Skip to Content

Eddie Mekka, Carmine on ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ dead at 69

By Chloe Melas, CNN

Eddie Mekka, who found fame playing Carmine “The Big Ragoo” Ragusa, on the hit series “Laverne & Shirley,” died Saturday at his home in Newhall, California, according to his official Facebook account.

He was 69.

No details on his cause of death were made immediately available.

Mekka played Shirley’s love interest on the show.

Cindy Williams, who played Shirley, tweeted, “My darling Eddie, A world-class talent who could do it all. I love you dearly. I’ll miss you so much. But oh the marvelous memories.”

The hit series ran on ABC from 1976-1983.

A Massachusetts native, Mekka moved to Los Angeles and ended up garnering a Tony nomination for his lead role in “The Lieutenant” on Broadway in 1975.

Mekka had roles on “The Love Boat,” “Family Matters,” “Guiding Light,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

CNN has reached out to Mekka’s representative for comment.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Entertainment

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KIFI Local News 8 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content