Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Corruption of Power and Politics, Prohibition Era, Hit Series @BoardwalkEmpire is Coming to an End
HBO’s popular hit series Boardwalk Empire is coming to an end. The upcoming fifth season will be its last. The show’s creator Terence Winter said, “We’re thrilled to get the go-ahead for a fifth season of Boardwalk Empire. After much discussion with my creative team and HBO, we’ve decided to wrap up the series after such a great run and look forward to bringing it to a powerful and exciting conclusion.”
The show takes place in 1920s and 30s Atlantic City, NJ. It features Steve Buscemi as power-hungry millionaire Nucky Thompson. The drama examines the corruption of power and politics during the prohibition era when many politicians were just as crooked as mobsters.
The show is not ending because of a lack of popularity or ratings. Although the period drama never reached the heights of The Sopranos or the critical acclaim of The Wire, it has been a steady earner for HBO and currently ranks third in the ratings to Game of Thrones and True Blood. The show has won a total of five Emmy Awards.
There are plenty of loose ends for season five to tie-up. Nucky’s brother Eli, who ratted him out to the Feds, has been sent to Chicago where he’ll meet up with the likes of Al Capone. Gillian is in prison and suffering from a nervous breakdown. Chalky will certainly look to avenge the death of his daughter. What’s to become of the evil Dr. Narcisse? How far will J. Edgar Hoover go in his war on the mob?
Winter and company will have to complete their series arc in just 12 episodes. The final season will air this fall.
The show takes place in 1920s and 30s Atlantic City, NJ. It features Steve Buscemi as power-hungry millionaire Nucky Thompson. The drama examines the corruption of power and politics during the prohibition era when many politicians were just as crooked as mobsters.
The show is not ending because of a lack of popularity or ratings. Although the period drama never reached the heights of The Sopranos or the critical acclaim of The Wire, it has been a steady earner for HBO and currently ranks third in the ratings to Game of Thrones and True Blood. The show has won a total of five Emmy Awards.
There are plenty of loose ends for season five to tie-up. Nucky’s brother Eli, who ratted him out to the Feds, has been sent to Chicago where he’ll meet up with the likes of Al Capone. Gillian is in prison and suffering from a nervous breakdown. Chalky will certainly look to avenge the death of his daughter. What’s to become of the evil Dr. Narcisse? How far will J. Edgar Hoover go in his war on the mob?
Winter and company will have to complete their series arc in just 12 episodes. The final season will air this fall.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Official Sneak Preview of #MobCity on TNT
The epic battle between a determined police chief and a dangerous mobster inflames 1940s Los Angeles in TNT's eagerly anticipated television event Mob City (formerly known as Lost Angels). This powerful drama comes to TNT from Frank Darabont (The Walking Dead), who wrote and directed the pilot and serves as executive producer on the series.
Based on the critically acclaimed book L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City, by John Buntin, Mob City opens in post-war Los Angeles, home to glamorous movie stars, powerful studio heads and returning war heroes. But it's also a city caught between a powerful and corrupt police force and an even more dangerous criminal network determined to make L.A. its West Coast base.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker (Neal McDonough -- Captain America, Desperate Housewives)) has made it his mission to free the city of criminals like Ben "Bugsy" Siegel (Ed Burns -- Entourage) and Mickey Cohen (Jeremy Luke -- Don Jon), the ruthless king of the Los Angeles underworld. Parker also won't hesitate to go after anyone from his own police force who sells out honor and duty for the sake of a big payout. To carry out his sweep of organized crime, Parker sets up a new mob task force within the LAPD. Headed by Det. Hal Morrison (Jeffrey DeMunn -- The Walking Dead, The Shawshank Redemption), the task force includes Det. Joe Teague (Jon Bernthal -- The Walking Dead), an ex-Marine who holds his cards close to his chest.
Mob City's exceptional ensemble cast also includes Gregory Itzin (24), Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) and Alexa Davalos (Clash of the Titans, The Mist).
Mob City is produced by TNT Originals, with Darabont, Michael De Luca (The Social Network) and Elliot Webb (Alpha House) serving as executive producers.
Premieres Wednesday, December 4 at 10/9c on TNT.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
New Discovery Series #BarHunters, Featuring Chicago Restaurateur Tom Powers, Gives Wannabe Bar Owners the Chance to Turn Their Dreams into Reality
Opening a bar is no party. While many people dream of running a bar of their own, at least half of them fail within the first year. Enter renowned bar expert and sommelier Tom Powers, who has helped open more than two dozen successful restaurants and bars. Now he’s using his expertise to help first-time bar owners find their dream bars in the new series BAR HUNTERS, premiering Monday, October 21, at 10 PM E/P on Discovery.
