Hearne: And Now, the Rest of the ‘Uncle Ed Muscari’ Story

This isn’t the first report on the death of former Channel 41 late night personality Uncle Ed Muscare...

However, in the interest of adding a bit of corrective information along with some news and views to the mix of mostly blogger driven reporting and commentary, let’s take another look. The New York native died in a Florida prison Sunday at the age of 79.

"He was creepy, the creepiest," says former Shawnee Counciwoman Tracy Thomas. "He was a cross between Ed Wood and a defrocked priest."

"I met him a couple times," says longtime radio personality and movie dude Jack Poessiger. "He was an entertaining guy at a time when late night ntelevision still had local programming and it became a local phenomenon. And when he left, his show got taken over by by Dick Wilson of KCMO FM."

Contrary to reports that Muscare’s "All Night Live" show ran in the 1970s, it was on for four years from 1981 to 1985, according to a fan who chronicled his passing recently on YouTube.

Muscare’s schtick – incidentally he went by Muscari while on TV in KC – was to engage is a bizarre series of skits in between scarey movies, Three Stooges shorts and the like.

"The most popular that I remember was his bananna phone," Poessiger recalls. "You’d hear the phone ring and he’d grab a bannana and take the call. And he kept a cat in a chest of drawers or his desk drawer. His whole approach was he was very much on the edge – very out there – and a lot of college kids would watch the show, which was very dark.

"He also had viewers make a secret pledge to his show. Like you belonged to his club and his weirdness. I used to watch it every so often because it was hip, funny and totally off-center compared to what anyone else was doing on TV at the time."

Muscare’s crime – allegedly fondling an underage youth – went down in the 80s when he "pleaded no contest in Orange County to a 1987 sexual battery of a boy," the Orlando Sentinel reports. "He served a prison term and was placed on a 10-year probation, but the term was extended twice because of subsequent violations. In 1998 he failed to comply with sex-offender-registration requirements when he lived in Lady Lake and he later moved to South Carolina without notifying authorities"

Which resulted in Muscare being busted again and ordered not to post anymore YouTube videos under the name edarem, for which he became popular with "more than 7 million views and legions of followers," the Post reports.

One such video in 2009 entitled "Pretty Woman," garnered more than 1.6 milllion views. It features a frazzle-haired Muscare lip synching and grooving in a creepy manner to the Roy Orbison classic while doing a mini, faux strip tease, removing his sweater and unbuttoning one of his shirt buttons.

In another strange video two years ago, "How I quit Smoking," Muscare tells viewers to replace the cigarette pack in their shirt pockets with sunflower seeds and eat them instead. Muscare reportedly died of lung cancer.

His, uh, significant other – a woman by the name of Marion Kolehmainen – posted a YouTube announcement of Muscare’s death Monday in which she said, "I have so much I want to share with you and so much I don’t know if I should share with you.

"Edward’s okay. I know some of you don’t believe in the afterlife, but believe me, he’s doing okay. He left me with all of his love and I’m okay, too. I really am…Ed’s at home now; he’s with the angels."

She told the Post, "He made his life, his career being the center of attention. There are some people that all they can focus on is his charge back in the 80s. I don’t want people to judge him for what happened. He’s sorry for it. He’s a good man. That’s what I want people to remember."

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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24 Responses to Hearne: And Now, the Rest of the ‘Uncle Ed Muscari’ Story

  1. paulwilsonkc says:

    This is just sad!
    How can a creepy, once late night TV guy, fondler of boys, dying in prison with a bananna in his ear NOT get a comment? Whats this world come to? I watched the video of the lady doing the “tribute”. Equally concerning.

  2. Orphan of the Road says:

    So sorry Hearne but this is a swing and a miss
    I left KC in 1973 and Uncle Ed was on before then. But I hit his show a few times before going on work on the night shift. Hey, I could only handle so many Edge of Nights.

    Mark Smith, one of YOUR commentators from time to time, broke this story days ago. He is the one who saw Ed’s creepy video online and mentioned it. It went viral, dogs sucking on belly, when another site turned him in for violating his parole. A condition of his parole was he was not allowed computer access.

    He was required to register as a sex offender and required to inform authorities of his address. He did neither for a long time Then the videos came along.

    http://midtownmiscreant.blogspot.com/2012/01/uncle-ed-is-dead.html#comment-form

    This is the story you could have had, both you and Bottomline Communications.

    Tracy is right, he was creepy from the get-go.

