Paul LaRosa
American television producer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul La Rosa (born 1953) is an American journalist, author, and television news producer, best known for his award-winning work at CBS News’ 48 Hours and his reporting with The New York Daily News.[1] Over a career spanning four decades, he has covered crime stories, produced documentaries, and written both nonfiction and fiction, often with a focus on true crime.[2]
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He has received Peabody Award, Christopher Award, Gracie Awards and Emmy Awards.
Biography
La Rosa was born in East Harlem[2] and raised in the James Monroe Houses, a public housing project located in the Soundview section of The Bronx.[3] His first job was delivering the New York Daily News.[4] He currently resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn.[2]
Prior to Fordham he studied at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx.[2]
Career
Print journalism
Following his graduation from Fordham University,[2] LaRosa was employed at the Daily News from 1975 until 1990,[5] starting out as a copy boy.[3][6]
During the 1970s and 1980s, he covered a wide range of beats including crime, labor, and city government.[4] His most prominent assignment was covering the 1980 murder of John Lennon outside The Dakota.[7]
In 1983, he was awarded the Meyer Berger Award for Distinguished Reporting from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, sharing the honor with The New York Times columnist Anna Quindlen.[8] The following year, he received a Revson Fellowship for the Future of the City of New York, allowing him to spend a year at Columbia University studying urban affairs.[9]
LaRosa remained at the Daily News until 1991.[10]
Broadcast journalism
In 1992, La Rosa joined CBS News as a producer for 48 Hours, where he specialized in long-form investigative storytelling.[11][12]
He was a producer for the 2002 documentary 9/11, which captured the experiences of New York City firefighters during the September 11 attacks.[13] The program earned him multiple honors, including Peabody Award, Christopher Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award.[14][15][16]
He was nominated for Emmy Awards multiple times and has won four of them over his career.[17] He also has received three Gracie Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media.[18] In 2018, he won a New York Press Club Award in the Special Event category for A Nation Divided, a report featuring middle school students from immigrant families reflecting on the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.
Writing
La Rosa is the author of several true-crime books, often based on cases he covered for television. His works include Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief’s Secret Life (2006),[19] Nightmare in Napa (2007),[20] Death of a Dream (2008, with Erin Moriarty),[1] and Seven Days of Rage: The Deadly Crime Spree of the Craigslist Killer (2009, with Maria Cramer).[21] His memoir, Leaving Story Avenue: My Journey from the Projects to the Front Page (2012).[22]
Personal life
Books
- Leaving Story Avenue: My Journey From the Projects to the Front Page (2012, Park Slope Publishing)
True crime
- Seven Days of Rage: The Deadly Crime Spree of the Craigslist Killer – with Maria Cramer (2010, Pocket Star)
- Death of a Dream – with Erin Moriarty (2008, Pocket Star)
- Nightmare in Napa: The Wine Country Murders (2007, Pocket Star)
- Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief’s Secret Life (2006, Signet
Novels
– Get Back, Imagine Saving John Lennon by Donovan Day (pseudonym)
Television
- 48 Hours Mystery – Producer – various episodes (1993 – current, CBS)
- Survivor – Producer – "Surviving Survivor" special – (2010, CBS)
- "All Access Grammy Special" – Producer (2009, CBS)
- "39 Days"—Producer (2018, CBS News)