Each week, Tom will hunt down three high potential spots and reveal how each location can be transformed into the ultimate money making investment. But not all spaces are created equally, with each having its own share of positives and negatives. Tom gives his expert opinion, ranking each space on a scale of one to 10 for success. But ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the bar newbies who must decide which space fits their budget and concept.
The first two 30-minute episodes will air back-to-back beginning at 10PM on Monday, Oct. 21. In the first episode, Tom heads out to the college party town of Tempe, Arizona, where he meets longtime pals Ben and Lars who are looking to open a down and dirty, All-American country western bar complete with a mechanical bull. But can Tom successfully find the right spot without breaking the bank?
Then, in the second episode airing at 10:30PM, Tom meets a father and his two sons looking to open a California beach-themed bar – right in the heart of Dallas, Texas. Can Tom show this trio the spots that give off the California vibes they’re looking for without having to leave their hometown?
From dive bars and brew houses in Pennsylvania to an Irish pub in the American heartland of Kansas to party and sports bars in America’s top cities, BAR HUNTERS travels the country helping everyday people follow their dream of opening a bar of their very own.
BAR HUNTERS is produced for Discovery Channel by Shooters TV. For Shooters TV, Natalie Feldman serves as executive producer. For Discovery, Christo Doyle is executive producer, Jim Beard serves as supervising producer with Meagan Davis as producer.
Each week, Tom will hunt down three high potential spots and reveal how each location can be transformed into the ultimate money making investment. But not all spaces are created equally, with each having its own share of positives and negatives. Tom gives his expert opinion, ranking each space on a scale of one to 10 for success. But ultimately, the decision is in the hands of the bar newbies who must decide which space fits their budget and concept.
The first two 30-minute episodes will air back-to-back beginning at 10PM on Monday, Oct. 21. In the first episode, Tom heads out to the college party town of Tempe, Arizona, where he meets longtime pals Ben and Lars who are looking to open a down and dirty, All-American country western bar complete with a mechanical bull. But can Tom successfully find the right spot without breaking the bank?
Then, in the second episode airing at 10:30PM, Tom meets a father and his two sons looking to open a California beach-themed bar – right in the heart of Dallas, Texas. Can Tom show this trio the spots that give off the California vibes they’re looking for without having to leave their hometown?
From dive bars and brew houses in Pennsylvania to an Irish pub in the American heartland of Kansas to party and sports bars in America’s top cities, BAR HUNTERS travels the country helping everyday people follow their dream of opening a bar of their very own.
BAR HUNTERS is produced for Discovery Channel by Shooters TV. For Shooters TV, Natalie Feldman serves as executive producer. For Discovery, Christo Doyle is executive producer, Jim Beard serves as supervising producer with Meagan Davis as producer.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: Music From The HBO Original Series - Paying Homage to Sounds from the Prohibition Era
This September, luminaries from across the music world are paying homage to the sounds of the Prohibition Era with the ABKCO Records release of 'Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: Music From The HBO® Original Series.' The soundtrack features all new recordings from a wide range of vocalists - from Elvis Costello and Patti Smith to St. Vincent and The National's Matt Berninger - singing timeless standards and forgotten gems from the 1920s. Season 4 of the hit HBO series premiered on September 8th.
Following up on their GRAMMY win for Volume 1, producer Stewart Lerman and Boardwalk Empire music supervisor Randall Poster bring together a swinging, sauntering collection of big-band classics, New Orleans rags, sultry ballads and torch songs. Album highlights include Costello crooning "It Had To Be You," Liza Minnelli belting out "You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All)," Berninger lending his rugged baritone to "I'll See You In My Dreams," and Neko Case breathing new life into "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out." Featuring inimitable contributions from high-profile recording artists including Rufus Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright III, St. Vincent and David Johansen, Poster has created an album that retains a remarkable cohesion with the series and with the music of the 1920s.
Poster, a frequent music supervisor for renowned directors including Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson and Sam Mendes, stated, "Boardwalk Empire provides an incredible back drop for music. It's been a steady treat to mark the passing of time in song over the course of four seasons," said series music supervisor Randall Poster. "Terry Winters, Martin Scorsese and the entire Boardwalk Empire team inspire the sound of the episodes as we move from the streets and alleys of Atlantic City to the smoky rooms of Al Capone's Chicago and on down into the tropics of Florida. This compilation celebrates the mastery of all the artists involved."
