Television Host. He an American-born Italian TV host. Born in New York, he was a son of Italian immigrants Philip Bongiorno and Enrica Carello. The family moved to Turin, his mother's native city, during his childhood. He went to school there but abandoned his studies during World War II, when he joined a group of Italian partisans. He was later captured and spent seven months in the San Vittore prison in Milan, before being deported to a German concentration camp. He was liberated before the end of the war due to an exchange of war prisoners between the USA and Germany. Then, he returned to New York and, in 1946, started work at the radio headquarters of "Il Progresso Italo-Americano" newspaper. After returning to Italy in 1953, he appeared on the first day of official public TV transmissions with "Arrivi e partenze" on the channel RAI. He then hosted a lot of quiz shows, but the greatest success came with the quiz program "Rischiatutto" airing from 1970 to 1974, an adapted Italian version of Jeopardy!, which recorded the highest audience in the history of Italian TV. At the age of 85, Mike Bongiorno died of a heart attack, while leaving the Hotel Metropole, Monte-Carlo after a short holiday with his third wife, Daniela Zuccoli. A state funeral was held in the Milan Cathedral on September 12, 2009. He was originally buried in the family tomb, at the Cimitero di Dagnente, in Piedmont. On January 25, 2011, the tomb was ransacked and his body was stolen. Following its recovery on December 8, 2011 from a field near Milan, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered by his wife and his three children on Mt. Cervino, his favorite mountain.
Television Host. He an American-born Italian TV host. Born in New York, he was a son of Italian immigrants Philip Bongiorno and Enrica Carello. The family moved to Turin, his mother's native city, during his childhood. He went to school there but abandoned his studies during World War II, when he joined a group of Italian partisans. He was later captured and spent seven months in the San Vittore prison in Milan, before being deported to a German concentration camp. He was liberated before the end of the war due to an exchange of war prisoners between the USA and Germany. Then, he returned to New York and, in 1946, started work at the radio headquarters of "Il Progresso Italo-Americano" newspaper. After returning to Italy in 1953, he appeared on the first day of official public TV transmissions with "Arrivi e partenze" on the channel RAI. He then hosted a lot of quiz shows, but the greatest success came with the quiz program "Rischiatutto" airing from 1970 to 1974, an adapted Italian version of Jeopardy!, which recorded the highest audience in the history of Italian TV. At the age of 85, Mike Bongiorno died of a heart attack, while leaving the Hotel Metropole, Monte-Carlo after a short holiday with his third wife, Daniela Zuccoli. A state funeral was held in the Milan Cathedral on September 12, 2009. He was originally buried in the family tomb, at the Cimitero di Dagnente, in Piedmont. On January 25, 2011, the tomb was ransacked and his body was stolen. Following its recovery on December 8, 2011 from a field near Milan, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered by his wife and his three children on Mt. Cervino, his favorite mountain.
Bio by: Sicily
Gravesite Details
Mike Bongiorno was originally buried at the Cimitero di Dagnente. In January of 2011, his body was stolen from the cemetery, but was later recovered and cremated. Ashes were scattered by family at the valleys of Mount Cervino in Val d'Aosta, Italy.
Family Members
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