Lee ‘Crazy Cabbie’ Siegfried, a radio personality who was featured on The Howard Stern Show in the early 2000s, has died at the age of 55.
Cabbie’s former broadcasting partner Cane Peterson took to Facebook with multiple posts updating fans on his friend’s downturn in health, and subsequent passing.
On Thursday, Peterson said that he was informed by Cabbie’s girlfriend Lexi that the radio personality wasn’t ‘doing well’ after he was hospitalized March 17 and his health continued to deteriorate.
‘He’s awake, but not alert,’ Peterson said. ‘They’ve made the decision to proceed with hospice … please lets all pray for a miracle.’
On Sunday, Peterson took to Facebook with a subsequent update that Cabbie ‘peacefully passed away’ Saturday evening ‘with the love of his life Lexi by his side.’
Lee ‘Crazy Cabbie’ Siegfried, a radio personality who was featured 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 way with words, and candor about his unique life experiences, which included being adopted and serving in the military
Peterson, who worked with Cabbie on The Cane and Cabbie Show on Stern’s former home station, New York City’s WXRK, said in the post (which he subsequently removed) that ‘nobody did radio better than Cabbie.
‘Everyone who knew him, loved him,’ Peterson said. ‘He had a razor-sharp wit, an insatiable lust 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.’
Over the past four years, Cabbie, whose birth name was Lee Anthony Mroszak, had dealt with a rare nerve disorder … which posed a risk of paralysis,’ according to the industry site Radio Ink.
After getting his start with jobs 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 way with words, and candor about his unique life experiences, which included being adopted and serving in the military.
He provided a passionate firsthand accounting of the events occurring in New York City during Stern’s live broadcast on September 11, 2001.
In May of 2002, he took part in a boxing match against then-Stern Show personality ‘Stuttering’ John Melendez in a showdown dubbed ‘The Flunkie vs The Junkie’ in Atlantic City.
On Sunday, Cabbie’s former broadcasting partner Cane Peterson took to Facebook with a subsequent update that Cabbie ‘peacefully passed away’ Saturday evening ‘with the love of his life Lexi by his side’
After getting his start with jobs 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 on his first broadcast on satellite radio in 2006
The highly-publicized boxing match would go on to haunt Cabbie, after he said on the air in 2002 that he wasn’t going to pay taxes on his earnings, prompting an IRS probe.
Cabbie in 2004 entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor tax evasion charges spanning 2000-2002 and more than $400,000 in unreported earnings, Page Six reported, leading to a jail sentence and repayment of more than $110,000 in back taxes.
Cabbie’s relationship with Stern suffered amid multiple controversies, including an incident in which he let adult film star Ron Jeremy into Stern’s WXRK studio with plans to make a Stern-themed porn film.
His final appearance on the Stern Show came on the show in June of 2007 after a controversy after he appeared to plug a weight loss product called I57 Ignite, with Stern and the late Ralph Cirella (who died at 58 this past December) making derogatory remarks about his appearance.
Kelly Lockwood, the CEO of JEC Nutrition, the company I57 Ignite, told Page Six at the time plans were in the offing to take litigation against Stern and SiriusXM (where Stern began broadcasting from in 2006 after leaving WXRK) for ‘defamation of our product,’ leading to a permanent falling-out between Cabbie, Stern and the show.
Cabbie’s relationship with Stern suffered amid multiple controversies, including an incident in which he let adult film star Ron Jeremy into Stern’s WXRK studio with plans to make a Stern-themed porn film
In the wake of his passing, a number of Stern Show alums and fans took to social media to remember the late broadcaster
The Stern-focused podcast Radio Gunk shared its 2015 interview with Cabbie, adding, ‘Back when we first started podcasting, he was kind and gracious to let us ask him anything we wanted…’
In the wake of his passing, a number of Stern Show alums and fans took to social media to remember the late broadcaster.
‘R.I.P. Lee Mroszak, AKA “Crazy Cabbie,”‘ Melendez said, while Captain Janks said, ‘R.I.P. Crazy Cabbie.’
Chaunce Hayden, who competed alongside Cabbie in a 2004 Stern Show contest to replace Melendez after his departure for The Tonight Show, said that Cabbie’s death ‘really stings.’
He added, ‘This guy had a heart of gold and considered him a friend. RIP Crazy Cabbie.’
YouTube personality Cardiff Electric hailed Cabbie with memories of his 9/11 broadcasting efforts; and boxing match with Melendez, who won by decision.
‘I will never forget Crazy Cabbie describing his view of the Towers from his roof,’ Cardiff Electric said. ‘RIP Lee. We all know You Won The fight. #CabbieWon.’
The Stern-focused podcast Radio Gunk shared its 2015 interview with Cabbie, adding, ‘Back when we first started podcasting, he was kind and gracious to let us ask him anything we wanted…’