With instrumentation recorded by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks - the NYC jazz ensemble and Boardwalk Empire house band - the album also includes performances by cast members Stephen DeRosa (as song-and-dance man Eddie Cantor) and Margot Bingham (as a new character to be introduced this fall) singing tracks that will be debuted throughout the new season.
BOARDWALK EMPIRE VOLUME 2 TRACK LIST
1. David Johansen - Strut Miss Lizzie
2. Stephen DeRosa - Old King Tut
3. Elvis Costello - It Had To Be You
4. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks - Everybody Loves My Baby
5. Liza Minnelli - You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All)
6. Leon Redbone - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
7. St. Vincent - Make Believe
8. Pokey LaFarge - Lovesick Blues
9. Neko Case - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
10. Karen Elson - Who's Sorry Now
11. Stephan DeRosa - You'd Be Surprised
12. Margot Bingham - I'm Going South
13. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks - Sugarfoot Stomp
14. Rufus Wainwright - Jimbo Jambo
15. Kathy Brier - There'll Be Some Changes Made
16. Margot Bingham - Somebody Loves Me
17. Chaim Tannenbaum - All Alone
18. Loudon Wainwright III - The Prisoner's Song
19. Patti Smith - I Ain't Got Nobody
20. Matt Berninger - I'll See You In My Dreams
*All tracks featuring Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks
Following up on their GRAMMY win for Volume 1, producer Stewart Lerman and Boardwalk Empire music supervisor Randall Poster bring together a swinging, sauntering collection of big-band classics, New Orleans rags, sultry ballads and torch songs. Album highlights include Costello crooning "It Had To Be You," Liza Minnelli belting out "You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All)," Berninger lending his rugged baritone to "I'll See You In My Dreams," and Neko Case breathing new life into "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out." Featuring inimitable contributions from high-profile recording artists including Rufus Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright III, St. Vincent and David Johansen, Poster has created an album that retains a remarkable cohesion with the series and with the music of the 1920s.
Poster, a frequent music supervisor for renowned directors including Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson and Sam Mendes, stated, "Boardwalk Empire provides an incredible back drop for music. It's been a steady treat to mark the passing of time in song over the course of four seasons," said series music supervisor Randall Poster. "Terry Winters, Martin Scorsese and the entire Boardwalk Empire team inspire the sound of the episodes as we move from the streets and alleys of Atlantic City to the smoky rooms of Al Capone's Chicago and on down into the tropics of Florida. This compilation celebrates the mastery of all the artists involved."
With instrumentation recorded by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks - the NYC jazz ensemble and Boardwalk Empire house band - the album also includes performances by cast members Stephen DeRosa (as song-and-dance man Eddie Cantor) and Margot Bingham (as a new character to be introduced this fall) singing tracks that will be debuted throughout the new season.
BOARDWALK EMPIRE VOLUME 2 TRACK LIST
1. David Johansen - Strut Miss Lizzie
2. Stephen DeRosa - Old King Tut
3. Elvis Costello - It Had To Be You
4. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks - Everybody Loves My Baby
5. Liza Minnelli - You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All)
6. Leon Redbone - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
7. St. Vincent - Make Believe
8. Pokey LaFarge - Lovesick Blues
9. Neko Case - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
10. Karen Elson - Who's Sorry Now
11. Stephan DeRosa - You'd Be Surprised
12. Margot Bingham - I'm Going South
13. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks - Sugarfoot Stomp
14. Rufus Wainwright - Jimbo Jambo
15. Kathy Brier - There'll Be Some Changes Made
16. Margot Bingham - Somebody Loves Me
17. Chaim Tannenbaum - All Alone
18. Loudon Wainwright III - The Prisoner's Song
19. Patti Smith - I Ain't Got Nobody
20. Matt Berninger - I'll See You In My Dreams
*All tracks featuring Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks
Friday, August 23, 2013
"Boardwalk Empire" The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray!
It's New Year's Eve 1922 and the Roaring '20s are about to begin in earnest. Despite a booming economy, alcohol is scarce in Atlantic City, competition is at its fiercest and gangster violence is heating up. The 12-time Emmy® Award winning Boardwalk Empire is back on August 20, 2013 when the third season debuts on Blu-ray with HBO Select* and Digital Download. Hailed as "striking," (Time.com) with "first-rate performances" (USA Today), Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season is jam-packed with exclusive bonus material and is not to be missed!
Nucky Thompson has become Atlantic City's undisputed czar during Prohibition and is facing the challenge of mending old relationships. While his marriage lies in shambles, he faces new competition from Gyp Rosetti, a hair-trigger gangster determined to siphon off his alcohol business. The conflict brings out the best and worst in Nucky, who proves his brutal mettle in a series of violent encounters, as new and familiar faces also undergo compelling metamorphoses.
