Grillo

Also known as: Gorilla, Steve Gorilla, Grillovader, Steve Grillo

Steve Grillo began his entertainment career at age 19 as an intern on The Howard Stern Show in 1991, during what many consider the program's golden era on WXRK (K-Rock) in New York. Despite working for the show for eight years, Grillo spent six of those years as an unpaid intern before eventually earning minimum wage as an associate producer. His nickname 'Gorilla' came from Howard's bastardization of his last name, and he became a frequent target of on-air ridicule due to his thick Brooklyn accent (where Ps sounded like Bs according to Fred Norris's impressions) and his dyslexia. One particularly humiliating moment came when Stern pitted Grillo in a spelling bee against Howard's 11-year-old daughter, which Grillo lost, leading to further mockery. During his Stern Show tenure, Grillo was featured in Howard Stern's 1997 film Private Parts and had Howard dedicate his second book Miss America to him, showing some affection despite the constant ribbing. Grillo conducted movie reviews for Howard 100 News in 2006 and famously spoiled a major plot point from Alien Resurrection on air, angering viewers and the studio. His personal life intersected with Stern show drama in 1996 when he and fellow staffer Mike Gange were illegally subletting an apartment from Stuttering John Melendez, who was charging them each around $500 per room while living at his future wife's parents' house. When John's landlord discovered the illegal sublet, all three faced eviction, creating memorable on-air content and revealing John's profit-making scheme. Beyond the Stern Show, Grillo worked at the famous

Profile updated .

Grillo highlights

  • Joined Howard Stern Show as Unpaid Intern (1991): At age 19, began eight-year run on the show during its K-Rock golden era, spending six years unpaid before earning minimum wage as associate producer.
  • Featured in Private Parts Film (1997): Appeared in Howard Stern's biographical film and had Stern's book Miss America dedicated to him despite being constant target of on-air mockery.
  • Evicted by Stuttering John (1996): Illegally sublet apartment from John Melendez alongside Mike Gange, leading to eviction when landlord discovered the arrangement and revealing John's rent-profiting scheme.
  • Sopranos Cameo and Scores Era (2001): Appeared in HBO's The Sopranos episode 'Fortunate Son' and worked at famous NYC strip club Scores during the Stern Show's frequent visits.
  • Launched AftershockXL Podcast Network (2018): Created video podcast interviewing celebrities and former Stern colleagues, building media presence independent of Howard's show.
  • Published Memoir Gorilla Parts (2025): Released self-published book detailing wild stories from Stern Show era and criticizing modern Howard's political correctness, joining chorus of disillusioned former staffers.

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