BBC

these are interviews which are part of two different shows that i do for the bbc. one is a ninety minute program that is on every week and it is called “the new york hour”  i am in the bbc new york studios and my co-host is in london.

the first live broadcast for this is at 8pm new york city time on saturday nights.  it is then heard at different times throughout the world.

the second set of interviews (marked with ****) which is called “wall street report” deals mainly with the economic problems of the world and it is heard every tuesday night as a stand alone interview for about ten minutes. bbc calls me the “wall street reporter.”

the main link for the bbc is http://www.bbc.co.uk

some of the interviews are also broadcasted on other independent radio stations and networks.

each week i am also joined by a guest in the new york studio on saturday nights.  some of whom are:  

curtis sliwa (wabc morning host), bill huffman (new york post page six column), james traub (new york times correspondent), mark daniels (wbli host), martin dunn (editor in chief daily news), gersh kuntzman (editor of the brooklyn paper), steve mercinsky (international radio correspondent), jaimie kitman (u.s. editor top gear magazine), carl bialek (wall street journal), femi oki (senior editor the takeaway on national public radio).

alexis soloski (drama critic for the village voice), tara gadomski (award winning actress), ellis henican (newsday columnist), easy mo bee (music mogul who among other things worked with big daddy kane, wu tang, alicia keyz, biggie and tupac, craig mack, busta rhymes, mos def, and produced the last recorded studio album for miles davis, for which he won a grammy), millie bratten (editor in chief of brides magazine), jeffrey lichtman (noted criminal defense lawyer for such defendants as john gotti jr.).

gerald eskenazi (a sports writer for the new york times who has written thousands of articles on every sport and fifteen books.), joan boyd (retired editor of bbc northern ireland’s award winning “talkback” radio show who currently lives part time in new york city), abiola abrams (a BET host and a VH1 personality and an author), paul blair (editor of hot house which is the bible of nyc jazz), lauren lake (legal commentator on cnn, court tv and fox), sean kavanagh-dowsett (owner of a salt and battery restaurant and tea and sympathy restaurant in nyc), michael daly (columnist for the new york daily news).

here are the archives for some of the latest interviews on the broadcasts.  just click on the name and you will hear. 

****ira lee sorkin is the attorney for the infamous bernard manoff. not to worry, ira is a very nice man who you would want to have as your lawyer. my purpose in this interview was not to rehash the bernard manoff scheme, but to give some insight into just exactly what is an “ira lee sorkin.”

****christopher williams is a young man who works for the new york public library. i wanted to find out from a “real employee” instead of a fat cat boss just how the library doing during these recession times.

****sam chandan is the ceo of “real estate economics” and he takes a somewhat scientific approach to the real estate market. he has taught at several major universities. i asked him to explain just what “real estate economics” is?

dave huntoon is a lieutenant general who is the director of the army staff. i met him at the new york stock exchange where he and sergeant david obray, 2008 soldier of the year participated in the ringing of the bell at the close of the trading day. it was to celebrate the 234^th birthday of the united states army.

****steve druckman is with fresh direct, a company that specializes in delivering meals and foods that are ordered online. it is a service that is quite popular in new york city. the first question was, “what is fresh direct?”

eve gonzalez white is a wife, mom and a soldier at camp bucca which is in iraq. it is the place where the united states army keeps prisoners. we did the interview by telephone and the first question i asked her was, how did she get into the army?

****carl schwartz tells me about cheapflights.com which is a pretty nifty way to find out the best deal for your airline tickets. i didn’t realize that millions of people go to the site to get the lowest prices. i also asked him how the airlines were doing in these troubled times.

jonathan kantor is one of the people who makes the blue note club work. the blue note is considered one of the nation’s most outstanding jazz venues and it appears they even set a good food and drink table. he talks about the current and the past world of jazz and also tells us about a graduate program in jazz at new york university.

