Eddie Mekka (born June , ) is an American actor best known for his
role as Carmine Ragusa on the television sitcom Laverne &
Shirley.Mekka was born Rudolph Edward Mekjian in Worcester,
Massachusetts, the son of Italian mother Mariam and Armenian father
Vaughn Mekjian. His mother was a presser and his father was a World
War II veteran. He graduated from Burncoat High School.In the early s,
Mekka headed the Worcester County Light Opera in Massachusetts,
teaching young people how to sing. After performing on Broadway in The
Lieutenant, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, he moved to
Los Angeles. He landed the role of Carmine 'The Big Ragoo' Ragusa for
Laverne & Shirley in , acting on the series until it was canceled in .
His recent television credits include , The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Bold and the Beautiful, and as
Detective Murdoch in the Fox television movie Catch Me If You Can. He
had a small role in the Penny Marshall-directed film, A League of
Their Own as the dance partner of Mae (Madonna) in the bar.On stage,
he has performed in Hairspray at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada and in
a national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams. Mekka returned to
off-Broadway on July , , starring in Steve Solomon's long-running
comedy My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy! at
the Westside Theatre.
role as Carmine Ragusa on the television sitcom Laverne &
Shirley.Mekka was born Rudolph Edward Mekjian in Worcester,
Massachusetts, the son of Italian mother Mariam and Armenian father
Vaughn Mekjian. His mother was a presser and his father was a World
War II veteran. He graduated from Burncoat High School.In the early s,
Mekka headed the Worcester County Light Opera in Massachusetts,
teaching young people how to sing. After performing on Broadway in The
Lieutenant, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, he moved to
Los Angeles. He landed the role of Carmine 'The Big Ragoo' Ragusa for
Laverne & Shirley in , acting on the series until it was canceled in .
His recent television credits include , The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Bold and the Beautiful, and as
Detective Murdoch in the Fox television movie Catch Me If You Can. He
had a small role in the Penny Marshall-directed film, A League of
Their Own as the dance partner of Mae (Madonna) in the bar.On stage,
he has performed in Hairspray at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada and in
a national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams. Mekka returned to
off-Broadway on July , , starring in Steve Solomon's long-running
comedy My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy! at
the Westside Theatre.
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