Corrado Mantoni

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Corrado Mantoni (known simply as Corrado; August 2, 1924 - June 8, 1999) was an Italian radio and television host.

[edit] Biography

He was born in Rome, where he followed classic studies and in jurisprudence; before finishing university studies he started to work as radio speaker with EIAR, predecessor of RAI, Italian State Television. He was the first to announce to the Italian public events such as the end of World War II, the birth of the Italian Republic or the death of Trilussa. He also worked as dubber for foreign actors including Jerry Lewis.

In 1949, he was chosen by EIAR as their first TV host for the the Italian first experimental TV broadcasting. In the 1950s he was the foremost radio host in the country, and also took part in numerous movies as himself.

Corrado began to work for TV in the 1960s as the host of popoular shows such as Canzonissima, Miss Italia, the Sanremo Festival (1974) and Domenica In, which he inaugurated in 1976. Another show fow which he was the first host was Fantastico. He also worked for the TSI, the Italian-speaking Swiss television. In 1978, together with his collaborator Daniela Moroni, had a car accident which forced him to several medical operations.

In 1982 Corrado moved to the private-owner Silvio Berlusconi's network. His shows included Il pranzo è servito and, perhaps his most popular, La corrida, in which he presented amateurs.

Corrado was author nearly all his shows with the pseudonym of Corima, often in collaboration with his brother Riccardo. He died of lung cancer in Rome in 1999.