Angelo Gino Armando "Lino" Rulli (born October 26, 1971) is an American radio host, author, producer, and former television host.
He is currently the host of ''
The Catholic Guy Show
''The Catholic Guy Show'' is a radio talk show currently aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service, since December 4, 2006. Hosted by Lino Rulli, Emmy Award-winning Catholic personality, ''Th ...
'', which is aired on
The Catholic Channel
The Catholic Channel is a Roman Catholic lifestyle radio station on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Channel 129) and is operated by the Archdiocese of New York. It carries daily and Sunday Mass live from St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, NY, as well ...
on
Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
. He was also the
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
and host of the
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning television series, ''
''. In addition to his radio and television work, Rulli has released two books, both of which discuss Catholicism in a comedic tone through personal anecdotes. He is the personal media adviser to Cardinal
Timothy M. Dolan
Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Dolan served as the president of the United S ...
.
Early life
Family
Rulli was born on October 26, 1971, to an
Italian American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
family in
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
His family was the only Catholic family on his block growing up, and his father typically only attended Mass on Christmas and Easter. His mother had two goals for him growing up: to teach him to speak French and to teach him the Catholic faith. His two middle names were for his two grandfathers. He has said that he remembers his grandfather Armando as either at work or at prayer.
His mother Gina, is one of three sisters, and the only one who was born in the United States. She worked as a foreign language teacher at a local high school while his father Angelo worked as a probation officer during his early life.
When Rulli was 15, his father joined
Circus Flora. Rulli dropped out of school to perform as the assistant to his father's
organ grinding and to ride an elephant as part of the finale.
The elder Rulli made the decision to make the career change after praying about it before the Eucharist in
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
. The son would dress up as a monkey and dance while the father played the music. On one occasion, they performed at the singer
Prince's birthday party. The father was a frequent guest on ''
A Prairie Home Companion
''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...
''.
Rulli's father taught him about the
birds and the bees in the seventh grade when he "threw a book in my general direction, and said, 'Let me know if you have any questions.'" He has a cousin who became an archbishop in 2000 and was friends with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
.
High school
He is a graduate of the Catholic
Hill-Murray High School in
Maplewood, Minnesota
Maplewood is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 42,088 at the 2020 census. Maplewood is ten minutes' drive from downtown Saint Paul. It stretches along the northern and eastern borders of Saint Paul.
Maplewo ...
.
He "lettered" in theater all four years. In an attempt to be popular, he joined the wrestling team and played for varsity, but only because there was no one else in his weight class, and he was pinned in each of his matches. Rulli would often pray to become popular in high school. During his senior year, he picked the lock on the door, broke into the school, and placed a large B on the name above the front door so that it read Bill-Murray High School.
After being confirmed in the 8th grade, he no longer saw how the church fit into his life and so he quietly left the church. From adolescence on, he aspired to a career in comedy.
College
Rulli received a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
Degree in Communications and a
Master of Theology
Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...
Degree from
Saint John's University St John's University may refer to:
*St. John's University (New York City)
** St. John's University School of Law
**St. John's University (Italy) - Overseas Campus
* College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. Joseph, Minnesota and C ...
.
While in college he was part of a hip hop duo and hosted a weekly radio show called ''D-Love and Lazy Lin's Show of Pleasure.'' They wrote and recorded a single song, "Whatever Happened To," a retrospective from the mid-1980s to the current date in 1991.
During his time in college, Rulli began to dabble in radio. In 1991, he hosted his first program on college radio station KJNB. He speaks of the forgiveness he received from his parents after being arrested twice for being in possession of alcohol while underage as a metaphor for the forgiveness of God. He has also written of his experimentation with illegal drugs while in college.
During his junior year, Rulli found the body of his friend and roommate after he committed suicide by shooting himself inside his car. Several days earlier he had discovered what he thought to be suicide notes but did not really discuss it with his friend. The experience caused him to sleep with a nightlight for years until one night when he was on a retreat with the theme "The Lord is my light and my salvation" and forgot to plug it in.
It was in college that he began to get serious about his faith whereas before he treated Mass like going to the dentist, something to be done because those in authority decreed it. He received the
sacrament of reconciliation
The Sacrament of Penance (also commonly called the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (known in Eastern Christianity as sacred mysteries), in which the faithful are absolved from s ...
for the first time since his childhood during his freshman year, and then did not again until seven years later in Rome. During his senior year, a professor offhandedly asked him if he had ever considered a graduate degree in theology which "picked some kind of lock in my brain." Until that moment he had never considered theology as a major, but after that he said "it just made sense."
Career
Early
In 1996, Rulli moved to
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
to teach high school religion at
St. Augustine's College. While there, he coached the boys soccer team to a national championship, despite not knowing much about soccer beforehand.
