Actor Eddie Mekka, best known for his portrayal of Carmine Raguso on Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1983 passed away on November 27th. No cause of death was announced. Mekka was 69.
A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Mekka earned a Tony nomination for starring in the Broadway production of The Lieutenant in 1975 before earning his breakout role on Laverne & Shirley the following year. Carmine Raguso was an Italian former Golden Gloves boxer who wanted nothing more to sing and dance and also involved in an on-again, off-again romance with Shirley Feeney. I didn't watch a lot of Laverne & Shirley but when I did I was most drawn to Carmine because he seemed like someone you would meet in real life. He looked like a Renaissance man you didn't want to fight. In particular, I remember his appearance on Happy Days when he and Fonz save Richie, Potsie and Ralph Malph from a street gang. It's not every fighter who sings Tony Bennett's "Rags to Riches" before he goes into battle. With Mekka's passing, Cindy Williams and Michael McKean (who played Lenny of Lenny & Squiggy) are the last surviving members of the original cast.
After Laverne & Shirley, Mekka worked primarily but appeared on TV sporadically with small roles in Moonlighting, Family Matters, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Crossing Jordan and ER. His onetime Laverne & Shirley co-star Penny Marshall cast him in a scene in A League of Their Own in which he danced with Madonna. I'm not sure why Mekka didn't get broader exposure after Laverne & Shirley but some people never get that kind of opportunity at all. At times we must be grateful for what we have. R.I.P.
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