Salvatore "Sal" Governale, originally referred to as Sal the Stockbroker, is a crew member on the Stern show and a good friend of Richard Christy. Sal is often accused of being a homosexual with Richard Christy. Being a married man, Sal denies these claims. Sal is most well known for his unique comedy style that is most often seen in his prank phone calls with his best friend, Richard Christy. Often called "Phony phone calls," these prank calls are a real gem in the Stern brand.
History[]
After high school, he briefly attended community college with the intent of becoming a radiologist. After several other short lived careers, he found his first true calling as a stock broker. He worked exclusively in boiler room operations and sold worthless penny stocks to widows and orphans. Although several of his employers were convicted of securities fraud, Sal always skated. It is rumored that he was able to avoid jail time by agreeing to testify against his employers.
Sal and Richard would often get naked on the show.
While working as a stock broker, he found his second true calling: making prank phone calls to the Howard Stern Show. Stern took notice of Sal when he began making numerous calls mocking Gary Dell'Abate. Initially, Sal used aliases to call in and trick Gary into engaging with him, leading Gary to ask a question, with Sal delivering the punchline "horse-tooth jackass." Sal's pranks on Gary earned him a visit to the studio. Sal arrived dressed in a stereotypical stockbroker outfit, complete with a full suit, slicked-back black hair, and introduced himself as "Sal the Stockbroker," the new moniker he would adopt on the show. Sal confessed that his pranks on Gary were driven by his desire to be on the show and to meet Howard.
Sal emerged as the primary rival to Gary, consistently pranking him and mocking his teeth and ape-like characteristics. He turned into a frequent caller and would occasionally visit the studio, often to torment Gary in some manner. Sal would also wait outside the building all day. He called in to criticize Howard's girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky, labeling her a gold digger. Sal even attempted to win the "Tasteless Halloween Costume" contest by wearing a Beth Gold Digger costume.
Following the departure of Stuttering John in February 2004, Stern organized an on-air contest to find his replacement. Billed as "Win John's Job" (much like "Win Jackie's Money" after writer Jackie Martling walked out). Sal's acts included harassing Gary, arranging a game called "Pin the Booey," where children attempted to stick a toothbrush in Gary's mouth blindfolded, and pranking the program director, Tom Chiusano. He also ran a game titled "What annoys me most about Gary," where staff members had to reveal what aspect of Gary's behavior annoyed them the most, and Gary had to guess who said what. For his Wack Packer task, he brought in his uncle and dad. Sal ended up securing the second place, losing to his future writing partner Richard Christy. The subsequent year, he faced another setback, losing a stand-up comedy competition to Wack Packer Vin The Retard in 2005. Nonetheless, Sal was eventually hired as a prank caller and writer for the show.
According to Howard, some of Sal's behaviors seemed bordering on obsessive and crazy, prompting Howard to consider Sal as one of the Wack Packers. However, Howard ceased associating Sal with the Wack Pack once Sal became an established member of the show staff.
Sal's Obsession with Howard.[]
In his first year on the show, it became evident that Sal was obsessed with Howard and considered him his idol. On one occasion, Sal asked Gary if it was possible for him to spend a night at Howard's apartment, possibly even sharing the same bed. When Howard and the staff discovered that Sal was serious and not joking, they referred to Sal as a stalker. Sal revealed that he grew up listening to Howard, almost viewing him as a father figure, and wanted Howard to open up to him and embrace him like a son. Sal desired to take his relationship with Howard to "the next level" and hoped to spend time with him on a personal basis. He refuted any assertions that he was a psycho or in love with Howard, clarifying that he used to fantasize about being on the show. Even though he achieved that dream, it wasn't enough; he yearned for a closer connection with Howard. Stern said he felt creeped out by Sal, clarifying that he didn't consider him a friend. Sal retorted, "You worked for this," prompting Howard to suggest that Sal needed therapy and stating that he would never be his "father."
Sal gained a reputation as a potential stalker, earning the occasional nickname "Sal the Stalker." He even went through the show's contact numbers to reach musician Ace Frehley and his favorite pornstar, Audrey Hollander. Sal's infatuation with Howard remained constant; he consistently sought to impress Howard with his work and displayed jealousy when Howard spent time with other staff members. Sal especially focused on Howard's relationship with his girlfriend Beth, expressing disapproval and labeling her a gold digger. This led to Beth not wanting anything to do with Sal, and Howard deciding not to invite Sal to their wedding due to his Stand-up jokes about Beth.
Relationship with Richard[]
Sal was employed as a writer and prank caller, forming a partnership with Richard Christy. They were assigned an office at the Sirius building, where they collaborated on crafting prank phone calls. Their relationship flourished, evolving into a close friendship where they felt at ease getting naked and performing homoerotic skits together. Both men maintained that they were not gay, with their excuse being that Howard enjoyed the gay stuff and that they were only doing it to be funny. Richard said that he had limits and would never have full sex with a guy or consider blowing a guy. Sal defended himself by saying that he was married, joking that the gay bits would fund his kids' college education.
Sal's Prank calls[]
- Sal prank calls the Howard Stern Program Director, Tom Chiusano, while he's in the hospital.
Howard Stern - 10-5-2005 - Sal prank calls Hospital for Tom Chiusano
Sal prank calls a hospital wanting to "speak" to the show producer Tom Chiusano
- Sal using a relay operator service, angers the operator by "inserting her into the call'
Howard Stern - 14 6 2005 - Internet Relay Operator Call
same idea as the 2nd one but longer and funnyer
- This is a funnier video involving another relay operator but it's longer and more revealing of what operators will say
Howard Stern - 16 6 2005 - Sal Jerks Off To Prank Call
sal is relaying funny messages through a relay operator
- This is a funnier video involving another relay operator but it's longer and more revealing of what operators will say