Tony Delmonico, credited with taking Rocky Mountain News circulation to record highs, died March 19 at a local hospice. He was 83.
He had suffered brain damage in a 2007 fall, according to his son, Doug Delmonico of Denver.
His service is at 3 p.m. today at Crown Hill Cemetery, West 29th Avenue and Wads worth Boulevard.
Delmonico was circulation director at the paper from the early 1970s until the 1990s, when he was promoted to circulation manager of Scripps Howard in Cincinnati, parent company of the News, said Frank Frazier, who worked with Delmonico for several years. Delmonico was in Cincinnati for 10 years.
“He was the most enthusiastic leader I ever had,” Frazier said.
Delmonico had several innovations, including mail campaigns, money-back guarantees and retaining carriers by buying them new bikes, Frazier said.
Delmonico expected district circulation managers to understand the carriers’ job and had the managers sell papers with the carriers, Frazier said.
“He was very outgoing and very aggressive,” said Vern Mallinen, circulation marketing director at the News when Delmonico was there. Mallinen has the same position now at The Denver Post.
Anthony Delmonico was born in Denver on May 5, 1927.
He graduated from Manual High School and played halfback on the University of Colorado football team. He married Vivian Lucas on Dec. 4, 1949. He later earned a master’s degree at the University of Denver.
For a few years, he taught and coached in Salida. He and his wife delivered the News while living there.
They moved back to Denver, and he was a counselor and social worker at the Jewish Community Center, then got a job at the News and began rising through the ranks.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by three other sons, Scott Delmonico and Jeff Delmonico, both of Denver, and Neal Delmonico of Missouri; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