****hiro nishida is the ceo of the megu restaurants in new york city.  i was curious as to how his upscale restaurants are doing and i wanted to know the difference in running a restaurant in toyko.

joseph rollino who i interviewed at fort hamilton just prior to memorial day is probably the oldest living veteran from world war two.  at the age of 104 he is still going strong and it was a great honor for me to meet with him.  he is absolutely an american hero.

****richard chavis makes eye glasses in one of new york city's poorest neighborhoods, el barrio which is also known as spanish harlem.  the first thing i asked richard was to tell us about his neighborhood and how he became an optician.

michael brandow has written a book about dogs….well, a particular kind of book about dogs. not your usual book about dogs. when i met him, i asked him what is the name of your book?

****james tuton is the ceo of american traffic solutions which is the company that puts cameras at intersections to catch people who don’t like stopping for red lights. red light running in the leading cause of urban crashes.

****steve green is the publisher of pmq pizza magazine so that makes him the voice of america’s pizza. he tells all about his industry which is about 36 billion dollars a year, which is a great deal of pepperoni.

remi laba is the owner of, among other venues, bagatelle, which is one of the most "in" places in manhattan. besides the good food, it is one of the those places to go to and be seen there. it is located in the meat packing district which has become very trendy.

****diane west is the publisher of “new york tails” which is a pet magazine that is read by all but intended mainly for new yorkers. she talks about the magazine and also about the economics of owning a pet. listening in on the interview was her pet chinchilla named “chili.”

karen pierce is the ambassador and deputy permanent representative of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland mission to the united nations in new york and president of the un trusteeship council. she told me not only about her job, but also how it is for a brit to live in the big apple.

****gus drakopoulos runs sin city. yes, you read that right. sin city, a club in the bronx which offers adult entertainment and it is run quite nicely and quite properly. gus was once an investment banker and he tells about the financial aspects of a club such as this.

dustin portillo is the boss clown of the ringling brothers circus, the greatest show on earth. we met him at madison square garden and then he invite my wife and i to be clowns in the show. wow. was that a thrill. if you want to see the pictures, send an email to peterbbc@verizon.net

****ellie kay is a financial expert who gives lectures and writes books. she tells how you can still send your kids to college in these troubled times. she has some first hand experience since she is the mother of seven.

carter roberts is the ceo of the world wildlife fund which is the largest organization in the world whose mission is saving this planet and everything that grows and lives here. this man has so much power that he was able to have most of the world turn off its lights.

****dev patnaik is the ceo of jump associates and the author of “wired to care.” he helps companies to be “nice” along with other ideas. obviously, this all goes to getting a better bottom line , especially during a recession.

dennis jacobs is the chief judge of the united states court of appeals in new york city. if you think that is an important job, it certainly is. the judge, however, is a real new yorker and if someone is going to sit in judgment on you, this is the man you want. i swear on my honor, your honor. there was an article about him recently in the new york times and he told me that his wife liked the picture that they ran of him. wow. i hope she likes this interview.

****paula hughes is a site manager for “tech space” which provides office space and various types of support for new and old businesses that do not need a conventional long rent lease and the financial drain of purchasing services from various utilities. it truly is a one stop place to have an office.

helen marshall is the president of the borough of queens and she certainly is a true new yorker. besides being a political power, she is a wife and a mom, which is a pretty nice combination.

****richard sandor is an economist and the ceo of the chicago climate exchange and the climate exchange plc in london. time magazine called him a “hero of the environment.”

sarah beatty is the big boss of a company that is called green depot. they sell all types of materials and products for the home that are good and safe to use. she worries about the environment the way we all should. the company just open a brand new super store right here in manhattan.

****helen fisher is an anthropologist who is quite well known and highly regarded. she talked with me about the relationship between love, sex and the current economic recession.

elizabeth samet is a professor of english at the united states military academy at west point. she is a civilian teacher in contrast to the military teachers who deal with classes in warfare. in the interview i call the cadets “kiddies.” that is a parent talking about young college people. let there be no mistake, on the day that they graduate and become officers in the united states army they are no longer “kiddies.” they are certainly adults in a very serious occupation.

