Just A Coupla Guys: Recent Episodes
Ray Rogina and Pat Crimmins
Comprised of the beloved former mayor of St. Charles, Ray Rogina, and former assistant state’s attorney and Geneva lawyer Pat Crimmins, Just A Coupla Guys will be “Talking Everything” about the Fox Valley and beyond, with guests like Sam Smith, Geneva resident, legendary Chicago sportswriter and author of the huge best-seller “The Jordan Rules;” Chazz Palminteri, Academy-Award nominee and award-winning author of “A Bronx Tale;” Julie Mann, longtime Managing Editor for WBBM; Wayne Randazzo, raised in St. Charles and now radio voice of the New York Mets; and many more.
The guys speak with Scott Mackay, host of the enormously popular "Mackay in the Morning" show on 95.9FM The River. Scott talks about his lifelong love affair with radio, the ups and downs of the business, and where he sees it going in the future.
Also, an important discussion with seasoned financial advisor John Micetich, owner of Kensington Financial in San Diego. John is a U of I grad and has been helping clients manage their investments for over 36 years. He talks about what to expect in the coming years and provides guidance on how to prepare for that now.
The guys speak with country music legend Lee Greenwood about his time as a blackjack dealer in Vegas, the origins of his smash hit "Proud To Be An American" and his remarkable career spanning over 60 years.
Greenwood will be performing at Pfeiffer Hall in Naperville on Friday, May 19 at 8:00. Tickets are available https://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu.
Also, "Someone You Should Know" premiers with Nino (Anthony) Sciackitano, former owner of Denino's in Aurora and Italian cook extraordinaire.
The guys speak with Jarrett Payton about this football career, his philanthropy and his gig as a television personality at WGN. Later, St. Charles restauranteur and business partner with Jarrett joins the discussion to talk about the newly-opened Duke's Northwoods and Flagship on the Fox.
The guys go on location at Alexander's Cafe in St. Charles, where they discuss the daily news and have an intriguing discussion with owner Nick Smith.
The guys speak with Tim Ward, President of the Kevin White Foundation, about the special life of the late Kevin White of St. Charles, who was killed at age 19 in a tragic car accident. Tim describes Kevin's profound impact on those around him, the pain of his untimely death and the Foundation that bears his name.
In honor of Opening Day, we speak to long-time General Manager of the Kane County Cougars, Curtis Haug.
With Pat out for the week, Producer Paul Stukel and Ray also chat about their predictions for the upcoming MLB season, with Paul offering tepid hope for the Cubbies, and Ray hedging furiously about the Sox.
The guys are off this week so we bring you the "Best of Outtakes," where the guys are at their most unguarded and hilarious.
The guys talk all things hoops with legendary Batavia High School coach (retired) Jim Roberts.
PLUS, the guys give you their picks, including St. Raymond of Joliet and his all-Jesuit final!
The guys broadcast LIVE from Rookies All American Pub & Grill at the Fox Valley Ice Arena, home of the Chicago Steel.
The guys get in the St. Paddy's Day spirit with a sit-down with local legend Shay Clarke, originally from Dublin, long-time West Dundee resident, author and broadcaster, travel guide and overall bon vivant (and a regular at McNally's Irish Pub in St. Charles).
Also, "Travels With Pat and Ray!"
The guys welcome in the April 4 municipal election season with interviews of the two candidates for Elgin mayor, the incumbent Mayor David Kaptain and Councilman Corey Dixon. From urban development to homelessness to policing, the candidates discuss a wide range of issues crucial to the state's 5th largest city.
The guys speak with legendary St. Charles alum Rick Wohlhuter, breaker of World and American records in track, Olympian, former Track & Field Athlete of the Year and Sullivan Award winner for best American amateur athlete.
The guys speak with Avery Bowne, Managing Director, and Aaron Thomann, President of the Board of Directors, about a Fox Valley jewel, Kane Repertory Theatre.
Also, another scintillating edition of "Masters of the Trivial!"
The guys talk with State Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D, 49th District) and Steve McHugh, Mothers Demand Action, about the controversial "assault weapons" ban signed into law by Governor Pritzker recently.
