Three Eddie Mekka Hookup Stories

In the 1970s I had a big crush on Carmine Ragusa on Laverne and Shirley (right): he was short, broad-chested, and beautiful. And gay-coded: Shirley's platonic pal, variously working as a singer, dancer, hustler, and boy toy.  Surely, I thought, actor Eddie Mekka was gay in real life.

When I moved to West Hollywood in 1985, I expected to meet Eddie, or at least see him at bars, the gay gym, and the various gay events, but he never showed up anywhere.

I expected to meet guys who had dated or tricked with him, but he's only appeared occasionally as an aside fleshing out a story about someone else:

In a story about Scott Baio:  his first sexual experience was with Eddie Mekka when they were both starring in Blansky's Beauties (1977)

In a story about Sylvester Stallone:  he got a blow job from Eddie Mekka on the set of Tango and Cash, with the homophobic Kurt Russell nearby (1989).

In a story about David Yost: he accepted a date with Eddie Mekka in the early 1990s, but backed out when he heard that Eddie was married.

Now, in 2017, I have a lot more friends and friends of friends with ties to Hollywood and Broadway, so I sent out email requests to everyone I could think of, and ended up with a few Mekka-centric stories.

1. Eddie, Cesar Romero, and Scott Baio

Fall 1980

During his years on Laverne and Shirley, Eddie Mekka stayed in the limelight by accepting all the celebrity guest shots his agent offered him: The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Circus of the Stars, miscellaneous talk shows.  And he nurtured sexual relationships with older stars, who could ease his way once he stopped playing the Big Ragoo.  Like 1940s Latin lover and 1960s Batman villain Cesar Romero.  He didn't find the 73-year old attractive, but most likely he would just want to give Eddie a blow job -- no big deal!

He got Cesar's number from Penny Marshall (Laverne) and asked him out to lunch, with the implication that sex would follow, and then casting-couch favors.  But Cesar said "Can you arrange to bring along that little hottie from Happy Days?  The one with the package?"

"Ron Howard?  Sure...I mean, I can ask."

"No, that little Chachi [18-year old Scott Baio]."

Eddie blanched.  Scott was his first and only real boyfriend -- he preferred the ladies for romance -- and the breakup had not been pleasant.  But he agreed, and as it turned out, Scott was also touring the bedrooms of Hollywood's elder statesmen.

To his surprise, Cesar wanted more than oral -- the former heartthrob was Greek active, still able to get it up, and enormous.  He topped Scott, but Eddie refused, and had little to do but stand there naked, looking pretty.  No casting favors resulted.












2. Eddie and the "Weird Science" Guy

Fall 1995

Everybody in West Hollywood watched Weird Science (1994-98), the sitcom about two teenagers who build a virtual-reality girl.  It was quite heterosexist, but beefcake-heavy: the stars were both very muscular, and often half-naked.  Plus Michael Manasseri (left) was gay.

In the episode "Men in Tights," which aired on January 13th, 1996, a misfired spell transforms the boys into professional wrestlers, and have to fight a seasoned wrestler called Der Blitzkrieg.  Eddie Mekka played fight promoter Tommy Svachino.

Like many gay boys, Michael had a crush on Carmine Ragusa in the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly 20 years later, Eddie was balding and going a little to fat, but still hot.  Michael went out of his way to welcome the celebrity guest star, introducing him to his current boyfriend Tutor, bringing him a Danish, even bringing him a script change personally in his dressing room.

"Tutor seems nice," Eddie said.  "I don't know what gay guys look for in romance, but he looks like he's got it all."

"Same as straights, mostly." Michael said, casually stroking Eddie's shoulder.  "Someone with an interesting personality, a good heart, and a dazzling smile."

"Is that it?  What about a gigantic cock?" Eddie asked, cupping his own impressive basket.

"That's about something else altogether...."  Michael could take a hint.  He fondled Eddie's basket, then pulled out his cock -- 6.5", cut -- and went down on him.  Eddie closed his eyes and kept silent.

Michael worked for a long time, with few signals from Eddie.  He started alternating masturbating and sucking, then masturbating while darting his tongue around the head.  That got Eddie aroused -- after awhile he spurted wordlessly into Michael's face.

They didn't exchange phone numbers, and didn't see each other again.  Yes,  Michael and Tutor had an open relationship.


3. Eddie and the Hustler

Spring 2013

The homey small-town West Hollywood that Boomer knew is gone. Now it's all glitzy storefronts and partyboys in cages, out of towners driving in for a weekend of drinking, drugs, and sex.  Ghosts of long-dead or soon-to-be-dead partiers trudge along Santa Monica, begging for coke or cash or a blow job. Strangers are not your friends: they all carry guns.  Stay away from alleys,  Sunset Boulevard, and West Hollywood Park.

Winch came to Hollywood to be an actor five years ago.  In all those days and weeks and months, he had landed one modeling job.  He shared a terrible apartment with three other guys and their tricks du jour and spent his days at the gym, the bars, and the sex parties.  He kept up a steady supply of Coco Puffs, Ecstasy, and lube mostly through sex work: a cage boy at Mickey's; a stripper at gay parties; a hustler with discrete "generous" ads on craigslist.

One night an older guy answered his craigslist ad and promised to be "generous," so Winch invited him over.  He was in his 50s, short and rather chunky, with a flat face and gray frizzy hair.

"Yeah, you got me," he said.  "I'm the Big Ragoo."

Winch didn't know what that meant -- maybe this guy had been the mascot for Ragu Spaghetti Sauce in his past life -- but he buttered him up a bit.  "Oh,  I recognize you!  You were great back in the day!  What have you been doing lately?"

"Fiddler on the Roof  -- I play Tevye.  You know, 'Sunrise, sunset, swiftly flow the years'?  Oh, and I directed an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."

Winch had heard of that!  "Do you know Cole and Dylan?  Are they gay?"

The Big Ragoo grinned.  "Everybody's gay after they get a few beers in them."

Usually hustlers get blown, but the Big Ragoo wanted Winch to blow him.  About 7" and thick, but it took forever -- he had to masturbate while Winch licked his balls to finally finish.  Then he wiped off, paid, and left, and Winch got on his smartphone to try to find out who the heck the Big Ragoo was.










Are any of these stories true? 

That is, not an exaggeration or a pure fantasy?

Eddie has about the same physical traits and sexual interests in all three stories, but there's a problem with #1: I knew Cesar Romero in the 1980s, and he never mentioned sex with Eddie Mekka (although he did watch his friend Jason top Scott).  Plus he was only into oral.  Plus how was he going to help their careers?

#2 seems more likely, except that I've never heard any other dating/hookup stories about Michael Manasseri.

#3 seems the most realistic: Winch, who was born years after Laverne and Shirley, wouldn't catch the reference to the Big Ragoo.  A closeted actor may well seek out a hustler.  And it's more contemporary, not colored by nostalgia or faulty memory.

See also: Earle has public sex with Matt Dillon; Laverne and Shirley