Would anyone know Bo Bice’s name if Mario Vazquez hadn’t dropped out of the American Idol competition last March? Oh, how we wailed when he left. Mario Interruptus we called it.

When the 27-year-old Vazquez began making explanations — profoundly unbelievable — that he wanted to fly off to be by his mother’s side during "a family crisis" (his bewildered mother told the first reporters on the scene that if there were a crisis, it was news to her) and hoped the fans would respect his "privacy," (this, after years of trying to crack into show business), Mario’s midnight departure became the object of major — non-stop — Laci-Petersen level speculation for the next two weeks, much of which was marinated in the most delicious homo-innuendo.

The New York Daily News published an account of his "close friendship" with a male hairdresser. The National Enquirer chimed in that this same hairdresser (always unnamed) was beside himself because Mario was now publicly denying that there was "anyone special" in his life.

With a new, suddenly delicate ear for the English language, the Enquirer noted how careful the young Vazquez had been to use the gender neutral "anyone" rather than the more … shall we say, Ricky-Martin-esque … "special lady."

As much as we enjoyed these always-prurient, alway-hyper- ventilating innuendos from the Enquirer and Page Six, it just didn’t make sense that a bright, sexy boy would pass up the career launching-pad that was the most watched show in America so he could have a soft, comfortable life as an out but anonymous gay man. In fact, Vazquez seemed quite determined to compete hard and win, never displaying either the lackluster vocals of Constantine Maroulis or the couldn’t-care-less hippie affectations of Bo Bice, his only real rivals for top male in the herd.

Certainly nothing about our Mario suggested that he was at all shy. Unlike the lumpy, shirt-over-jeans Bice, this hot little Popi from the Bronx never hesitated to show a nice box in his pants during his spot-on performances (as he continues to do in these recent photos.)

Meanwhile, there were other and — as it turns out — wiser theories concerning Mario’s midnight departure, ones that centered on the notorious slave-labor contracts American Idol made their young winners sign. A contract that even if Mario left in mid-season — as he, in fact, did — would prevent him from doing any professional work until the American Idol summer tour was over.

Today we learned the truth. Our lovely, young Mario — be he gay or (oh no!) straight — is not so faint-hearted as the tabloids first claimed.

From Roger Friedman of (you should pardon the euphemism) Fox ‘News’:

You may recall the story about Mario Vazquez, the kid who bolted mid-season from "American Idol" last winter. He’d been convinced by his lawyer — the same lawyer who represented Clay Aiken — to leave the show rather than stay and sign a management contract with the Idol producers.

I can tell you now that the strategy worked. Mario, according to my sources, has signed a lucrative deal with legendary record executive Clive Davis and Davis’ J Records.

Even better: Vazquez will be managed by another legend, Arnold Steifel, the man who has guided Rod Stewart’s rocketing career for over 30 years.

The deal will be announced right after Labor Day, sources tell me. But no time is being wasted: even as we speak, Vazquez is in the studio recording tracks under Davis’ watchful eye.

This news should be a big deal for several reasons: If Vazquez had stayed on American Idol and won — which he likely would have done — he would have wound up on J Records anyway. The main difference is now he won’t have to live under a management agreement with 19 Entertainment and Simon Fuller.

Fuller doesn’t look so good in this deal, but you never know. Perhaps sensing an end to American Idol madness, he sold his company for millions of dollars earlier this year. And there’s a rumor that Idol winners will no longer record for J Records. Fuller is said to be shopping around for a new home.

Davis, as usual, comes out on top. He has the next big pop star and is off the hook if Idol is indeed on the wane.