Rosalie Vascellaro, mom of WCCO anchor who found own TV fame, has died

Rosalie Vascellaro, the mother of a WCCO-TV news anchor who found a degree of television fame in her own right, has died.

Vascellaro died Saturday in the Twin Cities after a brief illness, according to her obituary. She was 94.

The mother of anchor Frank Vascellaro won a regional Emmy in 2011 for "The Grannies," WCCO segments that paired her with Doris Rosen, the mother of Channel 4 sports anchor Mark Rosen.

The two turned on the charm and wit as they bantered about sports, music, Justin Bieber and the Kardashians. Predicting winners of the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys was a staple for the duo. Doris died in 2013.

Known as "Mamma V.," Rosalie Vascellaro also shared her kitchen secrets with viewers.

She would routinely prepare dinner for the three children of her son and daughter-in-law, co-anchor Amelia Santaniello. She typically prepared the meals at her home and drove the food to theirs.

"Frequently, strangers would approach her to tell her they made spaghetti sauce from her recipe," her online obituary read. "It would bring a smile from ear to ear knowing she made someone else happy."

In an interview shortly after receiving her Emmy, Rosalie Vascellaro described her son as "not fussy" when it comes to his tastes in food. "He's such a good cook himself," she said. "I think he could eat pasta every day."

Rosalie Cerniglia grew up one of six children in Rockford, Ill. She married Sam Vascellaro, and they moved in the late 1970s to Denver where she worked as a grade school teacher's aide for 25 years.

After Sam Vascellaro died in 1989, she moved to Edina, volunteered at Fairview Southdale Hospital for 10 years and was an ever-present grandmother to Frank and Amelia's children.

Along with her husband, Sam, Rosalie Vascellaro was preceded in death by siblings Angela, Jack and Joe. Besides Frank Vascellaro, she is survived by a brother, Paul; a sister, Frances; and a daughter, Angela.

A memorial service is scheduled for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Edina Country Club. A funeral mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. for July 13 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Rockford, Ill., with visitation one hour prior. Memorials are preferred to Carondelet Catholic School or St. Jude's Children's Hospital.