Singer Julius LaRosa Dies at 86

ENFIELD, CT - Julius LaRosa, a young singer who became a national phenomenon in the 1950s as vocalist on the top-rated Arthur Godfrey Show, passed away May 12. He was 86.

LaRosa, who headlined the Enfield Italian Festival at the Mount Carmel Society in 2008, had 10 top 40 hits in the 1950s, with "Eh Cumpari" and "Anywhere I Wander" cracking the top 5 in 1953.

That same year, in one of the most infamous incidents in television history, Godfrey fired LaRosa during a live broadcast.

The U.S. Navy veteran appeared on a number of television shows, then later became a disc jockey at a New York radio station.

Photo credits: Tim Jensen