So Mardon got in touch with Mahoney and he agreed to recall a few of the memorable moments of his career as well as talk about the profile of radio back in the early '70s when he started ... and that was pretty well by accident, literally.
As Mahoney explained to Mardon, he had been involved in a car crash and during his time of hospital recuperation a mate suggested he try out for an announcers' course.
He had been involved in theatre and had that spark with the voice and humour.
So it came to pass that the listeners of 2ZC first heard this snappy newcomer to the airwaves in 1971 and for nearly the next four years until Mahoney moved on to The Tonight Show in Wellington, developing and spreading his unique persona.
While the likes of Neville Chamberlain and Keith Richardson had also added a spark to those more staid times of radio, Dave Mahoney was the man who pushed the barriers, on one occasion to near breaking point.
Listeners from those days will again laugh at his description of being pulled from a river, by Mr and Mrs Balls who he thanked on air ... in his own way.
A way which had Mahoney called to see the station boss who was on the verge of sending him packing for it.
And there was his girlfriend ''Varicose'' ... and a variety of sound effects which drew in a growing and devoted army of listeners.
Mahoney's career was a colourful one, and he also worked in Melbourne, as well as Radio Windy, Foveaux Radio and 77ZK.
Mardon sat down with Mahoney, along with his colleagues and mates Wayne Mowat, Mark Scullen, Roly Cook and Ian Bolton, and got some great stories, which are linked in with clips from his broadcasts of that time.
"I'm sure the programme will bring back many memories to the people of Hawke's Bay who lived during a time when telephone numbers were only five digits and Tamatea was mainly grassland," Mardon said.
His previous production was The Top Hat Story which was a nostalgic look at the old Napier dance and music venue.
Mardon said there was so much colour in the region's history around that era and he relished the challenge and opportunity to put those slices of colour into stories and get them onto the air for people to hear and enjoy.
•The David Mahoney Story, Radio Kidnappers, Saturday, January 21 at 1.05pm (it will be repeated the following Saturday at the same time).