Trivia

Fired by Arthur Godfrey in 1953 because he lacked "humility.".

Continues to performs in concert halls and super clubs (1999)

The public firing by Godfrey actually boosted La Rosa's career for a time. He was the summer replacement on Perry Como's TV show in 1955. He met Como's secretary, Rosemary Meyer, and they were married. He got his own TV show later that year.

For 42 years he lived in New York's Westchester County He continued to tour, perform, and act for decades. He was also a longtime disc jockey on WNEW-AM in New York. He and his wife moved to Crivitz, a small town in his wife's home state of Wisconsin in 2015.

He was in the Navy when Arthur Godfrey heard him sing and invited him to appear on his CBS TV show. Godfrey asked him to come back on the show after his discharge. La Rosa was a star of the show from 1951 to 1953, recording several hit songs including "Eh, Cumpari.".

American baritone, a crooner in the Sinatra style, with strong intonation and regard for lyrics. At his peak recording hits with Archie Bleyer's Cadence label and RCA in the mid- and late 1950's. An attempt to turn him into a teen idol with the film Let's Rock (1958) proved unsuccessful.

Survived by his wife Rosmary: a daughter Maria Smith: a son Chirs: a grandson: and a sister Sadie.