‘Jersey Guy’ Ray Rossi on Craig Carton doc, ‘it broke my heart’

"Jersey Guy" Ray Rossi worked with Craig Carton from 2002 to July 2007 at New Jersey 101.5. He chose not to be a part of the HBO special on his former radio partner "Wild Card: The Downfall of a Radio Loudmouth." 

Rossi came on my show last Monday night, October 12, to talk about his thoughts after watching the special on his former partner.

"It broke my heart," Rossi said. "Especially when he was talking about things he had never revealed."

In the documentary Carton spoke of being molested as a child.

"I sat watching it with my mouth just agape, I was staring at the TV and I could just feel tears welling up in my eyes."

Carton never told Rossi about his experience with molestation.

"That's not something you bring up in casual conversation" says Rossi "Craig was the type of guy you know a very gregarious type of guy, he liked to kid around and what not and it would have been the thing that had he brought it up in casual conversation, you wouldn't know how to process it."

Seeing it on TV made it all real to Rossi.

"Seeing it on TV and seeing it in that setting and the context of it sort of brought it home. It made it very real."

Has Rossi spoken with his former "Jersey Guy" partner?

"Craig is the kind of guy you just can't call him up and say 'Hey, how you doing?' He's always told me 'I hate making manufactured conversation,' and I'm the same way."

So if Rossi were going to pick up the phone and call Carton, what would he say to him?

"How you doing," Rossi said, before we both cracked up.