Jason Aiello
Host
Jason Aiello is in his eighteenth year in radio. Starting in the business during the late 90’s using reel-to-reel tape, to cd, to digital, Jason has watched how the industry can, and has changed. Jason spent some time in the Albany area, after coming back to the Utica market about five years ago to join the Talk of the Town team. He is now the host of the Talk of the Town, along with his co-hosts Rocco LaDucca, and Mark Wolber. Jason likes Oreos, naps, and spending time with his son Sam, and their crazy dog Emma. Reach Jason through email at Jason@wutqfm.com.
Rocco LaDuca
Co-Host
Rocco LaDuca joined Talk of the Town in September 2017 following more than 10 years covering crime and courts for the Utica Observer-Dispatch newspaper, where he wrote about dozens of high-profile murders, trials and investigative reports from 2004 until 2015, including a 7-part series on the Utica Mob. He also served several years as Communications Director for New York State Senator Joseph Griffo.
Growing up in Lancaster, a suburb near Buffalo, Rocco moved to the Mohawk Valley in 2004 after graduating with a master’s degree in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Rocco currently lives in Clinton, but can often be found catching up on the news at your local Barnes n Noble coffee shop. Inspired by David Letterman and the mystery of a good conspiracy theory, Rocco is driven by a desire to balance quirky entertainment, skepticism and insightful interviews.
Rocco is always ready to get to the bottom of a compelling rumor, so if you have anything you’d like Rocco to look into, or if you would be interested in being a guest on the show between 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays, please call Rocco at 315-734-9245, ext. 3022, or send an email to: RoccoL@wutqfm.com.
Mark Wolber
Co-Host
Mark Wolber is a longtime Utica attorney, and had been a weekly guest on Talk of the Town until joining the team as co-host in summer 2017. Mark has been practicing law since 1977, with expertise in a variety of legal areas including civil and criminal litigation, domestic relations, estate planning, estate administration, business and personal injury.
While on the air every weekday morning with host Jay Aiello and co-host Rocco LaDuca, Mark brings a well-spoken depth of knowledge covering various legal issues, politics, community affairs, historical events and other quirky everyday items of interest, as well as the occasional trivia question. When he’s not in the courtroom, Mark has had a solid public presence in the media by hosting his own radio program from 1990 to 2008, as well as regular live guest appearances on WKTV’s local news program.
Whether it’s sharing his insight on Talk of the Town, or hosting various informative seminars for lawyers and the general public, Mark is always willing to explain complex issues and processes in ways that can be easily understood by those who are listening. There’s very little that Mark doesn’t seem to have some knowledge of, so if you have a question for Mark feel free to call the show at 315-624-0870, or send an email to: talk@wutqfm.com
Joleen Ferris
Local News
Joleen Ferris has been a reporter with local NBC affiliate, NewsChannel 2, for 24 years. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at Utica College, where she has returned a few times as an adjunct professor. Joleen began her career in radio, as an advertising copywriter with ROCK 107/WTLB. Joleen also fills in as an anchor/producer at NewsChannel 2. She lives in Deerfield, with her daughter and their two cats, Leo and Luna. In her spare time, she enjoys, running, hiking, reading and sampling the Utica area’s wonderful restaurants.
Calico Yaworski
Producer
Born and raised in Utica, NY, Calico (Cali) grew up constantly listening to local radio. When she was young, she often was found pretending to be a reporter or radio DJ with an old video camera or by recording her voice onto cassette tapes. Needless to say, it was no surprise to Calico when she found herself working at her campus radio station during her years at Utica College, from which she graduated in 2018 with a BA in Communication Arts and concentrations in Musical Theatre Performance and Radio Broadcast.
We brought Calico in to produce Talk of the Town at the very start of 2020. She has helped us kick off the decade with more structure, and has become the Social Media Director for not only WUTQ-FM, but also our sister stations, Kiss-FM and Bug Country.
You can hear Calico have her own airtime as Cali on 99.7/101.1 FM Bug Country M-F from 7PM-12PM, Sat from 4-7PM, and on 97.9/105.5 Kiss FM Sun from 3-7PM! (Or...you can call into our studio and have a morning chat with her--she’s take your calls, thoughts, opinions, and put you on air!)
Outside of work, you can find Calico performing on stage in musicals, playing with her dogs, reading Harry Potter or watching true-crime documentaries.