Jerry Blavat
(born July 3, 1940), also known as "The Geator with The Heator", is an American disc jockey who is nationally known for promoting oldies music on the radio in the United States. Blavat was born in South Philadelphia to a Jewish father and Italian mother.
In 1953, Blavat debuted on the original Bandstand
on WFIL-TV with Bob Horn and Lee Stewart. In 1956 he managed a national tour for Danny and the Juniors, and he worked as Don Rickles' valet in 1958-59. He got his start in radio in 1960, as a result of a bet with the owner of the Venus Lounge that he would be able to host his own show successfully. He ended up broadcasting all night long during a blizzard in Philadelphia, playing rock 'n' roll records from his own collection until his replacement showed up at 6 am. Later that morning Bud Hibbs, general manager of WCAM, asked Jerry to return because the "phones haven't stopped ringing" since he went on the air. By 1963, his show was syndicated in Atlantic City, Trenton, Pottstown, Wilmington and Allentown.
During the 1960s, Blavat was a partner in the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels, along with Jared Weinstein and Collectables Records' founder Jerry Greene. [1] Together, the three also owned Record Museum, a now-defunct chain of record stores based in Philadelphia.
From 1965-1967, Blavat produced and hosted a weekly television show called The Discophonic Scene.
He also guest-starred on television shows including The Mod Squad
, The Monkees
, The Tonight Show
and The Joey Bishop Show
. He has also appeared in the movies Desperately Seeking Susan
, Baby It's You
and Cookie
. [2] [3] In the early 1970s, Blavat purchased a nightclub in Margate, New Jersey, and named it "Memories."
In 1981, Blavat was having dinner at a South Philadelphia restaurant with Greek mob boss Chelsais "Steve" Bouras and several other guests when Bouras was assassinated in a contract killing. [4]
In the early 1990s, an investigation by the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation into organized crime's influence in the liquor business made Blavat's association with the Bruno-Scarfo crime family public. During the commission's investigation, Thomas A. DelGiorno, a former Scarfo crime family Capo, testified that Blavat had regularly paid a "street tax" to the crime family, had purchased a $40,000 yacht for crime boss Nicodemo Scarfo and was one of several individuals who purchased a condominium in Florida for Scarfo. In exchange, the criminal organization secured employment for Blavat throughout the state and also kept union organizers out of the Blavat's nightclub. Del Giorno also testified that Blavat regularly served as a driver for crime boss Angelo Bruno. Blavat plead the fifth. [5]
In 1993, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance's Hall of Fame. [6] In 1998, Blavat was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's "Hall of Fame." He is now a DJ for oldies radio station WIBG FM 94.3 in the South Jersey shore area.
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