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Rocco Morabito

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Rocco Morabito Famous memorial

Birth
Port Chester, Westchester County, New York, USA
Death
5 Apr 2009 (aged 88)
Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, USA
Burial
Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 4 Block 1 St. Marys Cemetery
Memorial ID
View Source
Pulitzer Prize Photographer. He captured his Pulitzer Prize photograph on July 17, 1967 in Jacksonville, Florida when he observed two electrical lineman working when one touched a hot wire sending 4,000 watts of electrical current through his body. To compare the amount the lineman received, a prison electrical chair would use 2,000 watts. At once lineman J. D. Thompson began basic CPR while the his co-worker's blue, lifeless body hung from the utility pole by a safety harness. Finishing an assignment, Motbabito was in the Springfield area of the city as a Jacksonville Journal photo-journalist documenting the nearby East Coast Railroad strike. After an ambulance was called on his car radio, he grabbed his camera, a Rolleiflex, and from some distance, captured the entire event on film. As Randal G, Champion was receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Thompson, an award winning photograph, that became to be known as "The Kiss of Life," was taken. As others ran to the scene, Champion began to breathe, his heart was beating, then taken by ambulance to the hospital. Within weeks, he was back to work fully recovered. Morabito was the recipient of the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography with the "The Kiss of Life" being published in newspapers world-wide. Besides his Pulitzer Prize award, he was also recognized by the Jacksonville Historical Society as being part of the city's history and featured in the Neweum in Washington D.C. With 21st Century equipment, a closeup of the old black-and-white photograph shows Thompson's puffed cheeks as he gives life to Champion. Born in New York, Morobito's family moved to Jacksonville when he was five years old, and by the age of twelve or younger, he was delivering newspapers for the Jacksonville Journal. During World War II, he served in the United States Army-Corp flying 34 combat missions as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17. After the war, he returned to the Jacksonville Journal starting his photography career shooting local sports events. He was a photographer for 33 years. For over 42 years, he was employed by the Jacksonville Journal and Florida Times Union, which were newspapers serving north Florida. He retired in 1982. For years, the three men had reunions regularly. When asked about his award winning photo, Morabito meekly states, "I was just doing my job."
Pulitzer Prize Photographer. He captured his Pulitzer Prize photograph on July 17, 1967 in Jacksonville, Florida when he observed two electrical lineman working when one touched a hot wire sending 4,000 watts of electrical current through his body. To compare the amount the lineman received, a prison electrical chair would use 2,000 watts. At once lineman J. D. Thompson began basic CPR while the his co-worker's blue, lifeless body hung from the utility pole by a safety harness. Finishing an assignment, Motbabito was in the Springfield area of the city as a Jacksonville Journal photo-journalist documenting the nearby East Coast Railroad strike. After an ambulance was called on his car radio, he grabbed his camera, a Rolleiflex, and from some distance, captured the entire event on film. As Randal G, Champion was receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Thompson, an award winning photograph, that became to be known as "The Kiss of Life," was taken. As others ran to the scene, Champion began to breathe, his heart was beating, then taken by ambulance to the hospital. Within weeks, he was back to work fully recovered. Morabito was the recipient of the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography with the "The Kiss of Life" being published in newspapers world-wide. Besides his Pulitzer Prize award, he was also recognized by the Jacksonville Historical Society as being part of the city's history and featured in the Neweum in Washington D.C. With 21st Century equipment, a closeup of the old black-and-white photograph shows Thompson's puffed cheeks as he gives life to Champion. Born in New York, Morobito's family moved to Jacksonville when he was five years old, and by the age of twelve or younger, he was delivering newspapers for the Jacksonville Journal. During World War II, he served in the United States Army-Corp flying 34 combat missions as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17. After the war, he returned to the Jacksonville Journal starting his photography career shooting local sports events. He was a photographer for 33 years. For over 42 years, he was employed by the Jacksonville Journal and Florida Times Union, which were newspapers serving north Florida. He retired in 1982. For years, the three men had reunions regularly. When asked about his award winning photo, Morabito meekly states, "I was just doing my job."

Bio by: Linda Davis



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: Johnny
  • Added: May 13, 2016
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/162532631/rocco-morabito: accessed ), memorial page for Rocco Morabito (2 Nov 1920–5 Apr 2009), Find a Grave Memorial ID 162532631, citing Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.