PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
The RADIO HOST
It was April 1968, when a 16-year-old Jack DiGiorgio
and his parents made a seven-day trans-Atlantic
journey from his birthplace of Mola di Bari, Italy, to
Brooklyn, N.Y., not knowing any English.
“Many people don’t know this, but my real name is Gioacchino,”
he said with a laugh. “Jack is much easier to say,
no?”
DiGiorgio worked hard, finished high school, completed
two-years at City University of New York-Manhattan and
a couple of semesters at Baruch College. And in 2009, he
earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Barry University.
In the ’70s, DiGiorgio was actively involved with a local
cultural club in Brooklyn.
“I was part of this wonderful club, I mean it was not your
typical club,” he said. “We put on plays, theater shows, art
exhibits. I even helped put out a magazine.”
This community-driven organization soon helped him
realize what would become his lifelong passion: radio.
“So, in 1978 a friend of mine ran a radio station — an
all-Italian radio,” he said. “One day he asked me about
announcing club activities, shows and those types of things
on-air.”
Jack said he shrugged it off but agreed to run it by the
other club members.
“Can you believe he insisted on me doing the announcements?”
he asked. “Says he liked my voice and thought that
‘there was something’ about me.”
After several months of making announcements, DiGiorgio
was given a chance to fill in for a host who was on an
extended vacation. From then on, 26-year-old DiGiorgio
was hooked. However, he had no idea it would blossom
into a career. “By 1981, several time slots had opened at
WHBI. I took over and eventually produced shows on my
own,” he said.
Radio Uno is an all-Italian, 24-hour radio station. The sta-
36 Port St. Lucie Magazine
>>
BY RACHEL CUCCURULLO
ANTHONY INSWASTY
During his time as president of PSL Soccer Club, Jack DiGiorgio raised enough funds to build the much-needed clubhouse at Swan Park.