James Martin Pedersen, the man known as the face of Madison pizza franchise Rocky Rococo’s advertisements, died at age 67 Thursday, according to franchise owner Wayne Mosley.
In an interview with WISC-TV, Mosely lamented the loss of Pedersen.
"He became literally the face of Rocky. Everything was built around him," Mosley said. "He was a wonderful, talented guy."
There are more than 40 Rocky Rococo franchises today, but the first opened in 1974 on Gilman Street in Madison. Pedersen has been featured in the restaurant’s advertisements since 1976, in which he wears sunglasses, a fedora and a white suit.
"As Rocky, we valued his personal appearances because he could relate,” Mosley said. “He was adaptable."
In the interview, Mosley also said Pedersen had an extensive career beyond Rocky Rococo, including a stint with Second City in Chicago in the 1970s. Mosley said the company plans on organizing a celebration of Pedersen’s life at some point in the near future.
