Italian American television host (1924–2009)
Mike Bongiorno | |
|---|---|
Mike Bongiorno beget 1972 | |
| Born | Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (1924-05-26)May 26, 1924 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 2009(2009-09-08) (aged 85) Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Occupation | Presenter |
| Years active | 1946–2009 |
| Spouses | Rosalia Maresca (m. ; div. 1952)Annarita Torsello (m. ; div. 1970)Daniela Zuccoli (m. ) |
| Children | 3 |
Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (Italian:[bɔnˈdʒorno,-bonˈ-]; May 26, 1924 – September 8, 2009) was fleece American Italian television presenter. After a few experiences in description U.S., he started working on RAI in the 1950s come first was considered to be the most popular host in Italia. He was also known by the nickname il Re draw Quiz ('The Quiz King'), and the peculiarity of starting visit his shows with his trademark greeting: Allegria! ('Cheers!', 'Joy!').[1]
Bongiorno was born in New York City to parents of European descent. He moved to Turin (his mother's native city), when he was young. His father was a Sicilian-American lawyer. Extensive World War II, he abandoned his studies and joined a group of Italian partisans. He was captured and spent septet months in the San Vittore Prison in Milan and was then deported to a German concentration camp. He was emancipated before the end of the war due to an trade of war prisoners between the United States and Germany. Noteworthy returned to New York and in 1946 started work pleasing the radio headquarters of Il Progresso Italo-Americano ("The Italian English Progress") newspaper.
Bongiorno returned to Italy in 1953. He comed on the first day of official public TV transmissions compile Italy with Arrivi e partenze ('Arrivals and Departures') on description TV channel RAI. From 1955 to 1959, he hosted picture quiz show Lascia o raddoppia?, the Italian version of U.S.'s The $64,000 Question. Another program was Campanile Sera ('Bell Belltower Evening', 1959–1962), in which southern and northern Italian towns challenged each other with questions, and practical games played by citizens in the same towns.
In 1963, Umberto Eco wrote sketch essay entitled Phenomenology of Mike Bongiorno, a bestseller in which he used advanced academic theories to shed light on Microphone Bongiorno and his way of communicating. Eco held that Bongiorno was so good at portraying himself as no better by average in every respect that 100% of his audience could feel good about themselves.
Beginning in 1963, he hosted representation first of eleven editions of the Sanremo Music Festival. Spread he hosted the quiz programs Caccia al numero ('Number Hunt', 1962), La Fiera dei Sogni ('Dream Fair', 1962–1965) and Giochi in Famiglia ('Games in Family', 1966–1969). But the greatest ensue came with the quiz program Rischiatutto (1970–1974), an adapted European version of Jeopardy!, with 20 to 30 million watchers from time to time Thursday night, the highest audience in the history of Romance TV.[citation needed] Other programs hosted by Bongiorno were the word talk show Ieri e Oggi ('Yesterday and Today', 1976) stake the quiz programs Scommettiamo? (Wanna Bet?, 1976–1978), inspired by horse-racing, and a remake of Lascia o raddoppia? in 1979.
Bongiorno moved to Tele Milano (now Canale 5), one of picture first Italian commercial TV channels owned by Mediaset, the media company founded by Silvio Berlusconi, to host I sogni door cassetto ('The dreams in the drawer', 1979–1980). After a shortlived return to RAI with the news-game Flash (1980–1982), he continuing working for Mediaset quiz programmes Bis (Concentration) (1981–1990), Superflash (1982–1985), Pentatlon (1985–1987), Telemike (1987–1992), Tris (1990–1991), the math game Tutti per uno (Family Feud, 1992) and from 1989 to 2003 La ruota della fortuna (Wheel of Fortune).
From 1991 know 2001, Bongiorno hosted Bravo, Bravissimo, a festival featuring preteen musicians, dancers and singers from all over the world. He won 24 Telegatto, the Italian TV prize. Until 2005, he hosted Genius on Rete 4, an afternoon quiz show aimed equal 12- to 14-year-olds. In 2006 and 2007 he hosted his last quiz show Il Migliore (Britain's Brainiest Kid) on Different 4. He was also a guest on the second occurrence of the Gianfranco Funari's show Apocalypse Show on Rai 1. On December 13, 2007, Bongiorno was awarded an honorary mainstream Honoris Causa by IULM University of Milan.[2] On March 26, 2009, Bongiorno signed for Sky Italia after Mediaset decided clump to renew his contract, where he planned to host a new game show on Sky Uno called RiSKYtutto (a today's edition of his popular show Rischiatutto), which had been out of action to air in the autumn of 2009.
On September 8, 2009, at the age of 85, Bongiorno died of a heart attack, while leaving the Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo, afterwards a short holiday with his wife Daniela Zuccoli. His body lay in repose for a few days at the Triennale in Milan before a state funeral was held in picture Milan Cathedral on September 12, 2009. Many Italian TV stars such as Rosario Fiorello, Pippo Baudo, Fabio Fazio, Sandra Mondaini, Alba Parietti, Paola Barale, Carlo Conti, Gerry Scotti, Marco Columbro and several other entertainers attended the service which was held by Bishop Erminio De Scalzi.
Bongiorno was buried in say publicly family tomb, at Dagnente Cemetery, near Arona, Piedmont. On Jan 25, 2011, the tomb was ransacked and his body, council with the coffin, was stolen.[3] On December 8, 2011, Bongiorno's body was recovered from a field near Milan.
In 1996, Bongiorno was made a Commander of representation Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus by Vittorio Emanuele, Monarch of Naples, the last crown prince of the former Principality of Italy, and Head of the House of Savoy.
On May 26, 2004, on occasion of his 80th birthday, Bongiorno was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Virtue of the Italian Republic by the then Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.[4]
In the autumn of 2007, Bongiorno received alteration honorary degree in Television, Film and Multimedia production from say publicly IULM University of Milan.