Tony Mamarella

Anthony (Tony) Mammarella (September 2, 1924 - November 29, 1977) was the first producer and second host of American Bandstand. Mammarella, a World War II veteran, started with Philadelphia television station WFIL-TV in 1947 as a switchboard operator and moved his way up to various positions in production. In 1958, as a way of increasing his financial portfolio, he, along with Dick Clark and Bernard Binnick started Swan Records, with the first signed artist being Dicky Doo & The Don'ts. The label would later be notable for being the first American record label for The Beatles. Once the payola scandals of 1959 played out, ABC required anybody that dealt with music to diversify from any music interests. Clark decided to stay with ABC and Mammarella stayed with Swan. Mammarella succumbed to brain cancer on November 29, 1977.