Fabio becomes a United States citizen

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Fabio holds the American flag at a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles, March 16, 2016. (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — To a resume that includes romance-novel cover model and dashing beefcake actor, Fabio can now add U.S. citizen.

Fabio, real name Fabio Lanzoni, the long-locked blonde Italian who became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, became a naturalized American citizen on Wednesday, a day after his 57th birthday.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a statement that Fabio was one of more than 6,000 people from more than 140 countries who took the Oath of Allegiance together at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Fabio said in the statement that it is one of the happiest days of his life and that United States is the greatest country on Earth.

The 57-year-old appeared on the cover of countless romance novels and parlayed his popularity into appearances in many movies, TV shows and commercials.