Blu-ray Features (along with all DVD extras):
-American Empires: Prohibition did little to quench the country's thirst for alcohol, and proved to be a boon to the era's gangsters. Learn more about these gangsters, their influence, and their systems of distribution in this interactive compendium.
-Boardwalk Chronicle: Track the major players and locations within each episode, and learn more about the historical threads woven into the season three storyline with this interactive, in-feature guide.
-Newsreels: Explore some of the real-world events and historical figures that inspired Boardwalk Empire season three with these 24 exclusive featurettes.
Boardwalk Empire stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson; Kelly Macdonald as Margaret, Nucky's wife; Michael Shannon as federal agent Nelson Van Alden; Gretchen Mol as Gillian, Jimmy Darmody's mother; Shea Whigham as Nucky's estranged brother Elias; Michael Stuhlbarg as gangster Arnold Rothstein; Stephen Graham as gangster Al Capone; Vincent Piazza as gangster Lucky Luciano; Michael Kenneth Williams as Nucky's ally Chalky White, leader of the city's African-American community; Anthony Laciura as Eddie Kessler, Nucky's valet; Paul Sparks as gangster Mickey Doyle; Jack Huston as Richard Harrow, a disfigured war veteran; Charlie Cox as Owen Sleater, Nucky's right-hand man; Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti, Nucky's new foe; Arron Shiver as gangster Dean O'Banion; Christopher McDonald as U.S. Attorney General Harry Daugherty; Stephen Root as Gaston Means, a go-between for Nucky and Daugherty; and Meg Chambers Steedle as Billie Kent, Nucky's new mistress. Created by Terence Winter, the series is executive produced by Winter, Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Tim Van Patten and Howard Korder; co-executive producers, Eugene Kelly, Chris Haddock, Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov, Rolin Jones; producers, Joseph Iberti, Rick Yorn; co-producer, Steve Kornacki; supervising producer, David Stenn.
Nucky Thompson has become Atlantic City's undisputed czar during Prohibition and is facing the challenge of mending old relationships. While his marriage lies in shambles, he faces new competition from Gyp Rosetti, a hair-trigger gangster determined to siphon off his alcohol business. The conflict brings out the best and worst in Nucky, who proves his brutal mettle in a series of violent encounters, as new and familiar faces also undergo compelling metamorphoses.
Blu-ray Features (along with all DVD extras):
-American Empires: Prohibition did little to quench the country's thirst for alcohol, and proved to be a boon to the era's gangsters. Learn more about these gangsters, their influence, and their systems of distribution in this interactive compendium.
-Boardwalk Chronicle: Track the major players and locations within each episode, and learn more about the historical threads woven into the season three storyline with this interactive, in-feature guide.
-Newsreels: Explore some of the real-world events and historical figures that inspired Boardwalk Empire season three with these 24 exclusive featurettes.
Boardwalk Empire stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson; Kelly Macdonald as Margaret, Nucky's wife; Michael Shannon as federal agent Nelson Van Alden; Gretchen Mol as Gillian, Jimmy Darmody's mother; Shea Whigham as Nucky's estranged brother Elias; Michael Stuhlbarg as gangster Arnold Rothstein; Stephen Graham as gangster Al Capone; Vincent Piazza as gangster Lucky Luciano; Michael Kenneth Williams as Nucky's ally Chalky White, leader of the city's African-American community; Anthony Laciura as Eddie Kessler, Nucky's valet; Paul Sparks as gangster Mickey Doyle; Jack Huston as Richard Harrow, a disfigured war veteran; Charlie Cox as Owen Sleater, Nucky's right-hand man; Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti, Nucky's new foe; Arron Shiver as gangster Dean O'Banion; Christopher McDonald as U.S. Attorney General Harry Daugherty; Stephen Root as Gaston Means, a go-between for Nucky and Daugherty; and Meg Chambers Steedle as Billie Kent, Nucky's new mistress. Created by Terence Winter, the series is executive produced by Winter, Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Tim Van Patten and Howard Korder; co-executive producers, Eugene Kelly, Chris Haddock, Andrew Schneider, Diane Frolov, Rolin Jones; producers, Joseph Iberti, Rick Yorn; co-producer, Steve Kornacki; supervising producer, David Stenn.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Friday, August 09, 2013
Alan Beiler of the #AmishMafia Receives Prison Sentence
A Pennsylvania man who stars in the Discovery Channel show "Amish Mafia" has been sentenced to three to 23 months in prison for leading police on a chase that injured a state trooper last summer.