Please support our sponsors:
McNally's Heating and Cooling
Karas Restaurant Group:
Rookies All American Pub & Grill
Old Republic Kitchen + Bar
Alexander's Cafe
The Village Squire Restaurants
Teqworks
"Just A Coupla Guys" is available on:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/.../just-a-coupla.../id1620640070
Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/.../aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c...
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6g5sVtlCZK0rF8R79AGEW2
Stitcher
https://www.stitcher.com/show/just-a-coupla-guys
The guys talk all things music with Jeff Hunt, Director of the famous St. Charles Singers. Also, Pat and Ray give their take on the Passing Scene.
And stick around for the St. Charles Singers' moving rendition of America The Beautiful!
We speak with Chris Witaske, St. Charles native, Second City alum, actor, writer and creator of the Netflix adult animation hit "Chicago Party Aunt."
Also, some nutritious tidbits and nuggets from the guys.
The guys take a last look back at 2022 and have some thoughts on what's coming in the New Year.
The guys speak with show sponsor and retirement expert Ted Buckley about his new book "𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟑𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬?"
During the Geneva Christmas Walk this year, co-hosts Ray Rogina and Pat Crimmins of the Justa Coupla Guys podcast had the opportunity to sit down with the legendary Chef Alain Roby and his lovely wife and business partner Esther to discuss Roby’s extraordinary career (private pastry chef of the Shah of Iran, founder of Windows on the World at the World Trade Center in New York, Head Chef for Marriott for 25 years, etc.) and his and Esther’s equally extraordinary All Chocolate Kitchen in Geneva.
The guys speak with James Fuller, longtime Kane County, Elgin and political reporter for The Daily Herald, about the state of modern journalism and Kane County politics.
Also, The Passing Scene!
As we come to the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Just A Coupla Guys podcast sat down with Spring Piatek, APN, Advanced Practice Nurse for Breast Surgery and the High Risk Breast Clinic at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, to discuss the importance of early detection and the expanding number of promising treatments for breast cancer.
Spring is a licensed APN with experience in breast surgery, breast oncology, and breast health. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University. She collaborates with breast surgeons and a multidisciplinary breast team to provide comprehensive care to women at high risk for developing breast cancer. She has expertise in breast cancer risk assessment and care coordination.
The guys speak with South Elgin Village President Steve Ward about his upbringing, the SAFE-T Act, gun control and the future of South Elgin.
And also....the RANDO WHEEL!!!
The guys speak with new District 303 Superintendent Paul Gordon about his ambitious plans for the district and how controversial issues like gender identity and critical race theory affect teachers at all levels.
Also, the guys check in with their Texas correspondent in another edition of "Is The Caller There?"
The guys speak with Chris Curran, co-owner and Chef of The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles.
Also, the long-awaited introduction of "The Rando-Wheel!"
The guys talk Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all things St. Charles with Mayor Lora Vitek.
Also, Scarecrow Weekend!
Come on out and see the guys livecast at 2:30pm Saturday from Lincoln Park during Scarecrow Weekend in St. Charles!
The guys talk with Dale Berman, former long-time mayor of North Aurora and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Kane County Board.
Also, the introduction of two new segments: "Stop Yourself!" and "Masters of the Trivial!"
The guys speak with Jenna Sawicki, Executive Director of the St. Charles Business Alliance, about the exciting present and future of St. Charles.
Also, the guys talk immigration and no-cash bail in The Passing Scene; and some dismal sports critiques in Everybody's A Critic.
An interview with Alex Kline-Wedeen, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, which will be hosting the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Chicago this weekend.
Also, the guys introduce two new segments - "Travels with Pat and Ray" and "The Passing Scene."
The guys speak with 6-term mayor of Geneva, Kevin Burns.
Also, Pat and Ray share their never-ending search for sponsors at Wrigley Field.
The guys talk with a legend, Wayne Newton.
Newton talks about his life, his music, and the incredible array of legendary stars he's met along the way, from his big breaks with Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason to his odd friendship with Elvis.
Newton will be performing at the Des Plaines Theatre on Sunday, September 11 at 5pm.
The guys chat with Jeff Schielke, the 3rd-longest serving mayor in the state of Illinois. In his 42nd year as mayor of Batavia, Schielke talks about his life and a wide range of issues facing Batavia, the region and the country.
