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.
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