Robert Vito was an American television correspondent and bureau chief for CNN, his role as bureau chief covered Los Angeles, Miami, Rome and Detroit.

Career

In 1968, he became a general assignment reporter at WAEO-TV, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. On November 17, 1968, an airplane with three passengers crashed into the transmission tower, killing all three passengers. The station was knocked off the air for nearly a year. Vito was hired by Milwaukee-based WISN-TV in 1969, working as an investigative reporter under the name "Bob Viverito." He left WISN in 1973 to take a job with WWJ-TV to do "investigative reporting and some anchoring."The Milwaukee Journal, April 28, 1973. In 1975, Vito interviewed former Teamster President

Jimmy Hoffa James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971. F ...

; it would be Hoffa's last interview, as he disappeared two weeks later. He left WWJ-TV and joined CNN, becoming the first Detroit bureau chief in 1982. He later became CNN's bureau chief expanding in Rome, Los Angeles, and finally, Miami. In 1999, Vito retired from CNN and became a jury consultant for a Florida legal consulting firm.

Achievements

Over the years, he has received numerous awards, including numerous Emmys and two Cable ACE awards.

Personal life

Vito was widowed in 2012, after his wife, Nancy, died from cancer. He died from cancer a year later on 13 November 2013. He is survived by his son and grandson.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vito, Robert 2013 deaths People from Milwaukee People from Rhinelander, Wisconsin Journalists from Wisconsin CNN people Year of birth missing