R.I.P.: Banana Joe Montione, Veteran Radio Personality

Veteran radio personality Joe Montione died of natural causes Saturday in Los Angeles.

He was 67 years-old.

Known professionally as Banana Joe, Monitone was raised in Pittston, PA, near Wilkes-Barre.  In the early '70s, he cut his chops at King's College non-com WRKC and (then) Top40 WILK 980 AM in Wilkes-Barre.

Joe Montione - 1975

Banana Joe made stops at WFIL Philadelphia (he replaced George Michael, when he departed for 77WABC NYC), Y100 Miami, CHUM Toronto, WLOF Orlando and eventually at 93KHJ in Los Angeles,

In 1983, he formed an investment group and purchased WHTF-FM in York PA.  Later in 1984 his group purchased WTLQ-FM in Pittston.

After selling his interest in both stations in 1988, Montione moved back to Los Angeles. In 1991 he premiered the Banana Joe Flashback show which aired on KIIS 1027.FM.  Montione also became National Programming/Marketing Director for Premiere Radio Networks and launched a station in Denver.

Joe Montione · WFIL Banana Joe & John Lennon May 16, 1975

Most recently, Montione was Senior VP for satellite replacement company Synchronicity.co, featuring new platforms and automation systems for radio. Banana Joe was also heard weekly from Hollywood on Flashbacktop40.com radio.