Also, Pat and Ray offer some views on the state of Kane County, casting a gimlet eye on proposals to raise the county sales tax to pay for the controversial SAFE-T Act.
The guys sit down with St. Charles native Ann Tardy, Founder of human capital consultancy MentorLead.
As a former Silicon Valley corporate attorney and a current CEO, Ann knows people from many dynamics. In 2003, Ann launched MentorLead to bridge the gap between culture and strategy. When mentoring is used as a strategic initiative, clients create an agile workforce that is intentionally driving the organization's critical goals and objectives... leadership regardless of title.
Ann has been influencing audiences from the stage and in her books for over 15 years. She is the author of Ambition on a Mission (2007), Moxie for Managers (2011), Why Mentoring Matters (2013), and In a Flash! (2018).
When not on a stage, Ann is on her bicycle. In 2011, Ann cycled 4,200 miles from San Francisco to San Diego; in 2012 she cycled 2,600 miles from Key West, Florida, to Bar Harbor, Maine; in 2014 she cycled 1,600 miles from Seattle to San Diego; in 2016 she cycled from Crater Lake to Yosemite; and in 2018 she cycled from Banff to Yellowstone.
Also, a postponed Cubs excursion, channeling the Cincinnati Kid, the mysterious "Alex" and Pat waking up in West Chicago.
Jeff, the Village President, talks about Elburn's past, present and future, while his wife Carrie, President of Elburn's Lions Club, talks about the upcoming Elburn Days (August 19-21) in all its glory.
Plus, Ray reviews a few books on American Presidents while Pat burnishes his history creds.
The guys are allowed out (under supervised release) and they escape to one of Ray's favorite places in the world, the bleachers in Wrigley Field! Here's the first of 3 interviews with the denizens thereof.
We revisit our very first podcast - before we'd even launched!
An interesting discussion from last April with comedy legend and cannabis farmer (!) Jim Belushi.
The guys chat with Elgin Mayor David Kaptain about Elgin's End of Summer Bash, Nightmare on Chicago Street, crime, pandemic and pretty much everything else Elgin.
Also, Pat informs us of impending doom this weekend from a dying Chinese rocket, biting monkeys, monkeypox and more. You'll never leave the house!
The guys do what they do best: banter. In this special episode, Pat and Ray talk about the B1G expansion involving USC and UCLA, they go "On the Town," and then get a little more serious in chatting about the elections and January 6 hearings.
The guys speak with Danielle Tufano, Executive Director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance, about all things Naperville.
And Ray kicks off "Ray's Restaurant Reviews"...or is it "Pat and Ray's Restaurant Reviews" ...or...?
The guys speak with Aurora's Gary Johnson, the attorney who fought through politically-inspired prosecutors and their enablers in law enforcement to ultimately save his client and two other innocent defendants - both on death row - during the infamous Jeanine Nicarico murder trials in Naperville in the mid-1980s.
Gary's memoir of that time, Luck is a Talent: The True Story Of A Trial Lawyer's Experience Defending An Innocent Man Charged With Murder, is available on Amazon.
The guys discuss the extraordinary life of Aurora's former Chief of Police, Kristen Ziman. From being the daughter of a great cop with personal demons to becoming Aurora's first female Chief, the conversation follows the highs and lows of a life of achievement...and loss. Ziman's book, Reimagining Blue: Thoughts on Life, Leadership, and a New Way Forward in Policing, is available on Amazon.
Also, Pat learns what a Cape is, while Ray applauds local women's sporting champions.
The guys speak with leading GOP gubernatorial candidates Richard Irvin, Mayor of Aurora, and Darren Bailey, State Senator.
𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝟐-𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬.
Ray and fill-in co-host Paul Stukel (Pat was out "working") speak with Angela McCrum, Director at LivingWell Cancer Resource Center, and Jen Patterson, Philanthropy Associate at Northwestern Medicine, about the vital services performed by LivingWell and the upcoming "Rock The Block" fundraiser on Saturday, June 25.
Plus, Pat's legalisms and Ray's first official restaurant review, which involves a discussion of Pat's gastrointestinal challenges and a definition of Thai food. Look, we said we'd talk everything, right?