Thirty-five-year-old Alan Beiler received the sentence Thursday in Perry County Court.
Police say the Lancaster County resident led them on a chase after they tried to stop him for an expired car registration. They say he drove against traffic and caused a pursuing state trooper to crash and suffer a concussion.
Beiler pleaded guilty in May to charges of attempting to elude police, drug possession and driving with a suspended license.
Defense attorney Mark Forrest Walmer says his client has turned around his life and has been drug-free for a year.
The show provides a look at the men who protect an Amish community.
Thirty-five-year-old Alan Beiler received the sentence Thursday in Perry County Court.
Police say the Lancaster County resident led them on a chase after they tried to stop him for an expired car registration. They say he drove against traffic and caused a pursuing state trooper to crash and suffer a concussion.
Beiler pleaded guilty in May to charges of attempting to elude police, drug possession and driving with a suspended license.
Defense attorney Mark Forrest Walmer says his client has turned around his life and has been drug-free for a year.
The show provides a look at the men who protect an Amish community.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Friday, January 04, 2013
HBO's Profugos - Fugitives from the Law and Mafia
A FAILED drug trafficking operation that sparks a frantic pursuit of four men in Chile as they flee both the Mafia and the law is the gripping premise of new 13-episode actioner Profugos which will premiere on Astro’s Cinemax channel 412 on Jan 4 at 11pm.
The four ‘profugos’, which means fugitive, had been contracted to transport a liquid cocaine shipment from the border of Bolivia to the Chilean port of Iquique but in the midst of the final delivery, a shot rings out from a nearby terrace, unleashing a violent ambush.
This brand new original series produced by HBO Latin America, was filmed over six months entirely in Chile, and heading the cast as the four fugitives are Nestor Cantillana, Benjamin Vicuna, Francisco Reyes and Luis Gnecco.
A complex web of ambitions, interests and corruption move the threads of this story where no one is who they appear to be, everyone hides a past and sheer desperation unites the foursome who flee without knowing exactly who’s pursuing them while doing everything possible to protect their loved ones.
Scenic locations in Chile serving as backdrop include Iquique, Valparaiso, Santiago, Farellones, Puerto Montt and desert regions bordering Bolivia.
Saturday, December 01, 2012
Chicago Mob Wives Whacked
"Mob Wives Chicago" has been iced.
The VH1 reality show featured five women married or related to reputed mobsters in Chicago.
A spokesman confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that the show will not be coming back for a second season after an 11-episode run.
Cast member Pia Rizza told the newspaper that the Sunday night summer time slot and competition with the Olympics were factors in the low ratings.
The show was a spinoff of "Mob Wives," which followed the lives of five New York women with husbands connected to the Mafia.
The Chicago show faced some opposition from an Italian-American group that objected to the Mafia stereotypes, and businesses that would not cooperate with the show.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Skinny Joey Merlino, Former Philly Mob Boss, Calls "Jersey Shore" Guys a Disgrace to Italians
Ex-Philadelphia mafia boss "Skinny Joey" Merlino -- who served 12 years in federal prison for racketeering -- says the guys from "Jersey Shore" are a big, fat "disgrace to the Italians" ... seriously.
Merlino -- who was released from the slammer last year -- was at LAX yesterday, where he was picked up from the airport by Howard Stern's favorite mob family member Johnny Fratto.
It's unclear why Joey is in L.A. -- but as Johnny drove off with Merlino riding shotgun, he picked an interesting song choice to bump in his car ... Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom."
FYI -- Merlino was rumored to have been a heavy gambler before he got locked up ... and when we asked if he had any advice for Harvey (who's been getting killed with his NFL picks) ... "Skinny Joey" had one solid piece of advice ... and it involves one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.
Thanks to TMZ.
Merlino -- who was released from the slammer last year -- was at LAX yesterday, where he was picked up from the airport by Howard Stern's favorite mob family member Johnny Fratto.
It's unclear why Joey is in L.A. -- but as Johnny drove off with Merlino riding shotgun, he picked an interesting song choice to bump in his car ... Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom."
FYI -- Merlino was rumored to have been a heavy gambler before he got locked up ... and when we asked if he had any advice for Harvey (who's been getting killed with his NFL picks) ... "Skinny Joey" had one solid piece of advice ... and it involves one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.
