Ralph Peduto

Peduto was born on March 9. 1942, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to a working-class Italian American family.[1][2] He was the eldest of three children of James and Helen Peduto.[2] He attended James J. Ferris High School and graduated from William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City (He was later inducted into Dickinson's Hall of Fame in 2000).[2] Peduto enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in South Korea during the Vietnam War era.[2] He then attended Rutgers University after returning to the United States.[2]

In 1973, Peduto moved from New Jersey to the Monterey Bay Area to accept a broadcasting position at KRML, an AM radio station in Carmel, California.[1] He first began acting at Cabrillo College.[1] He soon wrote and produced theater plays at Cabrillo, including "Root Rock," his autobiographical musical which debuted in 1979.[1]

Peduto transitioned to roles in Hollywood films, television shows and commercials during the 1980s.[1] He appeared in television and films from the 1980s to the 2000s. Peduto also had an extensive career in television commercials. His best known commercial work was as the "Midas Man", a character and spokesman for the Midas automotive centers, in which he urged consumers to depend on Midas.[1]

Peduto was a longtime resident of Capitola, California.[1][2]

Ralph Peduto died on May 12, 2014, just twelve days after being diagnosed with leukemia, at the age of 72.[1][2] He was survived by his wife of 45 years, Laura Peduto, and their two children, Maro Peduto and Oceanna Ceja.[2]

• Ralph Peduto at IMDb