The guys speak with decorated combat pilot, self-made billioniare and Founder, Calamos Investments, Naperville's John Calamos, Sr., discusses his life, his business, and our economic outlook.
Also, the guys discuss the January 6 Committee hearings and Ray's beloved White Sox.
Ray (15 marathons) and Pat (he watched one once) interview the legendary Bill Rex of Geneva, runner of 570 marathons, the 36th most prolific marathoner in the United States. Also, Glen Kamps of Dick Pond Athletics talks about beginning the process of becoming a runner, regardless of age or physical condition.
But first, the guys spar over the Golden State Warriors....
The guys talk all things Bulls and all things Michael Jordan with Sam Smith, legendary Bulls reporter and author of "The Jordan Rules." Smith takes us back to the joys and controversies of the Bulls' glory days, with Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and, of course, Jordan all taking center stage. He also gives his insight on today's Bulls and where they might be heading.
"The Jordan Rules: The Inside Story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls" is available on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
Wanna know how Pat and Ray talk behind the scenes? Listen in on the guys planning, sorta, for future shows.
In this episode, the guys share memories of Pheasant Run.
(Starting in mid-June, OUTTAKES will be available only to Patrons. Visit https://bit.ly/3kRGCVI for options.)
Pat and Ray talk to Julie Mann and discuss her extraordinary, award-winning career in journalism, during which she rose to be Managing Editor at the nation's third largest news radio station, WBBM Chicago.
Also, "Justice for Ludwig" returns!
Sponsored by the Point Nemo Chamber of Commerce.
"Point Nemo: Get Away From It All...Literally"
Wanna know how Pat and Ray talk behind the scenes? Listen in on the guys planning, sorta, for future shows.
(Starting in mid-June, OUTTAKES will be available only to Patrons. Visit https://bit.ly/3kRGCVI for options.)
Pat and Ray chat with the radio voice of the New York Mets, St. Charles native Wayne Randazzo, about his impressive rise from announcing St. Charles East High School baseball games to calling MLB games in the nation's largest market.
Wanna know how Pat and Ray talk behind the scenes? Listen in on the guys planning, sorta, for future shows. "Colonoscopies Just For Fun!"
(Starting in mid-June, OUTTAKES will be available only to Patrons. Visit https://bit.ly/3kRGCVI for options.)
“The response to violent crime has to be prosecution and incarceration”In a wide-ranging interview, DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin expresses his frustration and concern about a series of bills rushed through the Illinois legislature at the last minute – literally in the dead of night – and signed by Governor Pritzker that will drastically reduce his ability, and that of law enforcement across the state, to keep dangerous criminals off the streets.
Wanna know how Pat and Ray talk behind the scenes? Here's a taste where Ray gets to vent about the Sox and they both get to dump on the Cubs.
(Starting in mid-June, this content will be available only to subscribers. Visit https://bit.ly/3kRGCVI for options.)
Chazz Palminteri is an original. Growing up in the Bronx, he saw a man shot and killed when he was 9 years old - and was then befriended by the "wiseguy" who did it. Later, when he moved to LA in search of an acting career, in desperation he decided to write about that experience. The result? The award-winning "A Bronx Tale." What started as a wildly successful one-man play went on to be a major motion picture starring Chazz and director Robert DeNiro, and then a Broadway musical.
Chazz was also nominated for an Academy Award in Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway," in which he played Cheech, a gangster with an extraordinary talent for writing.
Chazz' career is a remarkable one, but his life story has captivated audiences for decades. A kid from the neighborhood with wiseguys for friends moves to LA and makes it big on his own terms, turning down millions of dollars in order to keep true to himself.
(Note: Chazz was scheduled to perform his one-man play "A Bronx Tale" at the Arcada Theatre on Mothers' Day. That performance has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 23.)
The guys sit down with Curtis Haug, General Manager of the Kane County Cougars, to talk all things baseball, from the minors to the majors. Play ball!
The Guys chatted with comedian, actor and now cannabis farmer (!), Jim Belushi in anticipation of Belushi’s appearance at the Des Plaines Theatre this Friday, April 15, at 7pm. For tickets, go to www.desplainestheatre.com.