Thanks to TMZ.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Mob Wives Chicago on DVD
"Mob Wives Chicago" follows the lives of five women allegedly connected to "The Outfit," Chicago's version of the Mob, as they bear the cross for the sins of their Mob-associated fathers. With lives that are right off the pages of a story book, each woman has chosen her own way to live her life in the city that was once home to Al Capone, sometimes in spite of and many times because of who her father is. Along the way these women battle their friends, families and each other as they try to do what's best for themselves and their children. But ultimately, it is the ghost of their fathers they battle, living and dead, as they try to overcome and persevere in the face of these men's notorious legacies.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Ralph Lamb, Former Sheriff, Inspires New CBS Show on Battle Between Chicago Mob in Las Vegas and Law Enforcement
A new television show based on former Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb debuts Tuesday night on CBS. 
"Vegas" looks at the battle between organized crime and law enforcement in the 1960s and 1970s.
Lamb was the real-life sheriff at the time and went up against the mob and the Hell's Angels on the streets of Las Vegas.
In an interview with 8 News NOW anchor Paula Francis, Lamb recounts the toughest scrape he ever experienced.
"At the Sands Hotel, I guess," he said. "I was in the Sands alone and there were… they had a big craps game going on there. Some of the biggest guys in the country were shooting craps, and one guy was keeping score on a piece of paper. He'd bet him $50,000, I'll bet you 100. I didn't have any help and no help down there, but the office and the fight broke out. I got a guy named Joe Bernstein, who you know. I drug him kinda' over to the cage and was trying to reach for the phone in there. He was a big bruiser from San Francisco, a big strike breaker, you know. He went to whippin' on me while I had the phone in one hand, and I hit him with the telephone and knocked him down. But, it got pretty hairy there before I got any help."
Lamb says he's amazed he's still alive.
"I've been very lucky... had some close calls, and I've just been blessed with being lucky and knowing what I was doing and watching out for things," he said.
Station Casinos is holding a "Vegas" premiere party Tuesday night. 8 News NOW Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp is attending to introduce his story on Ralph Lamb. In honor of the show, Governor Brian Sandoval proclaimed Sept. 25 as "Sheriff Ralph Lamb Day."
"Vegas" premieres Tuesday night at 9 p.m. Chicago Time on CBS.
Thanks to KLAS.
"Vegas" looks at the battle between organized crime and law enforcement in the 1960s and 1970s.Lamb was the real-life sheriff at the time and went up against the mob and the Hell's Angels on the streets of Las Vegas.
In an interview with 8 News NOW anchor Paula Francis, Lamb recounts the toughest scrape he ever experienced.
"At the Sands Hotel, I guess," he said. "I was in the Sands alone and there were… they had a big craps game going on there. Some of the biggest guys in the country were shooting craps, and one guy was keeping score on a piece of paper. He'd bet him $50,000, I'll bet you 100. I didn't have any help and no help down there, but the office and the fight broke out. I got a guy named Joe Bernstein, who you know. I drug him kinda' over to the cage and was trying to reach for the phone in there. He was a big bruiser from San Francisco, a big strike breaker, you know. He went to whippin' on me while I had the phone in one hand, and I hit him with the telephone and knocked him down. But, it got pretty hairy there before I got any help."
Lamb says he's amazed he's still alive.
"I've been very lucky... had some close calls, and I've just been blessed with being lucky and knowing what I was doing and watching out for things," he said.
Station Casinos is holding a "Vegas" premiere party Tuesday night. 8 News NOW Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp is attending to introduce his story on Ralph Lamb. In honor of the show, Governor Brian Sandoval proclaimed Sept. 25 as "Sheriff Ralph Lamb Day."
"Vegas" premieres Tuesday night at 9 p.m. Chicago Time on CBS.
Thanks to KLAS.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Billionaire Mafia Founder Loves Attention from "Vegas High Rollers"
Addicted to reality TV villains? Odds are good you'll love or loathe Russian diva Lana Fuchs of TLC's "Vegas High Rollers."
She's clearly running out of friends after storming out of a cocktail reception during a weekend film shoot.
Just three weeks into a three-month shoot with the local socialites, the fireworks erupted Friday when the fashion designer's cast mates, concerned about her bad-mouthing, confronted her to clear the air.
Fuchs walked out, with cameras - and eyes - rolling.
"She seems to have an issue with everybody," a source said.
Fuchs appears to love the attention. At their opening shoot at the Hard Rock Hotel's pools, she arrived with an entourage of little people and bodyguards for the Black and White Party, an AIDS benefit.
Fuchs, who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., after leaving Russia, is the founder of Billionaire Mafia and Lana Fuchs Couture.
Billionaire Mafia has been a hit with the hip-hop crowd and club scenesters.
The shooting has been taking place throughout the city, from staid Las Vegas Country Club to restaurant hot spots Firefly and Marche Baccus to Rain nightclub at the Palms for a pole dancing expo.