He chose the high crime neighborhood in which he lived because there was a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
attached to the school, and was discerning a vocation to become a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
. He lived there for a few months, and at the end of his stay asked the prior his opinion on becoming a brother. "With the assurance of someone who didn't have to think twice," the prior told him no, that he was too immature, and that at 24 there was too much for him to do in the world.
Rulli moved to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in January 1997 to learn the language and lived in
Trastevere
Trastevere () is the 13th ''rione'' of Rome: it is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin ''trans Tiberim'', literally 'beyond the Tiber'.
Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lio ...
with a woman from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and a woman from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. While in college he only attended Mass about twice a month, and while in Rome he began to attend regularly.
In 2001 he had monthly meetings with his bishop to discern a vocation to the priesthood.
Television
Rulli began his television career as a reporter for
WCCO-TV
WCCO-TV (channel 4) is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, broadcasting the CBS network to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities area. It is owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by th ...
, then later a commentator for
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, broadcasting the Fox network to the Twin Cities area. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetwo ...
, both stations based out of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Rulli then began a solo project, ''
'', a television show he hosted and produced from 1998 to 2004.
The show was nationally syndicated on multiple Catholic media networks, including
CatholicTV
The CatholicTV Network, commonly known as CatholicTV, is a Catholic television network based in Watertown, Massachusetts. CatholicTV first launched locally in Boston in 1955, making it the oldest Catholic television network in the United States ...
.
Rulli has won three
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s
and has been nominated for others.
Generation Cross was designed to be a "Catholic TV show people would actually watch." It featured Rulli rock climbing with priests, golfing with nuns, and generally learning about the Catholic faith while having fun. It won Emmy awards in 2000 and 2001, making Rulli the first person to win an Emmy award for Catholic broadcasting since Bishop
Fulton Sheen
Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on Catholic television, television and radio. Ordained a priest of the R ...
.
After ''Generation Cross'', Rulli co-executive produced ''The Last Flagraiser'', a
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
documentary honoring the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
soldiers who raised the flag at the Battle of
Iwo Jima.
The documentary won the Emmy Award for Documentary, the Scripps-Howard National Journalism Award, the National Headliner Grand Award and the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award.
In 2008, Rulli co-produced the film ''
Champions of Faith
Angelo Gino Armando "Lino" Rulli (born October 26, 1971) is an American radio host, author, producer, and former television host. He is currently the host of ''The Catholic Guy Show'', which is aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio. ...
'' in which devout Christian baseball players are interviewed.
In the mid-2000s, Rulli did freelance work for the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
. As of 2017, he is the personal media adviser to Cardinal
Timothy M. Dolan
Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Dolan served as the president of the United S ...
.
Rulli also makes frequent appearances on news channels, often discussing
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
current events and other religious issues. Specifically, he has been featured on various
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
and
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
shows, including ''
Piers Morgan Live
''Piers Morgan Live'' (formerly known as ''Piers Morgan Tonight'') was an American television talk show that was hosted by Piers Morgan and broadcast on CNN. The show premiered on January 17, 2011, and filled in the former ''Larry King Live'' ti ...
'' and ''
Fox News Live
''Fox News Live'' is an American news- talk television program, the hard-news daytime programming of the Fox News Channel. It also referred to the short headline segments of nearly every hour on Fox News.
About
The show featured news, guest anal ...
'' respectively.
He has worked for major television networks, cable networks, and PBS. His television production company, ''Linose Productions,'' is a play on his name and his large nose.
Radio
Rulli is currently the host of ''
The Catholic Guy Show
''The Catholic Guy Show'' is a radio talk show currently aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service, since December 4, 2006. Hosted by Lino Rulli, Emmy Award-winning Catholic personality, ''Th ...
'', a radio show aired weekdays on
The Catholic Channel
The Catholic Channel is a Roman Catholic lifestyle radio station on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Channel 129) and is operated by the Archdiocese of New York. It carries daily and Sunday Mass live from St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, NY, as well ...
on
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
Satellite Radio. In the past, he hosted "''
Lino at Large
''Lino at Large'' is a weekly radio talk show hosted by American media personality Lino Rulli that aired from 2004–2012. A podcast of the show was released weekly via iTunes. It also aired on The Catholic Channel on Sirius XM Radio, Sirius XM S ...
''," a radio show sponsored by the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
syndicated throughout North America. A previous iteration of Lino at Large was canceled in 2006 because the stations on which it ran catered to an audience of people over 55, and his show was geared towards young adults. Shortly thereafter, he was recommended as a host on the Catholic Channel on Sirius.
Rulli has also made appearances on
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...
