Bartlett's Michael Ventrella half the man he was

When he weighed 526 pounds, a tearful Michael Ventrella vowed to lose weight and reclaim his life.

"Watch me, America," he said on the first episode of the reality TV weight loss show, "The Biggest Loser."

Tuesday night, a live national audience watched as Ventrella, 31, of Bartlett - the heaviest contestant to ever appear on "Loser" - stepped on the scale for the season finale and proved to America that he kept his word.

His current weight? 262 pounds.

Ventrella lost a total of 264 pounds, more than 50 percent of his body weight, which was enough to beat out the other contestants and win him the title of "The Biggest Loser" plus a $250,000 cash prize.

As confetti rained down around him, he wept while family members wearing T-shirts with Italian flags and the words "Forza Italia" on the back, surrounded him with hugs.

Michael Ventrella, who grew up in Carol Stream and graduated from Glenbard North High School, was a fan favorite all season. His trademark headband and wild hair (which was tamed in the makeover episode), his heart-on-his-sleeve personality, his devotion to his family, and his fun personality endeared him to viewers.

When his weight dropped to 492 pounds, he put his arms over his head and said, "Are my abs showing?" - a phrase that has since been printed on T-shirts. Once, Ventrella asked show host Alison Sweeney to touch his flexed arm muscles. As she approached, he stopped her and said, "Hey, didn't your mother tell you not to play with guns?"

During Tuesday night's finale, Ventrella looked confident, stylish and like a completely different person, as did his mother, Maria, who was his partner on the show for the first few episodes before being cut.

Maria also logged an impressive weight loss and made an amazing physical transformation, dropping from 281 pounds to 167 pounds.

Before getting on the scale, Michael gave his mother a white rose, calling her his "#1 inspiration and motivation."

Ventrella didn't appear on the show until the last 20 minutes of the two-hour finale, but when he did, he stole the show. He strutted on stage wearing a fitted V-neck shirt, a leather jacket and jeans with a giant skull belt buckle. Trainer Bob Harper, who became a close friend of Ventrella's during the taping, marveled at how he's now half the man he was.

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