Mike Bongiorno, the king of Italy’s quiz shows, is dead at 85

Italy TV host Bongiorno dead

ROME — Mike Bongiorno, a veteran TV host who made quiz shows popular in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s, has died at age 85.

Sky Italia said Tuesday that Bongiorno died in Monte Carlo. Bongiorno was working on a show for Sky.

The ANSA news agency said Bongiorno died from a heart attack. It quoted Premier Silvio Berlusconi as saying Italy had lost a great TV personality and he had lost a friend.

Nicknamed “The Quiz King,” Bongiorno was of American origin but made his name in Italy. He was one of Italy’s most enduring and beloved television personalities.

In the 1950s and 1960s, he popularized quiz shows through a series of successful programs on state-run RAI. Bongiorno was also the host of countless other shows, including a popular annual song fest in San Remo.