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Upper St. Clair father and son appear on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

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Local “Wheel of Fortune” fans might have noticed some familiar faces if they were watching the television show last week.

Upper St. Clair’s Rick (Enrique) Camacho and his son, Rico, tested their skills Friday during the show’s “Family Week.” Rick, who works for the Veterans Administration, said the show was taped Dec. 13 at the Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, Calif. He explained he and Rico were there early in the morning and people from the show went over the rules.

“They tape six shows at a time, so there was a lot of waiting,” Rick said. “I was anxious and wanted it to get going.”

Rico, who works for a company in LaFayette, Ind., that makes standardized tests, also admitted to being nervous when they started their first game. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“Beforehand, I was all serious,” Rico said. “But, once we were into it, I loosened up.”

Rick agreed, saying, “Once the first puzzle was over, it was much more fun.”

Rico said he and his father tried out for the show in the summer of 2012, after his sister Nina submitted their names. Tryouts were held at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in North Strabane Township, where Rick said they played computer games, testing their puzzle-solving skills.

Rico said time passed, and he forgot about the tryouts until his dad got a call in late November, asking if they could make it to California for the December taping. Rick, his wife, Janice, and Rico traveled West for the taping, but Nina, who is in graduate school, was unable to make the trip.

“Most of my friends didn’t believe I was on the show,” Rico said. “A lot of them were skeptical until I posted pictures from ‘Wheel of Fortune’ on Facebook.”

Those friends aren’t skeptical anymore. The father-son team, who were competing against two sets of sisters, won their match, netting a total of $26,598 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Jamaica.

Both Rick and Rico said being on the show was a great experience and a lot of fun.

“I’d love to do it every day,” Rico said.

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