Radio Broadcasting Career
By 1960 Don made a transition from the big screen to Don Pietro, Disk Jockey at KROG, Sonora, California where he began toying with various character voices while developling an on air persona that became one of the country's most theatrically gifted air talents. In 1963 program director Guy Williams aka L.David Moorhead hired him for the all important early evening slot at legendary top forty rocker, KRIZ. Using the air name "The Purple Pizza Eater", Don along with his sidekick Bruno J. Grunyon, a mythical teenage ne'er-do-well voiced by Pietro (unbeknownst to the listening teen audience, the two garnered huge ratings in the Phoenix market and his reputation as an on air entertainer began capturing national attention and the management of St. Louis giant, KXOK-AM 630.
Known to thousands of radio listeners as "Johnny Rabbitt", Don along with his faithful companion Bruno J. Grunyon, the two would delight their predominantly teen audience from 7 pm to midnight with outlandish antics such as Rabbitt feeding Bruno to a "man-eating plant." But of course Bruno would always survive because the plant would spit him out. The throngs of teens calling the station's request lines with their problems or dedications could simply, "Blab it to the Rabbitt." From 1964 through 1968 Don Pietro would enjoy some of the highest ratings ever recorded to date in the St. Louis market.
Upon Pietromonaco's departure from KXOK in 1969, Don and Bruno returned once again to Phoenix and KRIZ Radio this time for the 3-7 PM Drive slot where he would earn Billboard Magazine's coveted Major Market Performer of the Year award. KRIZ would be his last job as a disk Jockey and for him and Bruno, the end of era. In 2001, Don Poetromonaco would be inducted into the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame.
Read more about this topic: Don Pietromonaco
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