****rachel pine has created the wall street pink slip parties for folks who have lost their jobs. it makes for a nice social situation where they can meet each other and also meet with recruiters who are looking for new employees. rachel has just become a new mom and thus her life is quite full.

cristin browne is a cadet at the united states military academy at west point. she tells us about the “academy awards” that the cadets have, just like the one held in hollywood. she also talks about the values of the usma and lets us know a little about herself and a cadet’s day to day routine. this interview was aired on the same day the hollywood thing took place.

****tim ryan is the president of the culinary institute of america which trains chefs with either a two year or four year resident course. he discussed how the restaurant business is doing in the united states and how are his graduates doing?

robert meeropol is the younger son of julius and ethel rosenberg who were put to death by the united states government for spying for the soviet union and maybe giving them the secrets of the atomic bomb. this interview was played on valentine’s day because i saw it as a great love story more than just spy story.

****ed sheppard owns a lovely store in brooklyn which just happens to be on the fort hamilton army base. he talks about the recession and how to run a business in tough times.

****erik blauberg is a master chief and a consultant for restaurants and other food establishments. he not only knows who to cook a meal, he knows how to make a profit on it.

susan feldman is the artistic director of st. ann’s warehouse, a very very interesting theater in the dumbo section of brooklyn. the theater is a classic example of why people should visit other boroughs of the city and not just stay in manhattan.

****angelina vasquez is medical technician who is also a single mom so she really has to watch her pocketbook as she raises two young children. one of her duties is to take blood. the first question i asked her was “do rich people really have blue blood?”

kirk koenig is a commercial jet pilot and president of an aviation consulting firm. he talked with me about the crash (landing) of the us airways airplane in the hudson river.

matt daniels knows about great americans and he manages a website that tells us all about them. his personal life and the success he has had, make him a pretty nifty person in his own right.

****june o’neill is at the baruch college and the graduate center, city university of new york and she is a professor of economics. she holds the wollman distinguished chair in economics and is the director, center for the study of business and government at the college. i asked her to tell me what is going on with this recession?

peter lomtevas is an attorney who specializes in family matters. his office is in queens and you probably couldn’t find a more street wise lawyer. he talked to me about a lady client whose kids were snatched by the city.

****lawrence di rita is a spokesperson for the bank of america and he tells us that it is just about the biggest financial institution in the world and yet when i asked him the surprise question, “how much money do you have in your pocket right now……”

jerry kelly is a former new york city policeman and he has written a book about his adventures as a cop during a period of time when there were lots of drugs on the streets and how some officers were involved.

millie bratten is the editor of brides magazine. she offers some great tips about weddings and marriages. she must be doing something right because millions read her magazine.

buddy and barbara freitag are a delightful couple who among other things are broadway show producers. they are really new yorkers in thought and deed. we now know a bunch more about “show biz” then we did before.

andrzej bialuski takes the beauty of orchids and other flowers and turns them into jewelry. as a young man growing up in poland, his mother wanted him to be a policeman because “they got free shoes.” well, he wears nice shoes now.

daneen augello is a young lady who make glass blown jewelry….a rather ancient craft. we spoke to her in grand central terminal before christmas where she had a booth as part of a gift show that the railroad was having.

donald tobor is truly a food mogul. he distributes billions of his products such as a sugar substitute and a non-dairy creamer. he is a real new yorker and he is active in many good non-profit organizations in the city. he gave some good tips on how to run a business from which he can not be fired.

michael corsello has been involved in the food world for most of his life. it was just before thanksgiving and i went to talk to him about how busy a supermarket chain can get during this holiday season. gobble. gobble. gobble.

suzanne steinbaum is the director of women and heart disease at the heart and vascular institute at lenox hill hospital here in nyc. after the interview she discovered that i had a heart blockage and on the following day i was operated on. she saved my life. i am glad i interviewed her.

candice night is a wonderful singer who also knows how to market and promote her music. we met in a midtown restaurant and as she entered the room, all eyes turned towards her. she has toured the world and she has even sung in a salt mine.

