Anello, Darro, Paonessa Are the Talk of the Town

Sal Paonessa hosts a thrice weekly live internet talk show.

An electrician, a cop and a DJ walk into a radio studio…

No, it's not a set-up to a cheap joke but rather it's the state of talk show entertainment in Niagara Falls as this relatively small city is home to no less than three talk shows.

Former Niagara Falls Mayor Vince Anello, former Niagara Falls policeman Sal Paonessa and long-time local radio personality Tom Darro each host their own talk show with Anello and Darro heard over WJJL radio and Paonessa's Sal and Rose Show seen (and heard) on the Internet.

Each of the three personalities affords completely different views and approaches for listeners, or in Paonessa's case, viewers, too.

The Vince Anello Show: Tuesdays and Thursdays on WJJL radio 1440am from 10-11 a. m. The former mayor is a sincere student of municipal government. Anello likes to both inform the listener and hear the listener out…not a bad thing for a radio talk show host in a world of talk show hosts who often prefer the sound of their own voice.

You want information on the city budget? Call Vince. You want to learn how a mayor is supposed to formulate the road construction list? Call Vince. You want to rip and roar with no supportable facts? Don't call Vince. The former mayor has worked hard to build a growing group of regular callers and is a quick study who keeps abreast of news, both local and national.

Vince is not in love with the sound of his voice, has no pretensions of being a radio personality, and never fills his show with endless ads.

The Sal and Rose Show, www.nbn7900.com live for one hour over the Internet Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 6:30 p. m. and replayed continuously 24 hours after the live recording. Rose Mariglia used to be the regular co-host but her "real world" obligations now make her appearances far apart and few between. Sal is often joined now by well-known local political personality Paul Colangelo.

The Paonessa show is quirky, amusing and occasionally obscene. Since it appears on the Internet, there is no intrusion from the FCC, which regulates radio talk.

Sal did manage to bag one of the most outrageous talk show interviews in local history three years ago when he put Niagara Falls Reporter's founding editor Mike Hudson in front of a microphone. The unpredictable Hudson didn't disappoint as he descended into an off-color rant that is legend in Western New York.

If you're seeking deep political thought from Sal, you will often get it, but more likely sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek humor/ Sal can be funny reading the rights to a drunk driver, or an ad in the yellow pages.

"Viewpoint" with Tom Darro, Monday through Friday on WJJL 1440am 9-10 a. m., remains the hallmark of Niagara Falls radio chatter. He loves to talk about current events, Yankee baseball and waxing nostalgic about businesses long-gone from Main St. or the South End. Some think he could make an excellent city historian.

Frequently waxing poetic about his relationships to the Yankee organization and assorted famous entertainers, Darro is homespun.

Some of Tom's callers defy logic as they incorrectly and repeatedly call George Maziarz "Maziare," Governor Cuomo "Como," and Al Sharpton "Sharpston," but Darro never corrects them. Worth mentioning perhaps is that Mayor Paul Dyster does not appear on Paonessa and as of late on the Anello show. He does appear on Darro.

While they are not perfect, to have three talk shows on current events where people can call in and express themselves in a city this large is an accomplishment or better yet a fine, community asset.