As a child role models were the most influential people in my life, and I was lucky enough to have three major ones who shaped me into the person I am today. My two wonderful parents and one of a kind godfather taught me so much about myself and how to strive for my aspirations.
Some know my godfather as “The Cuz” on 97.5’s morning show, but to me he’s Uncle Bones, the best uncle I could have ever asked for, Anthony Gargano. If it weren’t for him I don’t think I would have had the desire to go into the field of Public Relations. Fortunately, I was able to interview him my first fall semester of college for a project. My uncle really loves Temple, having gone there himself, and was so thrilled to help me with this assignment. I met with him and my dad at the Draught Horse on campus, and they were thrilled to be back in Owl Country. Along with all the help he gave me with my project, it also was extremely nice catching up with the two most influential men in my life.
One of things my Uncle Bones kept saying was with being on radio, the most important things are making sure you always listen, making people feel comfortable, and engage in emotions all through your voice. He continued to say that since he can’t use his charming handshakes or eye contact to engage in a good conversation, he needs to keep people entertained by making them feel comfortable and excited with just his voice. Through his amazing abilities to make callers feel like they can have conversations in a comfortable environment, his show is very successful. 
What I found extremely interesting about interviewing my Uncle Bones, was what he said when I asked him what his weaknesses are. He said as a radio show host, you are kind of on the low end of the entertainment totem pole. With that being said, some radio show hosts just say anything and everything to get a rise out of their audience and callers since they feel as though they have nothing to lose. But in my uncle’s case, he doesn’t do that and said it all comes back to his pride. He said that he couldn’t sleep at night knowing he used his gift of communication to hurt people or ruin someone’s day. However, he said sometimes he needs to realize he can have an original opinion or say something without feeling bad.
In my eyes, my uncle is my PR hero. From spending hours playing PlayStation with my dad, to writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, I saw Uncle Bones become a superstar. He produced four books, worked 15 years for WIP radio station and now is the morning show host for 97.5 FM The Fanatic. Through his experiences he has shined a light on where I want my life to go. After that interview and all the other advice over the years, I have applied everything to my PR career here at Temple, hoping to get half the career my uncle has had thus far.
This blog post was written by Account Associate Erica DeAngelo.
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