jeff foxx is the morning drive time host on kiss fm, a really hot station in new york city. the interview was aired right after a conversation i was having with a fan in spain and i began to tease my co-host, martin dunn, the editor of the daily news, that i was more important than him. we were going to play a track from jeff’s new album but we just ran out of time so i suggest you go buy the album.

bill jones is an expert on skiing and he publishes a ski magazine. i just happen to interview him on one of the hottest days of the year. no snow in sight, but he still was a cool guy.

catrise austin is a dentist who really makes you feel at ease when she says, “open wide.” even though she does work on celebs, she is available for everyone and frankly has a personality that makes going to the dentist, not so bad. she also gives some good tips on dating,

paul kreppel is a theater person which means he is more than just an actor. this interview did not run until three months after i met paul because i was out of new york city and it was misplaced. so, i had him bring me up to speed on his latest accomplishments. since leaving "my mother's italian" he has been to london to co- direct "jay johnson: the two and only." he is now working with gay marshall on her piaf concert then, it is off to LA for a month to perform in "silk stockings" for "forever plaid creator stuart ross.

philip schwalb is the ceo of the sports museum of america, new york city’s newest museum. located in manhattan in view of the statue of liberty, it is a place where you just want to yell “play ball.”

manning marable is the director of black history at columbia university which is one of the most prestigious universities in the united states. in this exclusive interview he talks about his malcom x project.

barbara tober is the chairman of the board of our city’s newest addition to our long list of museums. from her description of the museum and her energy it will be a fantastic success. just another great reason to visit the big apple.

jeff brooks making music is a really neat way to end the summer on the jersey shore. we met him and heard him at picasso’s in toms river, new jersey. not to worry, after the tourists leave, he still plays all year round.

chistina seid is the co-owner of the chinatown ice cream factory. her ice cream is delicious. she is an attractive intelligent woman who can give you all the ice cream you could want. what a catch for some lucky guy.

david mitson is a second lieutenant in her majesty’s 4^th battalion parachute regiment. he was at fort dix, new jersey where he and his unit were mobilization training for afghanistan. his commanding officer lieutenant colonel ben baldwin suggested that david was an excellent example of the modern british officer. he was right.

marty markowitz is the brooklyn borough president and put quite simply he is quite a pro-brooklyn person. he loves his job but because of term limits, he has to move on. the big question is….will he run for mayor?

diannae ehler is the general manager of the newest greater new york city area international airport. it is called stewart and once upon a time it was only a military airport but now the port authority of new york and new jersey is making it into a world class civilian operation.

noah sapir runs a club in greenwich village called the fat cat. although the club is a nifty place to hang out in, noah is not a fat cat himself, but he does have a dog.

jeffrey menaged runs an airport in midtown manhattan. well, not exactly. he has a company that charters private jets for his clients who fly here, there, and everywhere. you can bet he doesn’t lose their luggage.

irene lebbad works with women who have been sexual assaulted. she shows a great deal of concern and compassion for ladies who have been attacked. a broadway show helped her to get the message across to the public.

leslie day is the person to meet if you want to go on a safari and you don’t have to go to africa. new york city has oodles of wild creatures and i am not talking about the folks in the subways.

gerald shargel has been called one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country. one of his more famous clients was john gotti who was known as the teflon don. in addition to his court room work, he teaches at brooklyn law school.

marcia stepanek is the editor in chief of “contribute.”  it is a magazine that informs about the world of charity giving and charity getting.  there might be a recession at this time, but there are still plenty of people who have money to give away.

barbara kavanaugh is a very attractive lady from queens, new york.  by the way, she is also the principal of a catholic school, the mother of four and she had a direct connection to the pope on his recent visit to new york city.

john clifford has been arrested numerous times on the long island railroad because he confronts people who are making a great deal of noise contrary to the regulations of the railroad.  it is a novel approach to social change.  he is a retired new york city policeman.

majora carter was selected by the coca cola company to represent new york city as a torch runner for the olympics.  we chatted just before she left to go to san francisco for the actual run.  she makes the bronx real proud.

