Don Vito, of MTV’s Viva La Bam fame, came to Fraternity Row yesterday afternoon to promote a Spring Break company.
Dozens of students gathered yesterday afternoon in front of Alpha Epsilon Pi’s house on Fraternity Row, most contemplating the best way to aggravate one Don Vito.
Unlike the Incredible Hulk, you WOULD like to see this beast when he’s angry.
The reluctant star of MTV’s prank show Viva la Bam, Vito (real name Vincent Margera) is at his best when incensed, often sputtering out near-indiscernible half-sentences.
These inaudible phrases, which often require translation via subtitles on the show, are usually directed at his nephew, Jackass alumnus Bam Margera, who makes a living annoying and even injuring his parents and uncle.
But yesterday, Vito, touring on behalf of Spring Break travel outfit StudentCity.com, got a chance to holler at university students.
The husky celebrity wobbled out of his RV and sat down to sign autographs and take pictures with fans for just under an hour.
He was in usual form, berating one female student who asked him to personalize her autographed headshot, saying, “You’re f—in’ high maintenance, you know that?”
The crowd never grew to more than 75 people, but a steady stream of passersby, most headed to or from class, often stopped to view the spectacle. The grand prize for those who filled out a contest entry form was a free week in Cancun with Vito and the cast of “Viva la Bam.”
“That’s why the f— you go to college, to go on spring break,” Vito said.
The 49-year-old engaged in playful dialogue with fans. One student asked him if he was being paid in cheeseburgers, to which he responded, “No, they’re paying me in Budweisers.”
As fans of the show know, Vito is rather passionate about food. His speech was at its clearest when ordering his lunch: Chick-Fil-A with iced tea. He repeated the order several times.
He even managed to arrange for his favorite dish, veal scaloppini, from his favorite hometown restaurant, Antonio’s, to be made in bulk before his RV trip began.
“Antonio’s packaged up like a 15-gallon vat of the stuff and it stayed in here until it went rancid,” said Vito’s road manager Steve Rader.
In pictures, he would pretend to grope the girls and strangle the guys, though when some attempted to jiggle his chins, his grip would tighten.
Often Vito’s right sleeve on his orange button-down short sleeve shirt would rise above his elbow, revealing an elbow joint that appeared dislocated.
“Bam broke my arm filming Jackass 2,” said Vito, sipping a Natural Light. “He wants to rip my f—in’ teeth out.”
College Park is one of 35 stops on Vito’s tour, which raps up Dec. 10 in Rochester, N.Y., according to the group’s website.
Many who anticipated seeing Vito and company hit the College Park bars last night were disappointed to learn that he was only in town for the afternoon, heading to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., for his next stop.
Though he did not have a chance to absorb the nightlife in College Park, Vito has been known to do so at other stops.
“Vito pulls hot chicks all the time, every night,” said tour director Gabe Cardarella. “On the tour, we basically just hang out and drink.”
Contact reporter Pat Gavin at gavindbk@gmail.com.