Thanks to Norm Clarke.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Nora Schweihs of Mob Wives Chicago, Tries to Move On
Nora Schweihs is looking beyond all the screaming, name calling and hair pulling that has characterized the first few episodes of "Mob Wives Chicago." But mostly, she's trying to get past the past.
Schweihs, the daughter of Frank "The German" Schweihs, said she's on the show to get closure following the 2008 death of her father, whose body was recently exhumed at the request of his family. As soon as a blood test confirms the body is her father, Schweihs plans to bring his ashes to Florida, where she lived with him, but place some of his remains in a necklace she has made.
Schweihs said she is also honoring him by creating a pinot noir called "The German," which she hopes will bring positive spin to the nickname given to her father, an alleged mob enforcer. In a one-on-one interview with RedEye, she dismissed the murder charges against her father as "hearsay."
"Now you won't ever hear 'The German' as 'Oh, he was a hitman,'" she told RedEye outside the Bebe store in Water Tower Place.
Schweihs is very defensive of her father, who has become a hot-button issue on "Mob Wives Chicago," which began airing last month on VH1. The show features Schweihs and four other local women with ties to the "Chicago Outfit" who bicker about whose father did what and who is the least classy.
Schweihs is often in the middle of the drama, which she calls 100 percent real. In one recent episode, she becomes upset when another cast member shows up late to a memorial for her father. The confrontation turns violent.
"It is our life and it really is real," said Schweihs, wearing a sheer purple top and white jeans. "For me, the whole point of the show is for my father and nothing else and I am thisclose to getting closure."
Part of the premise of the show is Schweihs' return to Chicago after living in Florida with her father, who she calls her best friend. Schweihs, 49, said she now lives in Bridgeport and recently celebrated finishing her business master's degree at Robert Morris University.
She said she was taking multiple courses when she was filming "Mob Wives Chicago," which added to her stress level. Some of friendships she had going into the show have been strained, but she said she has gotten closer to fellow castmates Christina Scoleri and Leah Desimone.
Schweihs, the daughter of Frank "The German" Schweihs, said she's on the show to get closure following the 2008 death of her father, whose body was recently exhumed at the request of his family. As soon as a blood test confirms the body is her father, Schweihs plans to bring his ashes to Florida, where she lived with him, but place some of his remains in a necklace she has made.
Schweihs said she is also honoring him by creating a pinot noir called "The German," which she hopes will bring positive spin to the nickname given to her father, an alleged mob enforcer. In a one-on-one interview with RedEye, she dismissed the murder charges against her father as "hearsay."
"Now you won't ever hear 'The German' as 'Oh, he was a hitman,'" she told RedEye outside the Bebe store in Water Tower Place.
Schweihs is very defensive of her father, who has become a hot-button issue on "Mob Wives Chicago," which began airing last month on VH1. The show features Schweihs and four other local women with ties to the "Chicago Outfit" who bicker about whose father did what and who is the least classy.
Schweihs is often in the middle of the drama, which she calls 100 percent real. In one recent episode, she becomes upset when another cast member shows up late to a memorial for her father. The confrontation turns violent.
"It is our life and it really is real," said Schweihs, wearing a sheer purple top and white jeans. "For me, the whole point of the show is for my father and nothing else and I am thisclose to getting closure."
Part of the premise of the show is Schweihs' return to Chicago after living in Florida with her father, who she calls her best friend. Schweihs, 49, said she now lives in Bridgeport and recently celebrated finishing her business master's degree at Robert Morris University.
She said she was taking multiple courses when she was filming "Mob Wives Chicago," which added to her stress level. Some of friendships she had going into the show have been strained, but she said she has gotten closer to fellow castmates Christina Scoleri and Leah Desimone.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Renee Fecarotta Russo and Nora Schweihs of Mob Wives Chicago Sued by Manager
Call it a “Mob” contract gone bad.
Two cast members of “Mob Wives Chicago” are being sued by film producer and talent manager Nick Celozzi Jr., who says both women owe him a cut of their pay for appearing on the new VH1 reality TV show.
The lawsuits, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, accuse Renee Fecarotta Russo and Nora Schweihs of breaking their contracts with Celozzi.
He says his company, Family Ties Management, arranged for both women to attend a casting call with the show’s production company, JustJenn Productions. The women hired Celozzi to be their manager for two years, according to copies of contracts that appear to have been signed by Russo and Schweihs in December.
As their manager, Celozzi was supposed to collect 15 percent of what the women get paid to be on the TV show — a figure listed in the lawsuits as $6,000 for each of the season’s 10 episodes. That makes Celozzi’s cut $900 an episode for Russo and the same for Schweihs.
