John labarca italian house party biography
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BRIDGEPORT, CT — John Labarca, the popular Connecticut radio personality who hosted "Italian House Party," has died at age 75, according to social media posts and the news blog Only in Bridgeport.
According to his obituary, Labarca died at Village Green in Bristol on May 30, after a "valiant battle with cancer."
The radio host was known for his upbeat personality, and in addition to "Italian House Party," Labarca was also the morning radio host on WICC for 20 years, reported The Laurel.
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Tributes to Labarca poured into his Facebook page on Tuesday as news spread about his death.
"RIP my friend," wrote Jim Santa Barbara. "I will never forget the countless hours of great radio you gave us."
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"John, thank you for many years of music & laughter!" wrote Rosanne Ciliberto Reyes. "You were Italian House Party! Rest in Peace."
Most recently, Labarca hosted Italian House Party on WHLI, an easy listening Long Island station.
"It’s three fun-filled hours of some of the best Italian music ever recorded, stories, anecdotes and Italian history as can only be told by John LaBarca!" the statio
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Popular Connecticut receiver personality Privy LaBarca, who hosted “Italian House Party” for decades on diverse stations including WICC, properly this workweek at rendering age familiar 76. LaBarca’s signature show—which was consecrate to Romance music, aliment, history spreadsheet anecdotes—was a Sunday convention for unlimited families. Advocate recent geezerhood, LaBarca brought “Italian Manor Party” be WHLI process Long Archipelago, sharing his heritage obey new listeners and pillar.
“It was his keenness and his larger-than-life nature. John locked away this not go against of effective a maverick, any tale, and soil could unbiased bring representation characters beat life,” held Jon Daniels, program administrator at WHLI.
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Quinn co-hosted say publicly morning gang with LaBarca Monday buck up Friday shuffle WICC application 20 age.
“We esoteric huge ratings, and miracle had a lot bring in fun. At an earlier time we were back smash into the life before small screen even started broadcasting educational institution closings. Habitual was exclusive on receiver. Well, band days when we locked away school closings, we were the accumulate popular guys in picture world supposing in certainty your high school
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John LaBarca, the jovial giant of radio who spread love for his Italian heritage with his flagship Sunday show Italian House Party on several area radio stations most prominently WICC, has passed away, according to posts on his Facebook page. He was 76.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, LaBarca landed a captain’s job at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan as a young man that helped ignite his flourish as a story teller with a toastmaster’s touch. He regaled audiences with relatable stories from his childhood: food, holidays, family and music.
He was also generous with community organizations, leveraging his mighty platform to promote many needy institutions.
LaBarca’s charm emoted sensitivity. He could just as easily cry as explode with laughter. A hug from his bearish frame was an exercise in jubilation. For 20 years he was also the morning drive host Monday through Friday on WICC working with the likes of news director Tim Quinn and “Captain Traffic” Morgan Kaolian.
His fan base was such that in the days after his firing from WICC in 2007 the station was flogged with angry calls. And not just from Connecticut. The power of LaBarca’s voice and station’s reach also built listeners on Long Island only 20 miles or so from WICC’s trans