sara cedar miller is the official historian and photographer of the central park conservancy.  it would be hard to find a nicer job than that.  150 years ago the plan for central park was approved.

scott stringer is the manhattan borough president.  each of the five boroughs have a president.  when i interviewed him, i asked him if i should call him “mr. president.”  someday i know i will be calling him “mr. mayor.”

doug duda is the maestro of food.  he has had his own television series and he commands an international teaching center for food here in manhattan’s greenwich village.  he is known for creating food programs such as “taste of the world” which was part of the new york times travel show this year. 

khalil islam  is the man who spent 22 years in prison for allegedly murdering malcolm x.  it happened on february 21, 1965 in new york city while he was addressing his organization of afro-american unity at the audubon ballroom.   i asked khalil to first explain what the meaning of “x” was.

thomas rotondi jr. is a united states army colonel who is the leader and commander of the united states army band “pershing’s own.  although stationed at fort myers in virginia it makes annual trips to new york city to perform at the lincoln center for the performing arts.  i spoke with the colonel a number of weeks ago, but i played the interview on our presidents day weekend because of the close connection between patriotism and music.

robert gebbia is with the american foundation for suicide prevention and he is the executive director.  more than being just a discussion of an illness, he makes it clear that it is a major disease in the united states.  the first question i asked him was, “should we even be talking about this?  is it contagious?”                       

frank lucas is the “american gangster” as played by denzel washington.  a few weeks prior to this interview i had interviewed his daughter on another matter which can be listened to later down on this page.  this interview is the unedited version.  when played on air by the bbc, his references to me as a “white boy” which i actually enjoyed, and his explanation as to what a nigger is, were cut.

phil donohue is a director at the board of elections here in new york city.  he is one of the people who makes sure that the elections run smoothly and properly.  he rides a harley to work which is fairly unusual for a government official.

mark pomerantz is an important lawyer in new york city and he has promised to defend me every time i get arrested….well, not really, but i would much rather have him defend me than prosecute me.  when i was in college and working at a tennis club in the bronx, i used to play tennis (at 6am) with the federal judge, edward weinfeld, who mark talks about in the interview.

isaiah owens is a prominent funeral director in harlem.  he promised me that if he prepares me for my final resting, he will put a laugh on my face.  if you have to die, this is the man to go to.

eddie brill is a very funny comic.  he is the warm-up man for david letterman, some kid from the midwest who has a tv show.  he also performs on the show and he also hires the comics.  i will give you his home telephone number and then you can ask him for tickets to the letterman show.  (that is a joke).

bob esposito is the man who sees that new year’s eve in times square is a happy safe event for all.  i asked him to let me drop the ball, but he said no.  i still like him.

gordon mott is the man to go to when you want to know something about cigars.  he is the editor of the magazine cigar aficionado.  a cool guy with a hot cigar.

ruth reichl is the editor of gourmet magazine and we discussed the holiday/december issue of the publication.   i called her sexy.  are you permitted to do that on the bbc?

randy cohen writes a column for the new york times about ethics.  what a novel idea.  it is one of the most popular items in the newspaper.  boy, does he get mail.

richard koplin is a man to whom you can trust your eyes.  he is a prominent eye surgeon who has been in the “family” business for many years.  for a miracle worker, he is very down-to-earth.  he used to be an excellent tennis player also….when he was younger.

sara moulton is the second best cook in the world.  my wife is the first.  however, sara is far more famous than my wife, but you wouldn’t know that when you talk to her because she is a nice lady who is just like a real person.  also, she is cute.

francine lucas is the daughter of frank lucas who was a notorious drug dealer and just about the most dangerous person in harlem years ago.  the movie “american gangster” is about him and in the movie he is played by denzel washington.  francine is a lovely lady who has embarked upon a course of helping the children of people who have been incarcerated.  the first thing i asked her was “what is the name of your website?”

frank cangelosi has been fixing chairs and such things for more than a half century.  he is a classic workman who takes great pride in what he does and is definitely one of the last of a vanishing breed of craftsmen.  he has worked for the kennedy family for many years.

