old model as the line of fans stretched along the length of the outside wall of the store. To speed up the signing process, Vroman’s distributed Post-It notes for fans to write what they wanted Fabio--full name Fabio Lanzoni--to say and then stuck them to the book covers.

“It’s kind of a kick,” said Bill Burrows, 29, one of the supervisors at Vroman’s. “The crowd’s fun, it’s a bunch of raving women.”

The fans endured about a 30-minute wait to get Fabio to sign their books (his ghostwritten romance, “Pirate,” is at bookstores everywhere), their calendars and their posters or to pose for a picture with him.

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“It’s my second time in line,” gushed Yvonne Woolf, 41, the manager of a therapist’s office.

“He’s the nicest celebrity I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot, from Robert Redford on down,” she said. “He looks you in the eye when he signs things.”

But does she read his books? “Nope. I just like him,” she said with a laugh.

Even men came to meet the Prince Charming of the publishing world. “People are always making fun of Fabio, but I think he’s cool,” said Manuel Barba, 17, a senior a Bishop Amat High School.

“He gets chicks,” Barba added approvingly.

“Well, he wouldn’t get me,” retorted Barba’s girlfriend, Alyssa Labrado, whom Barba persuaded to drive him to the bookstore.

“He’s not my type,” the 17-year-old senior said. Barba was not alone in being less than impressed with the Italian Adonis. “We came to see if he’s really that ugly,” said Leslie Robinson, 19, an architecture major at Citrus Community College.

“I mean the body’s great, but the head, well. . . .” she trailed off. But she and her sister, Melissa, had actually read his book. “He didn’t write it, but it was good,” she said.

Contractor Jonathan Schultz, 32, was also nonchalant. “He’s no big deal. He’s just a guy blessed with a well-developed body.”

Would he trade his own thinning hair for Fabio’s luscious locks? “Nah. I don’t like combing it,” he said with a smile.