  3. harley says:

    ed was one sick mutha f******!
    we used to light up a “fatty” and watch the guy on tv. We’d eat about a box of cupcakes and hoho’s
    over at our buddys house when his parents weren’t home. We’d then get the guy’s parents car
    out of the garage and drive it around the neighborhood sitting on 4 telephone books so we
    could see over the steering wheel.
    ah those were the days………

  4. chuck says:

    Super Dave
    Who posts here, I think knew him personally. I know that he is upset with Midtown Miscreant for being instrumental in his (Muscari) return to prison.

    Midtown has a great blog, I read it, pretty funny.

    I never saw the guy’s show, but if Tracy says he was creepy, I’m gonna go with that.

  5. BS says:

    He was definitely on in the 70s
    It may not have been “All Night Live” but he was a KBMA personality, probably second only to The Sportsman’s Friend

  6. Nero says:

    1950’s?
    Who was the guy who hosted monster and horror movies on Saturday late night in the late 1050’s or early 60’s?

  7. Brandon Leftridge says:

    I had no idea Mark Smith and Midtown Miscreant were one in the same… makes sense why I always like his comments. And yeah, after combing through his archives, it appears that he’s been on this Uncle Ed story for years.

  8. Super Dave says:

    Come on Chuck You Know That isn’t What was said.
    I never met Uncle Ed in person or have a clue of his personal life when he was in Kansas City. Where Chuck came up with what he posted is beyond me sort of like Glazer who thinks he knows it all as well I guess. I as many in Kansas City back in the days before we had cable for our TV

  9. Super Dave says:

    Hey Nero
    Are you talking about Gregory Grave?

    He was on Channel 9 I barely remember him. Harvey Brunswick was his real name KC Star did a story on him few years back.

  10. chuck says:

    @ Super dave
    Hey buddy, sorry.

    I apologize.

    It was never my intent to upset you.

    My take was, my read on a comment section and I probably mis read it, and I am sorry.

    If I have, and I probably have made a mistake, I am sorry. 🙂

    My inference was mistaken.

    My apologies.

  11. randyraley says:

    Uncle Ed
    I don’t know much about his personal life or the demons that obviously haunted him, but I did some work with him in the early 80s.
    He was weirdness personified, but he was always decent and respectful to me.
    If you remember, the show was huge. Stupid and wierd, too but it never hurt to be on Ed’s show when you could.

  12. mark smith says:

    I’ll quote my favorite writer
    “You steal, lie, put your hands on someone in anger, a million crimes, you can eventually see them fade, dim with time. Ed wasn’t guilty of one of those. He fell into the category of crimes and horrific shit you should never do. Child molesters, rapists, people who kill for pleasure or profit, those are the crimes that never really end. The gift that keeps on giving. For every person who understands that, there are dozens of slack jawed morons, who, just, don’t, get it. Ironically, they also make the best victims. Go figure. ”
    Super Dave is one of those types. Plus, I think he doesn’t like me. Must be something wrong with him, everybody likes me. Well, a few people like me. Ok, my mother was fond of me.

    as for his childrens show, it was the early 70’s right after Torrey and Gus maybe? . I think it was later he started doing the late night thing.

  13. Super Dave says:

    Part 2
    We be ok Chuck you have no worries.

    And Randy your are so right he was someone in KC at one time.

    Mark I have said more than once what Ed did was wrong. I as well said he was one weird man. He as well did his time just as you did. So don’t piss me off and find out what type I really am when it comes to crime. Because as far as I am concerned you are no better than Ed was and you both took advantage of someone or people for your own personal fulfillments.

  14. chuck says:

    Take it easy fellas.
    Conversation, dialogue and a difference of opinion is interesting and brings people together when they understand what it is like to check out some one else’s shoes.

    IMO, the ability to form an opinion on a given subject, can only be ascertained, by way of contrary opinions.

    The best co workers I ever had, were the ones that told me I was wrong about markenting, or sales,or product or employees etc. etc.

    Suffice to say, if you ever hear, “Hi, I’m Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC, why don’t you have a seat.” Then you are probably an asshole.

    That said, once again, this blog is about opinion, in my opinion, and the discourse that eminates by way of that same opinion should be encouraged and listened to, no matter what the opinion is.

    Thats just my opinion. 🙂

  15. Orphan of the Road says:

    Pedophiles
    In the ranks of criminals pedophiles are the lowest of the low. Uncle Ed was a pedophile who refused to obey the law. He did not register as a sex offender, he did not inform his parole officer or other authorities when he moved and he owned a computer and frequented the internet. All of these are violations of his parole. He knowingly and willingly broke the law.

    To equate raping a child with stealing or fraud is beyond belief. He was a great guy except he had short eyes. Really?

    Saying he was in jail while real offenders walked was maybe the dumbest comment ever typed on the internet. He was back in jail because he could not obey the law. He wasn’t some slack-jawed kid who got busted for pot. He was a man who was convicted of raping a child. And while it is complete conjecture, it was not a one-time incident.