eleven is a young black man on his way up in the music business.  keep an eye on this lovable bear.  someday you will stand on line for hours just to get a ticket to  one of his shows.  there is a great deal of buzz about him.

abi fortey is a young lady who has come to new york city to find her fame and fortune.  she comes from mumbles in wales.  did she say mumbles?  wait a minute, isn’t that where michael douglas’ wife comes from?  maybe the forteys and the douglas wife know each other?

chet marcus is a citizen soldier, an employee of the defense department and a musician.  he finds no conflict in his three occupations.  the trouble with this guy is that he makes you want to join the army.  his address book of who is who in the army would knock your socks off.

avery jones is the clinical director of an addiction research and treatment organization in manhattan.  she has some pretty tough days, but she handles it quite well.  there are some aspects of her job which are sort of scary.

marco gazic was supposed to be a math teacher, but he decided to be a musician.  listen to one of his numbers as played by he and his fellow band members in greenwich village.  if you go to a club in new york city, you have probably heard him.

abe nassi is straight from the movies.  he is a very prominent gem merchant but more than that, he looks like one and he talks like one.  if they made a movie about him, he would be the only person who could play the part.  he has had clients like princess di. 

alice and michael halkias own the grand prospect hall in brooklyn which is a fabulous place.  not only do they own it, they love it.  have your next wedding here. i think al capone was married in the hall.  well maybe not, but i bet he was there.

muzzy rosenblatt is the executive director of the brc homeless outreach.  his occupation is helping people which is not a bad way to live.  if you ever wondered who was the guiding force of helping the homeless in this city, this is the man.

anna boiardi is the granddaughter of the famous chef boy-ar-dee (they changed the spelling for the cans). there probably isn't a person in the united states who hasn't eaten her family's foods.  look for her on a cooking show in the near future.  i can’t say more than that.

lee child is the author of the jack reacher books.  jack knows how to kill.  lee knows how to charm.  i met with him at a small place in greenwich village and it was like a scene in a movie.  he promised to give me a part in a jack reacher movie.

sara contreras is from brooklyn, new york.  she has a beautiful face, a great figure, fantastic legs and a wonderful shape.  by the way, she is also a very very funny lady.  she has done a number of tv specials and i think she is the next real star.

richard s. wortman is a full professor of russian history at columbia university. if you want to know about russian monarchs, he is the person to ask.  our children are nicholas, catherine and alexi.  i asked the professor if those were good a choice of names since they ruled russia at different time.s

ron noy is a leading orthopedic surgeon in manhattan and he handles sports and performance injuries.  if you are lucky, maybe he will play some of his music whilst he slices you up.  you may not know of him, but most athletes do.

elyse messuri is the lady to go to when you want to know what to wear with what.  she will tell you how to look.  one visit with her and you are ok.  have you ever heard of laila rowe?  just google that name.

victoria coronato is a veterinarian for some of the the doggies and the cats of new york city.  the pets love her and she loves the pets.  she takes care of our four cats and a dog.

david ramsay is a retired united states army reserve colonel and he is currently the commanding general of the vca about which he explains.  his family dates back to the revolutionary war which some people think they started.

lorinda lisitza is a gem in the big apple musical world.  if you read that she is appearing at some club or play, go straight to her.  she has appeared in many clubs and she recently won an award for being the best in nightclub acts in new york city.

harley is a man you do not want to meet.  his occupation is fixing your vehicle when it gets smashed up.  he will make your car look like it was knew and make your pocket empty.  he is the car fiddler to the stars in this town.

tal lifshitz is a physical therapist on madison avenue.  she is the person who will get rid of what hurts you.  the shakers and the breakers go to her for what ails them.

abdul ahmed is the general manager of polash, an indian restaurant in spanish harlem.  this is a new idea for this neighborhood known as “el barrio.”  how could someone put this type of restaurant in the middle of a neighbor that was not used to this type of food?  he did.

scott kreitzer is a musician and a composer.  he tells you what you need to do if you want to do more than whistle a tune.  he is your next jazz star and he tells you how you can be one.