Wlup Dancer Receives Work-release Sentence

December 24, 1991

The rotund dancer who jiggled to music in WLUP-FM radio station`s television commercials was sentenced Monday to 2 months of supervised work-release for dealing in illegal explosives.

Robert Marena, 22, of Melrose Park, also was sentenced to perform 500 hours of community service, said Jerry Singer, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Marena pleaded guilty in August to charges of selling illegal explosives out of the back of his car. He sold $300 worth of M-250s in June to undercover agents, who arrested him for dealing explosives without a federal license.

The agents seized between $15,000 and $20,000 worth of M-250s and the less powerful M-80s, as well as several cases of fireworks. M-250s are known as ``quarter sticks`` because they can produce about as much energy as a quarter stick of dynamite.

M-80s and M-250s are illegal nationwide and are not classified as fireworks by the national government. They are dangerous because, unlike dynamite, which must be detonated, the devices are unstable and can explode from pressure or static electricity. Singer said boxes and bags of the explosives were crammed in the back seat, front passenger seat and trunk of Marena`s car.

Marena, who is nicknamed ``Joey Bag of Doughnuts,`` became well-known from the WLUP commercials, but the federal agents did not recognize him when they arrested him. He also has danced during halftime at Chicago Bulls basketball games.