    Of course he didn’t have to die in jail. Had he obeyed the law he never would have been thrown back into jail.

    Super Dave, you have some fd up logic.

  16. mark smith says:

    Super Dave
    That’s the second time you’ve dropped some kind of threat/warning about pissing you off. Look I dont play the internet tough guy threat game, so save that shit for someone who does. I can’t hardly turn around without you running your mouth and my name popping out of it. The only exchanges we have had is when you started running your head about me. I dont know you, never mentioned your fictional name, until you fired that first shot. As for your opinion on crime, me, or the state of US relations in the mideast, I could not give less of a fuck. Seriously. This is a semi free country, got something to say, let er rip, but save that stern quasi threatening bullshit for one of your World of Warcraft buddies. I hate to burst your bubble, but Im not impressed. So forgive me if I dont get to concerned over some anony d bag on the internet who cant keep my name out of his pie hole, and who thinks stealing money is on the same level as child molesting. If you dont want to get pissed off and get your panties in a wad, then let my name taste like shit in your mouth and we can live in peace and harmony just like in the old school coke commercials.

  17. HARLEY says:

    mark and dave are arguing over
    some sick disgusting molester low life scum bag filthy mutha f**ker degenerate piece of sh*t freaky child diving no good lying prison dog son of a b*tch who deserved to die in jail. Save your anger and breath…uncle ed isn’t worth it…he’s no good and now
    he’s gonna really pay a f*king price in hell.

  18. Hearne Christopher says:

    Most of the Uncle Ed crime stuff was already covered, which is why I didn’t focus on it. His All Night Live – for which he was best known – was as reported 81-85.

    If you check his obit in the Star January 11, you’ll note that he was a children’s show host before that. Which is pretty scarey. I did see Smith’s writings, so I guess you’re right, I could have had it. But it’s not my mission to re-write everything else that’s written on the Web.

    I prefer trying to bring something new to the plate

  19. Hearne Christopher says:

    Children’s show

  20. Super Dave says:

    Sorry Orphan
    “Saying he was in jail while real offenders walked was maybe the dumbest comment ever typed on the internet.”

    I am not going to sit here and point out how wrong you are. Just look at Penn State for proof of that. We all see everyday about cases where the guilty are allowed to walk the streets.

    “To equate raping a child with stealing or fraud is beyond belief”

    A criminal is a criminal end of story. A crime is a crime. Some commit the so called white collar crime some do the lowest things possible. In my eyes it’s all the same. When people want to chose what crimes are ok and what are not then we are headed down the highway to hell.

  21. Orphan of the Road says:

    Not sorry, pathetic
    You equate those who support the Catholic Church as enablers yet give Uncle Ed a pass because being a pedophile is on the same level as Mark’s and Craig’s crimes and the kid doing 20 for weed.

    That’s some fucked up values.

    -30-

  22. Super Dave says:

    Walk in my shoes maybe then……………
    As being a former sexually abused child by an uncle at age 5 I do believe I can call the kettle black if I wish and any other criminal a criminal if I so choose. Mark and Craig as well hurt their victims and you all are ok with that because it

  23. mark smith says:

    that’s ex convict to you Dave
    Here’s the problem, I didn’t gloat, I called a spade a spade, not unlike your calling me over and over “convict”. The problem , according to the states of North Carolina and Florida, is pedo’s don’t stop having that urge. So you take a guy like Ed, his youtube followers were predominatly young, teens, etc. Not unlike the 14 year old boy whose joint he copped. The comment section was full of kids who admired this freak. The running theme of the comments, “I wish you were my grandpa”. It’s not a big stretch from there that he could start to prey on his admirers. My role in his downfall was minimal at best. He did it himself. He also violated over and over. Failed to register. Failed to leave a change of address. Failed to tell the authorities when he moved out of state. I didnt do any of those things on parole. I’ll bet Glazer walked his down without absconding from the state as well. You can put some old freak up on a pedestal if you want to, have warm and fuzzy walks down memory lane. At the end of the day, he fucked up lives in a lasting way. I’m pretty sure a few bank managers and loan officers have nightmares over being hustled 15 or 20 years ago. You are right, it’s the same thing. I can live with your a criminal is a criminal mantra. As for Ed, he can find sympathy in the dictionary, right between shit and syphillis. I’m done with ya, feel free to rebuttal, last words yours if you want it.

  24. Merle Tagladucci says:

    “As for Ed, he can find sympathy in the dictionary, right between shit and syphillis.”

    I’ve always been fond of this phrase.

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