3 time Emmy Award winner Angelino Gino Armando Rulli, Jr. whose successes included “Generation Cross” and failures included a drawn out 10 year stint at Sirius Satellite Radio, has expired.

Rulli died Tuesday of cardiac arrest at the office of his therapist Dr. Pazzo. He was 45.
“He clutched his chest and said he felt like he was about to die,” Pazzo said. “I told him his feelings were not facts. I didn’t realize that he was actually feeling death pangs. I am totally distraught. This has ruined my entire practice. Not only have I discovered that feelings CAN be facts, I’ve also lost my only patient.”

Rulli got his professional start in television as a religion reporter somewhere in the backwoods of Minnesota. His career blossomed, and pretty much peaked, from 1998-2004 when he was host and executive producer of "Generation Cross", a nationally syndicated religious television show that earned Rulli two Emmys. He earned the third for producing something.

In 2006 Rulli was hired by Sirius Satellite Radio to host “The Catholic Guy” on The Catholic Channel, Sirius 159. On air, Rulli often joked that this fateful decision was “the worst mistake of my life.”
“I didn’t find that joke funny,” remarked program director Rob Astorino. “I mean, I’m here busting my hump 12 hours a day. The last thing I need is some big nosed clown talking on the air about contract negotiations and how much better television is. I can’t believe we kept him on staff for 10 years….but he’ll be missed…I guess.”

Although Lino Rulli’s efforts to evangelize through his radio program were mostly unsuccessful, they did bear one small, bittersweet fruit. After a 10 year-running segment called “Lets Convert Tom” Rulli managed to convert the show’s professional phone answerer Tom Falcone. “Lino always thought the segment was dumb, but in the end it worked,” said Falcone. “Yeah, I’m Catholic now. I just turned Catholic today, in fact. It’s a shame Lino died and didn’t get to see the final results.”

The rest of Lino Rulli’s staff shared in Tom’s mild grief.
“I get paid peanuts for my work here,” quipped technical director Lou Ruggierri. “But at least I got some pocket change for my work with “Lino at Large”. Looks like its back to the bar in Jersey. Such a bummer.”

Rulli’s producer Maureen McMurray was on vacation at the time of his death and unavailable for comment.

Lino is survived by his on-and-off girlfriend of 10 years Toni, and his parents who STILL have his big screen tv from his old condo in Minnesota.

Dave Konig, co-host of Speak Now, is slated to takeover Lino’s desk. “It has a great view of the Empire State Building,” he said with an unmistakable and inappropriate degree of glee.

Services will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.