Lee “Crazy Cabbie” Siegfried, a radio personality who appeared on the Howard Stern Show in the early 2000s, has died at the age of 55.
Cabbie’s former broadcast partner Cane Peterson posted multiple messages on Facebook informing fans of his friend’s health decline and subsequent death.
On Thursday, Peterson said Cabbie’s girlfriend Lexi informed him that the radio personality was “not doing well” after he was hospitalized on March 17 and that his health continued to deteriorate.
“He’s awake, but not alert,” Peterson said. “They have decided to continue with hospice… let’s all pray for a miracle.”
On Sunday, Peterson posted the following update on Facebook that Cabbie “passed away peacefully” on Saturday evening with the love of his life Lexi by his side.
Lee “Crazy Cabbie” Siegfried, a radio personality who appeared on the Howard Stern Show in the early 2000s, has died at the age of 55. Pictured in a 2007 appearance on Stern’s show
Cabbie’s profile grew with Stern and his audience amid his brash speaking style and candor about his unique life experiences, including adoption and serving in the military.
Peterson, who worked with Cabbie on The Cane and Cabbie Show on Stern’s former home station, WXRK in New York City, said in the post (which he subsequently deleted) that “no one did radio better than Cabbie.”
“Everyone who knew him loved him,” Peterson said. ‘He had a razor-sharp wit, an insatiable zest for life and, most importantly, a heart of gold.
‘We had our moments, but we were brothers who loved each other very much. Until next time, my friend.”
For the past four years, Cabbie, whose birth name was Lee Anthony Mroszak, had been dealing with a rare nerve disorder… which carried a risk of paralysis,” the industry site said. Radio ink.
After getting a job in his native Minnesota, Cabbie began appearing regularly on Stern’s top-rated syndicated radio program in the early 2000s.
Cabbie’s profile grew with Stern and his audience amid his brash speaking and candor about his unique life experiences, including his adoption and serving in the military.
He gave an impassioned firsthand account of the events in New York City during Stern’s live broadcast on September 11, 2001.
In May 2002, he competed in a boxing match against then-Stern Show personality ‘Stuttering’ John Melendez in a showdown called ‘The Flunkie vs. the Junkiein Atlantic City.
On Sunday, Cabbie’s former broadcast partner Cane Peterson took to Facebook with a subsequent update that Cabbie “passed away peacefully” on Saturday evening with the love of his life Lexi by his side.
After getting a job in his native Minnesota, Cabbie began appearing regularly on Stern’s top-rated syndicated radio program in the early 2000s.
Stern was pictured behind his console during his first broadcast on satellite radio in 2006
The highly publicized boxing match would come back to haunt Cabbie after he said on air in 2002 that he would not pay taxes on his earnings, prompting an IRS investigation.
Cabbie entered a guilty plea in 2004 to tax evasion charges from 2000 to 2002 and more than $400,000 in unreported income, according to Page Six, leading to a prison sentence and repayment of more than $110,000 in back taxes.
Cabbie’s relationship with Stern suffered from multiple controversies, including an incident where he let adult film star Ron Jeremy into Stern’s WXRK studio with plans to make a Stern-themed pornographic film.
His last appearance on the Stern Show came on the show in June 2007 following a controversy after he appeared to endorse a weight-loss product called I57 Ignite, during which Stern and the late Ralph Cirella (who died last December at age 58) made derogatory comments. about his appearance.
Kelly Lockwood, the CEO of JEC Nutrition company I57 Ignite, said Page six at the time, plans were in the works to file a lawsuit against Stern and SiriusXM (where Stern began broadcasting in 2006 after leaving WXRK) for “defaming our product,” leading to an ongoing feud between Cabbie, Stern and the show.
Cabbie’s relationship with Stern suffered from multiple controversies, including an incident where he let adult film star Ron Jeremy into Stern’s WXRK studio with plans to make a Stern-themed pornographic film.
In the wake of his passing, a number of Stern Show alumni and fans took to social media to remember the late broadcaster
Stern-centric podcast Radio Gunk shared his 2015 interview with Cabbie, adding, “When we first started podcasting, he was kind and gracious in letting us ask him anything we wanted…”
In the wake of his passing, a number of Stern Show alumni and fans took to social media to remember the late broadcaster.
“RIP Lee Mroszak aka ‘Crazy Cabbie,'” Melendez said, while Captain Janks said, “RIP Crazy Cabbie.”
Chaunce Hayden, who competed with Cabbie in a 2004 Stern Show competition to replace Melendez after his departure to The Tonight Show, said Cabbie’s death “really stings.”
He added: “This man had a heart of gold and considered him a friend. RIP crazy cab driver.”
YouTube personality Cardiff Electric praised Cabbie with memories of his September 11 broadcasts; and boxing match with Melendez, who won by decision.
“I’ll never forget Crazy Cabbie describing his view of the Towers from his roof,” said Cardiff Electric. ‘RIP Lee. We all know you won the fight. #CabbieWon.”
The Stern-focused podcast Radio Gunk shared his 2015 interview with Cabbieadding, “When we first started podcasting, he was gracious and friendly and we let him ask anything we wanted….”