Looks like it was an offer they could refuse.
To date, Russo has forked over $500 while Schweihs has paid $900, according to the lawsuits, which say the women each owe a total of $9,000 for season one — plus interest and legal costs.
“I do believe a lot of people who are new to this business … when they realize that there’s a lot of costs to being involved in this type of industry, they change their minds about what decisions they wanted to have made several months prior,” said Celozzi’s attorney, James Pesoli.
The management contracts call for disputes to be settled before the American Arbitration Association in New York. But Pesoli said that “due to the size of the claim being relatively minimal, under $10,000, it’s in both parties’ best interest to attempt to settle it locally.”
Pesoli, who appeared in court with Russo’s attorney earlier this week, said discussions are under way to potentially settle out of court. He said things haven’t progressed as much in the case of Schweihs, whom they’ve had “a great amount of difficulty” in serving with the lawsuit.
Attempts to reach Schweihs, Russo and Russo’s attorney Wednesday were unsuccessful.
“Mob Wives Chicago,” a spinoff of the popular “Mob Wives” series, debuted June 10 and airs Sundays on the cable network. The show follows the lives of five women related to Chicago mobsters.
Russo is the niece of late loan shark and Outfit hit man “Big John” Fecarotta.
Schweihs is the daughter of Frank “The German” Schweihs, an alleged mob enforcer who died shortly before going to trial in 2008 in the city’s historic Family Secrets case. Nora Schweihs made headlines last week when she had father’s remains exhumed from St. Mary Cemetery in Evergreen Park — part of her purported quest to find out what really happened to her dad.
Celozzi, a former actor, used to appear in his father Nick’s commercials for Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst. Dividing his time between California and the western suburbs, Celozzi has several mob-related entertainment projects in the works, including a documentary on his grand-uncle, notorious Outfit boss Sam “Momo” Giancana.
Thanks to Lori Rackl Irackl
Two cast members of “Mob Wives Chicago” are being sued by film producer and talent manager Nick Celozzi Jr., who says both women owe him a cut of their pay for appearing on the new VH1 reality TV show.
The lawsuits, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, accuse Renee Fecarotta Russo and Nora Schweihs of breaking their contracts with Celozzi.
He says his company, Family Ties Management, arranged for both women to attend a casting call with the show’s production company, JustJenn Productions. The women hired Celozzi to be their manager for two years, according to copies of contracts that appear to have been signed by Russo and Schweihs in December.
As their manager, Celozzi was supposed to collect 15 percent of what the women get paid to be on the TV show — a figure listed in the lawsuits as $6,000 for each of the season’s 10 episodes. That makes Celozzi’s cut $900 an episode for Russo and the same for Schweihs.
Looks like it was an offer they could refuse.
To date, Russo has forked over $500 while Schweihs has paid $900, according to the lawsuits, which say the women each owe a total of $9,000 for season one — plus interest and legal costs.
“I do believe a lot of people who are new to this business … when they realize that there’s a lot of costs to being involved in this type of industry, they change their minds about what decisions they wanted to have made several months prior,” said Celozzi’s attorney, James Pesoli.
The management contracts call for disputes to be settled before the American Arbitration Association in New York. But Pesoli said that “due to the size of the claim being relatively minimal, under $10,000, it’s in both parties’ best interest to attempt to settle it locally.”
Pesoli, who appeared in court with Russo’s attorney earlier this week, said discussions are under way to potentially settle out of court. He said things haven’t progressed as much in the case of Schweihs, whom they’ve had “a great amount of difficulty” in serving with the lawsuit.
Attempts to reach Schweihs, Russo and Russo’s attorney Wednesday were unsuccessful.
“Mob Wives Chicago,” a spinoff of the popular “Mob Wives” series, debuted June 10 and airs Sundays on the cable network. The show follows the lives of five women related to Chicago mobsters.
Russo is the niece of late loan shark and Outfit hit man “Big John” Fecarotta.
Schweihs is the daughter of Frank “The German” Schweihs, an alleged mob enforcer who died shortly before going to trial in 2008 in the city’s historic Family Secrets case. Nora Schweihs made headlines last week when she had father’s remains exhumed from St. Mary Cemetery in Evergreen Park — part of her purported quest to find out what really happened to her dad.
Celozzi, a former actor, used to appear in his father Nick’s commercials for Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst. Dividing his time between California and the western suburbs, Celozzi has several mob-related entertainment projects in the works, including a documentary on his grand-uncle, notorious Outfit boss Sam “Momo” Giancana.
Thanks to Lori Rackl Irackl
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