's Sirius XM channels (
Howard 100
Howard 100 and Howard 101 are two uncensored channels on Sirius XM, a satellite radio service that broadcasts programming affiliated with Howard Stern and ''The Howard Stern Show''. Though the channels were first broadcast on September 29, 200 ...
and
Howard 101
Howard 100 and Howard 101 are two uncensored channels on Sirius XM, a satellite radio service that broadcasts programming affiliated with Howard Stern and ''The Howard Stern Show''. Though the channels were first broadcast on September 29, 200 ...
), specifically ''
The Jay Thomas Show'' and
Howard 100 News
Howard 100 News was a radio news team established by American radio personality Howard Stern. The group was formed in October 2005 following Stern's announced move from regular radio to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006. From January 2006 until Febr ...
.
Following immediate success of ''The Catholic Guy'',
twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
declared September 29 to be "Lino Rulli Day" (initiated in 2010).
His three greatest radio influences were the hosts of a Minneapolis morning show from when he was a child,
Garrison Kellor, and especially Stern.
Print
In September 2011, Rulli released his first book, ''
Sinner: The Catholic Guy's Funny, Feeble Attempt to Be a Faithful Catholic'', in which he shares the joys and the struggles of trying to follow God in everyday circumstances.
''Sinner'' was promoted on a variety of media facets, including
CatholicTV
The CatholicTV Network, commonly known as CatholicTV, is a Catholic television network based in Watertown, Massachusetts. CatholicTV first launched locally in Boston in 1955, making it the oldest Catholic television network in the United States ...
,
Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
, and
Howard 100 News
Howard 100 News was a radio news team established by American radio personality Howard Stern. The group was formed in October 2005 following Stern's announced move from regular radio to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006. From January 2006 until Febr ...
.
Two years later, he released his second book, ''
Saint: Why I Should Be Canonized Right Away'', in which he comedically discusses how he is bound for
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
hood.
In 2020, in the wake of the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, Rulli released his first
E-book
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
, ''We're All Gonna Die: Be Not Afraid?''.
Personal life
Rulli would frequently joke about his struggles in relationships on his radio show, even to the point of discussing his problems with a
dating coach Dating coaches offer coaching and related products and services to improve their clients' success in dating and relationships. Through discussion, role-playing, behaviour modelling, and other forms of direction, a dating coach trains clients to meet ...
.
He confessed to having a
fear of commitment In self-help literature, fear of commitment is the avoidance of long-term partnership and/or marriage. In popular culture and in psychology, the concept is often much more pervasive and can affect an individual's school, work, and home life as well ...
. On his radio show, Rulli would occasionally play "The Catholic Guy Dating Game" and got two girlfriends from it. After years of this recurring theme, Rulli announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Jill, in May 2015. They married at
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
in
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
on April 22, 2016.
He admits to having "a slightly unhealthy relationship with Facebook and Twitter and seeing how many people 'like" or 'follow'" him. He travels frequently and is "obsessed with hitting the million-mile mark." He spends his birthday each year in Rome.
Honors and awards
In 2010, a number of places and items were named for Rulli in his hometown of Minneapolis.
A bowling alley, Memory Lanes, named a gutter for Rulli, Kieran's Pub named a restroom stall for him, and Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub named a drink. Stella's Fish Cafe named a lobster for Rulli; the crew of his radio show then ate it for dinner.
In addition, he received a ceremonial key to the Cathedral of St. Paul.
Rulli was the executive producer on a CBS documentary that won the
Edward R. Murrow Award, the
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Documentary, the
Scripps-Howard National Journalism Award
The Scripps Howard Awards, formerly the National Journalism Awards are $10,000 awards in American journalism given by the Scripps Howard Foundation.
As of 2022, the categories are:
* Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News
* Excellence in Broad ...
.
He has won two other Emmys.
He was the first person since Bishop
Fulton Sheen
Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on Catholic television, television and radio. Ordained a priest of the R ...
to win an Emmy Award for Catholic broadcasting.
Rulli was also the 2019 resident at the
Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement.
The McCarthy Resident showcases the work and skills of someone who has a distinguished career in public service, policy, or politics through a week-long on-campus residency. Through visits to classes, cafeterias, practices, and public programs, the McCarthy resident engages a wide spectrum of the CSB/SJU community and the general public. The McCarthy residency culminates in a dinner honoring the resident and a final keynote program open to the campus community and the public. The primary purpose of the residency is to give students extended access to someone with real knowledge and wisdom about policy, civic engagement, and public life.
Filmography
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rulli, Lino
1971 births
American people of Italian descent
American radio personalities
Catholics from Minnesota
American television talk show hosts
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University alumni
Living people