- He was repeatedly proposed (but never nominated) for Life Senatorship in Italy's Parliament.
- 2007: Received a degree honoris causa in "Television, cinema and multi medial production" from the IULM University.
- He was so famous in Italy that, upon his death, condolences were issued by President Giorgio Napolitano, Premier Silvio Berlusconi, Vatican Radio, and Bongiorno's favorite soccer (football) team.
- During WWII, he worked for the Italian resistance. He was captured, deported to a concentration camp, and later freed in a prisoner-of-war exchange.
- He was born in New York, but moved to Turin, Italy, his mother's hometown, as a child.
- Grandfather of Stella, Elia, Luce (Nicolò's children) and Margherita (Michele's daughter). Father-in-law of Tarin Meneghello and Agnese Visconti.
- From 1956 until 1961 he was the partner of actress Flora Lillo.
- In January 2004, after 50 years of Italian TV and 3,125 episodes of La ruota della fortuna (1987), he was still actively hosting quiz shows and had a relevant position in the hierarchy of Mediaset Group, the Silvio Berlusconi's Television Company.
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