Dino started at WPGC as a high school sophomore editing and writing news in April 1971 and originally went on the air in 1972. In the fall of 1974 he left with Alexander Goodfellow for WJBQ / Portland but returned to DC in 1975 doing middays at WYRE / Annapolis. He was offered a full-time gig back at WPGC in the Fall of 1975 doing 6-10pm, then moved to 10pm-2am when Big Ron O'Brien joined the station in 1976 and continued in that position till the Great Strike That Struck Out in May 1977.

Today he is with the Voice of America.

I totally enjoyed my time at WPGC and wish to hell that I were still there. I was fortunate in that I started working there during the summer of my sophomore / junior year in high school. I was a news editor by day and jock wannabe by night. Alexander Goodfellow helped me with my first production room aircheck which really sucked. Others like Joel Denver (Jim Madison) would let me run the board out of stopsets. Talk about taking a chance!

On Getting 'The Call':

I went to WJBQ in Portland Maine, returned to the area via WYRE / Annapolis. I received a call on a Friday afternoon from Jim Collins asking for a favor. He was in a bind and needed someone to do a 6-midnight shift on Saturday. I really wasn't interested but he insisted (can't find anybody else, "you need the extra cash with a baby on the way"...). I did the shift, had one hell of a good time. He and Bill Prettyman (station manager) both called again on Monday morning, indicated that Saturday night was an "ON-AIR AUDITION" and offered me 6-10pm full-time.

On The Great Strike & its aftermath:

The Strike affected me in a number of ways. It took me about six years to get back with a decent radio station again. I did the gypsy thing going from market to market, never really satisfied. After working at 'PGC, everything else sucked. I worked in a variety of crap markets before being hired by Bob McNeill, another really decent PD, at WMZQ. After doing 6-10pm he moved me to morning drive. Things there were really good, we're were getting lots of positive press. Then McNeill and management got into an argument over programming. Bob left and that's when I went to VOA.

WPGC; great times. On the air for the first time in 1972 I think, which would have made me 17 or 18. Back full time at 20. Man, what a ride!

On Jim Collins:

Jim Collins was an amazing individual who was keenly aware of the nuances of radio; the right sound, personalities, and music selection. He was never the same after the breakup of his marriage. We would converse at least twice a year. I always remember our Christmas time phone calls and could detect a bit of sadness in his voice.

We all have to deal with our own demons. I cannot find fault in how Jim chose to deal with his. Whenever I think about Washington radio, I can't help but think of the greatness of this facility, broadcasting from the Parkway Building in Bladensburg, and how many lives it ultimately touched.

And yes, Jim Collins was directly responsible for that success.

I remember the night Jim Collins came in to Dino Del Gallo, holding a stack of albums. He asked Dino to check thru 'em and try to find a single for this group that just couldn't seem to buy a top 40 hit, but was doing fine in concert. So Dino went thru the albums, and went back to Jim with his pick the next day. When Collins realized what the selection was he told Dino, hey, they already released that and it died. Dino came right back saying, no they didn't, they released the studio version and it died... they need to release the live version. So Collins took the recommendation back to the record company. They released the live version... "Rock & Roll All Night", and Kiss finally got their top 40 start.

Ken Mezger writes:

Bob Raleigh (Bill Miller) was filling in for Harv Moore one morning and locked himself out. As his record was ending, he jumped up into the ceiling (drop ceiling) and pushed himself over and fell down into the lobby and broke many fingers! Then he called Dino Del Gallo at home (lived close) and begged him to "bring a vacuum cleaner quickly" to the station. Then they robbed some drop ceiling tiles from other parts of the building and replaced the broken ones. When Dino told me about this I couldn't stop laughing ... every time I saw Bill Miller with splints on most of his fingers!

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5/26/73

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