Born October 18, 1959, Christopher Michael Russo is an American sports radio personality. He is best known for being the co-host of the Mike and Chris sports radio show with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on WFAN in New York City and YES Network. During the summer of 2008, Russo joined Sirius XM Radio. He has his own channel called Chris Russo Radio. He also has a radio show on SiriusXM called Mad Dog Unleashed, where he talks about sports in the afternoon, called Mad Dog Sports Radio. As of 2019, Russo will also be a co-host with Alanna Rizzo on the show High Heat. Russo joined the MLB Network on March 31, 2014. He runs his own show called “High Heat.” He also appears on ESPN’s First Take a lot.
Chris Russo Early Life
Born in Syosset, New York, on Long Island, Russo lived there until he was about 10 years old. For college, he went to the Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York and Rollins College near Orlando, Florida. He graduated with a history degree from both. He also spent one spring at Cranleigh School near London, England, where his mother is from. He also spent one semester at Sydney University in Australia, where he studied history and literature about Australia.
It was between 1984 and 1987 and 1987 and 1988 when Russo worked for WKIS in Orlando, Florida and WMCA in New York City. WKIS sent him to see a speech therapist twice a week when it became clear that people in Central Florida couldn’t understand his accent, so the station sent him there. He got the “Mad Dog” nickname from New York Daily News Sports TV and Radio critic Bob Raissman. Raissman said Russo’s radio style reminded him of former professional wrestler Maurice Vachon, who was also known as “Mad Dog,” so he gave him the nickname.
Chris Russo Net Worth
There are two things you need to know about Chris Russo: his net worth and his salary. You can find Chris Russo on an American sports radio show. He has a fortune of $20 million. He was born in October 1959 in the city of Syosset, which is in the state of New York. In New York City, he is known as “Mad Dog.” He used to be a co-host of the sports radio show “Mike and the Mad Dog” with Mike Francesa on WFAN. Chris worked for a station in Orlando for three years, then for another station in New York for three more years. While he was in Florida, people said they couldn’t understand his thick accent and quick way of talking.
WFAN hired him in 1988, and he was an overnight and weekend host when he did that job. It was soon after that he caught the attention of a radio legend named Don Imus. Imus hired Chris to be his sports reporter. In the end, Imus helped Chris get his own show on WFAN that aired on Saturday mornings. On September 5, 1989, WFAN launched “Mike and the Mad Dog” when weekday drive time host Pete Franklin’s contract was not renewed. Chris was paired with Mike Francesa.
There was a TV show called Mike and the Mad Dog until 2009. Chris decided to do something else. Mike and Chris also reportedly didn’t like each other.
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Chris Russo Career
Chris Russo Career
With WFAN in December 1988, Russo was a show host for the nights and weekends as well as a guest host. Ex-WFAN Morning Show Host Don Imus hired Russo to be a sports reporter on the Imus in the Morning show, where he used to work. Imus also helped spread the word about Russo’s name later. By the beginning of 1989, Russo had his own show on Saturday Mornings. He had worked on Imus. Russo and Mike Francesa were put together by WFAN when Pete Franklin’s drive time show from 3 pm to 7 pm was not renewed by station management. At the time, Francesa was a co-host on the midday show. At 3 p.m. Eastern time on September 5, 1989, it was officially launched. The show was called Mike and the Mad Dog and it was called that.
On August 14, 2008, Russo and WFAN came to an agreement that would let him leave the station at the end of his contract. Russo said that it was a decision that only he could make “We don’t hate each other. A new thing is what this is about. I’m 48 years old, and there aren’t going to be many more chances to leave. To be honest, it was hard to make this choice.” It was on August 15, 2008, when Russo called Francesa on the show to say goodbye in a very sad way.
During a one-hour reunion show at Yankee Stadium on October 16, 2009, Russo and Francesa were set to broadcast from booths next to each other. It was later in the day when Francesa came on the Sirius XM show that Russo did.
We went back to Radio City Music Hall together on March 30, 2016. Mike and the Mad Dog were back together.
Chris Russo Personal Life
Antony Michael “Tony” Russo (1931–2013) and Vera “Molly” Russo (1931–2013) were married in Flushing, Queens, and had a child together. Russo is the only child of the couple. Russo married Jeanne Lavelle on May 6, 1995, and they have four children: Timmy, Kiera, Colin, and Patrick. Russo and Jeanne Lavelle have been married since 1995. Colin made his radio debut on December 30, 2020, in his father’s former time slot on WFAN, cohosting with Sonny Carton, the son of long-time presenter Craig Carton, in his father’s old time slot. He currently resides in the Connecticut town of New Canaan. He has been a lifetime and ardent supporter of the San Francisco Giants.
