Stern Show Executive Producer Gary Dell’Abate Might Not Be as Italian as He Thought

Stern Show executive producer Gary Dell’Abate worried recently that diving into his Italian family history might uncover “thieves who did horrible things” but it turns out he’s barely Italian at all. “It says Southeast Europe – 67% Southeast Europe – which very specifically does not include Italy,” staffer Jason Kaplan explained to Howard on Monday.

“It’s everything that’s right next to Italy,” Gary clarified.

The DNA test that Gary took revealed Yugoslavian and Sephardic Jewish ancestry, though Howard’s longtime producer was only willing to put so much stock in the findings. “It’s a DNA test that I took for like $50 so who the fuck knows how reliable it is,” he explained with a laugh. “Is this the part where I drop to my knees and I go, ‘Oh my God, who am I?’ I mean, I don’t care.”

Discussing Gary’s roots reminded Howard of the time former “Today” show co-host Natalie Morales mistook Gary backstage for one of the survivors of the 2010 Chilean mining accident. “She started talking to me in Spanish so fast,” Gary said of the misunderstanding. “The funniest part was, I was wearing a black suit with a royal blue shirt and no tie … four feet behind me was the miner – he was wearing the same exact outfit.”

Co-host Robin Quivers questioned if Gary would be alright after learning the supposed truth about his ancestry but the executive producer appeared unfazed. “I’ll be fine Robin,” he said firmly. “I’ll be fine.”