
Tony Aiello reflects on his years covering Pope Francis
As the world mourns Pope Francis' death, CBS News New York's Tony Aiello looks back on the past 12 years covering the pope.
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Tony Aiello serves as a CBS News New York general assignment reporter with a focus on covering news and breaking stories in the Northern Suburbs.
In the course of his long career, he has been nominated for and received many professional honors, including the 2020 NY Emmy Award for General Assignment Reporting.
Aiello has traveled extensively to bring viewers the New York angle on important stories. He broadcast live from St. Peter's Square in Rome after the election of Pope Francis in 2013, and flew to Paris hours after the terror attacks of November 2015 to lead the station's coverage.
Aiello joined WCBS in October 2002, after nearly five years at WNBC-TV. Prior to that, he served as a national correspondent for Dow Jones Television and the top syndicated business show, "The Wall Street Journal Report." He also has worked as an anchor and reporter at stations in Milwaukee, WI., Nashville, TN., and Greenville, SC.
On September 11, 2001, Aiello and his wife were among the "plane people" diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, a story told in the Broadway show "Come From Away." The experience left him with a deep appreciation for Canada and its people.
Aiello is active with community groups and Italian-American charities, including the Italian-American Forum of Westchester County. He is former board secretary of the Westchester Philharmonic, and trustee of ArtsWestchester, which recently presented him with its "Voice of the Arts Award." He is proud to represent WCBS at many community events, helping to raise funds and awareness for groups including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the March of Dimes, and the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence. He has served as emcee of the Italian Welfare League's "Autumn in New York" luncheon for almost a decade, helping the IWL to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support its mission.
In 2002, Aiello was asked to lead Westchester County's official ceremony marking the first anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. He has also delivered keynote speeches for groups including the Enrico Fermi Scholarship Foundation, the Sons of Italy, and the National Parks Service. He is a longtime supporter of The Christophers and a presenter at their prestigious awards ceremony honoring media that "uplift the human spirit."
Aiello graduated from Indiana University in 1985. He lives in New Rochelle, N.Y. with his wife Elizabeth and their twin sons.
As the world mourns Pope Francis' death, CBS News New York's Tony Aiello looks back on the past 12 years covering the pope.
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