Joseph Mark Costello III, the founder of WRNO-FM in New Orleans and owner of KXOR-FM in Thibodaux, died Wednesday of complications from diabetes at Ochsner Foundation Hospital. He was 56.
Mr. Costello, a lifelong New Orleans resident, graduated from Martin Berhman High School and Loyola University. He also attended Harvard Business School.
In 1967, the son of Algiers grocery-store owners mortgaged his parents' rental property to help raise $25,000 to build WRNO, a pioneer FM stereo rock-music outlet that became one of the city's most listened-to and profitable radio
stations.
When he couldn't hire a disc jockey, he acted as the station's announcer, too. Even long after Mr. Costello became a millionaire with five homes and a 50-foot yacht, his voice could be heard delivering the station's slogan, "We're the rock of New Orleans."
Starting with midnight movies at the Abalon in Algiers, Mr. Costello also built a chain of 16 movie theaters in the New Orleans area.
Mr. Costello was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association, a past president of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and a former adviser to a U.S. House communications subcommittee.
He was a member of the Easter Seal Society board of directors, the Development Council of the Mary Joseph Residence for the Elderly, the Visiting Committee of the Loyola department of communications, the Committee on International Broadcasting for the National Association of Broadcasters and the Greater New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Committee.
Mr. Costello was a member of the National Radio Broadcasters Association, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, ABC Radio Network Advisory
Board, the Alpha Epsilon Rho Broadcast Fraternity, the American Radio Relay League and the Military Affiliate Radio System.
He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the International Shrine of St. Jude, the Diamondhead Yacht and Country Club, and the Variety Club board of directors.
Survivors include his mother, Josephine Cortese Costello, and three brothers, ....
A Mass will be said today at noon at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1139 Dryades St. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Lamana-Panno-Fallo Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Costello, a lifelong New Orleans resident, graduated from Martin Berhman High School and Loyola University. He also attended Harvard Business School.
In 1967, the son of Algiers grocery-store owners mortgaged his parents' rental property to help raise $25,000 to build WRNO, a pioneer FM stereo rock-music outlet that became one of the city's most listened-to and profitable radio
stations.
When he couldn't hire a disc jockey, he acted as the station's announcer, too. Even long after Mr. Costello became a millionaire with five homes and a 50-foot yacht, his voice could be heard delivering the station's slogan, "We're the rock of New Orleans."
Starting with midnight movies at the Abalon in Algiers, Mr. Costello also built a chain of 16 movie theaters in the New Orleans area.
Mr. Costello was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association, a past president of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and a former adviser to a U.S. House communications subcommittee.
He was a member of the Easter Seal Society board of directors, the Development Council of the Mary Joseph Residence for the Elderly, the Visiting Committee of the Loyola department of communications, the Committee on International Broadcasting for the National Association of Broadcasters and the Greater New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Committee.
Mr. Costello was a member of the National Radio Broadcasters Association, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, ABC Radio Network Advisory
Board, the Alpha Epsilon Rho Broadcast Fraternity, the American Radio Relay League and the Military Affiliate Radio System.
He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the International Shrine of St. Jude, the Diamondhead Yacht and Country Club, and the Variety Club board of directors.
Survivors include his mother, Josephine Cortese Costello, and three brothers, ....
A Mass will be said today at noon at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1139 Dryades St. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Lamana-Panno-Fallo Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Joseph Mark Costello III, the founder of WRNO-FM in New Orleans and owner of KXOR-FM in Thibodaux, died Wednesday of complications from diabetes at Ochsner Foundation Hospital. He was 56.
Mr. Costello, a lifelong New Orleans resident, graduated from Martin Berhman High School and Loyola University. He also attended Harvard Business School.
In 1967, the son of Algiers grocery-store owners mortgaged his parents' rental property to help raise $25,000 to build WRNO, a pioneer FM stereo rock-music outlet that became one of the city's most listened-to and profitable radio
stations.
When he couldn't hire a disc jockey, he acted as the station's announcer, too. Even long after Mr. Costello became a millionaire with five homes and a 50-foot yacht, his voice could be heard delivering the station's slogan, "We're the rock of New Orleans."
Starting with midnight movies at the Abalon in Algiers, Mr. Costello also built a chain of 16 movie theaters in the New Orleans area.
Mr. Costello was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association, a past president of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and a former adviser to a U.S. House communications subcommittee.
He was a member of the Easter Seal Society board of directors, the Development Council of the Mary Joseph Residence for the Elderly, the Visiting Committee of the Loyola department of communications, the Committee on International Broadcasting for the National Association of Broadcasters and the Greater New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Committee.
Mr. Costello was a member of the National Radio Broadcasters Association, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, ABC Radio Network Advisory
Board, the Alpha Epsilon Rho Broadcast Fraternity, the American Radio Relay League and the Military Affiliate Radio System.
He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the International Shrine of St. Jude, the Diamondhead Yacht and Country Club, and the Variety Club board of directors.
Survivors include his mother, Josephine Cortese Costello, and three brothers, ....
A Mass will be said today at noon at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1139 Dryades St. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Lamana-Panno-Fallo Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Costello, a lifelong New Orleans resident, graduated from Martin Berhman High School and Loyola University. He also attended Harvard Business School.
In 1967, the son of Algiers grocery-store owners mortgaged his parents' rental property to help raise $25,000 to build WRNO, a pioneer FM stereo rock-music outlet that became one of the city's most listened-to and profitable radio
stations.
When he couldn't hire a disc jockey, he acted as the station's announcer, too. Even long after Mr. Costello became a millionaire with five homes and a 50-foot yacht, his voice could be heard delivering the station's slogan, "We're the rock of New Orleans."
Starting with midnight movies at the Abalon in Algiers, Mr. Costello also built a chain of 16 movie theaters in the New Orleans area.
Mr. Costello was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association, a past president of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and a former adviser to a U.S. House communications subcommittee.
He was a member of the Easter Seal Society board of directors, the Development Council of the Mary Joseph Residence for the Elderly, the Visiting Committee of the Loyola department of communications, the Committee on International Broadcasting for the National Association of Broadcasters and the Greater New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Committee.
Mr. Costello was a member of the National Radio Broadcasters Association, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, ABC Radio Network Advisory
Board, the Alpha Epsilon Rho Broadcast Fraternity, the American Radio Relay League and the Military Affiliate Radio System.
He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the International Shrine of St. Jude, the Diamondhead Yacht and Country Club, and the Variety Club board of directors.
Survivors include his mother, Josephine Cortese Costello, and three brothers, ....
A Mass will be said today at noon at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1139 Dryades St. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Lamana-Panno-Fallo Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Gravesite Details
Age 56, Name on Plot Cortese, Date of Burial 4/26/1997, Ref: Cemetery Records
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