WPRN Public Radio: Recent Episodes
Adam Scull
WPRN Public Radio is an independent public radio platform to inform and entertain, bringing off-beat audio stories to life, focusing on radio plays, culture, and artistic sound portraits. Our interests encompass forgotten chapters of history, cultural exploration, capturing simplistic times evoking smiles and fond memories, as well as informed public affairs and contemporary stories of human connections. The audio stories are published on our website and disseminated to regional, national and international news outlets.
Hear the magic stories of the beat & hippie generations, the Woodstock explosion, musicians and bohemians amd the best dart throwers as they tell their stories of flower-power life of peace and love with a twinkle in their eyes, as they lived it all those years ago. Relive these interesting tales with us as we explore life from their perspective, while we crisscross the country by motorcycle along the backroads, taking in the local color and bringing it to life with intimate audio stories that tells us who we are and how we came to be this way. It’s a wonderful journey of many miles.
Special education, also known as special-needs education, is the practice of educating students to accommodate their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs.
Educating our young population today, is akin to parenting, perhaps the second most difficult profession to master. To the layperson, it might appear simplistic and rote, but that is a misnomer, as we routinely face enormous responsibilities and challenges annually. This is not a job, it is a calling. Although we wear many hats, our dedication and support is evident. All students are respected, nurtured, and encouraged to be active participants in the learning process. We work in tandem with other educators to ensure individual growth and creativity. Our focus is always on the child, whether gifted, special needs or other. Listen to the report.
Twenty some years ago, when I lived in Eastern Washington, I was out at a lake one busy summer day enjoying the heat of an Indian day. I wasn't a father and I didn't have any major responsibilities outside of rounding out my education and taking in what youth was still in my body. It was a good time to be alive, mid-twenties, good shape; family members since gone still alive. It was a far better time than I realized, but isn't that how it always is? Hear the story.
It takes a whiffle ball, a 16” x 8” racquet that is bigger than a ping pong paddle but smaller than a tennis racket. You can actually convert one tennis court into four pickleball courts. The game has been rising in popularity. In fact, it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The USA Pickle Ball Association called the sport highly contagious. Pickleball is a great alternative for older players who used to play tennis, but have physical limitations such as hip, shoulder knee or other joint problems. It’s also a very social game.
This story was produced as part of the Democracy Day journalism collaborative by wprnPublicRadio.com, a nationwide effort to shine a light on the threats and opportunities facing American democracy. Read more at usdemocracyday.org.
Final Episode - Twenty-four – It's a dangerous world out there.
Guzzetta and Ainsworth are at the amusement park, but can they prevent Calabrese's murder? Will D'laska arrive on time, and if he does, will he be able to convince Calabrese his life is in danger? Have Floriano and Stone planned it correctly and perfectly?
Agent John Gage has little praise for Detective Sergeant Michael D'laska. In fact, he gives him a stark warning concerning his future.
Episode Twenty-three – Without us, the Justice Department would have nobody to blame their crimes on.
D'laska is trapped in his motel room with Stone and Nickie's father, Reno Piantini. They have only one question for him. How he answers could mean death to Calabrese and himself.
Teaser:
When D'laska wakes up in a hospital bed, it is not Suzanne who is there to comfort him, but John Gage is present without a smile.
Episode Twenty-two – It's going to happen here.
D'laska and Ainsworth walk through the amusement park in Asbury Park. One ride stands out, Sinbad's Carpet, the perfect spot for a murder. D'laska meets with State Trooper Joey Rocca, Anthony Rocca's nephew, and a plan is devised to stop what may happen the next day because D'laska does not trust Floriano and Stone, who are with Calabrese and Guzzetta.
Teaser:
D'laska is delayed against his wishes which could mean at least two men will be murdered.
Episode Twenty-one – Authority, power, and money never lose.
Though there is confusion swirling about him, another death, and a sickening occurrence, D'laska knows what avenue he must pursue to save a life. He's obsessed with resolving the final issues surrounding Nickie Piantini's death. Alone and isolated, he goes to the one person he believes he can trust and makes a deal with him, Captain Anthony Rocca.
Teaser:
D'laska meets up with Ainsworth in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where Calabrese, Guzzetta, and their families are staying. With the help of a State Trooper, D'laska sets a plan in motion to thwart a double-cross and a murder.
Before I get into why I wanted to do this, I just want to point out something I’d never really thought about before I started working on this story. And that is, it’s really hard to account for what it is that people love about archery. I sure remember my days in camp when we all used the standard bow and arrow, but I had no idea how much the sport has grown.
Episode Twenty – You've auditioned for a part, and you've won the role.
Agent John Gage tells D'laska everything he wants to know and more about the case, adding what the future could hold. D'laska makes it known he doesn't think much of Gage or what he is telling him. McConnell is left with no option but to relieve D'laska from the case. Ainsworth follows Stone and Floriano as they head into New Jersey.
Teaser:
There is another shooting on Prince and Ivy. D'laska's witness is killed suspiciously by a cop for resisting arrest. He rushes to Jean Moderna's apartment, and what he discovers deeply distresses him. D'laska finds himself isolated and distrusted, so he goes to the only police official he thinks he can trust.
Episode Nineteen – I'll give the girls a bag for the powder room.
D'laska goes to Juan's Caribbean Club pretending he's a drug dealer and befriends Sergio Diez, one of the two Cubans at the morgue the day Calabrese identified Nickie's body. He meets a woman named Jean Moderna, but that doesn't help his cover as Diez finds D'laska's timing suspicious. An unexpected patron shows up and blows D'laska's cover.
Teaser:
An arrogant Agent John Gage invites a surprised D'laska for lunch. McConnell has to pull D'laska off the case and charge him with infractions. Suzanne wants more of D'laska's time, and Ainsworth has to make a decision.
Here is the story of Sir David Lean, one of the greatest moviemakers of all time, director of such epics as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and A Passage to India. Stephen M. Silverman spent the better part of a year meeting with Lean to secure firsthand information for this book. An intensely private man, Lean opened up to Silverman and shared with him the story of his life - from his Quaker upbringing, through his decade as Britain's star film editor, to his work as a director, earning him through his intelligent, literate films a reputation for perfection.
D'laska’s persistence ultimately pays off. He unravels why Nickie Piantini was on the corner of Vermont and Ivy when he was shot and why Tito Garcia never left Nickie's car to help him. After finding a witness to the shooting, D'laska forces Suzanne to show him confidential paperwork in McConnell's office. A weary D'laska still has some loose ends to tie up.
Teaser:
D'laska goes to Juan's Caribbean Club and recognizes the Cuban that was outside the morgue the day Calabrese identified Nickie Piantini's body. D'laska does not get a warm welcome, but he eventually gets what he was after, more information.
Episode Seventeen – You've been used, schoolboy.
Calabrese tells D'laska what he thinks of him and his investigative techniques. D'laska tells Calabrese he doesn't care about his past. That is for a subsequent investigation, probably by Internal Affairs. D'laska wants to see the Nickie Piantini funeral footage again, but Larry Ring has his own agenda and doesn't want D'laska anywhere near him. Finally, Phyllis Bales-Isserlyn has some questions for D'laska.
Teaser:
D'laska finds a disturbed Vietnam Vet who leads him to a primary key in discovering who the two men in the second car were. The two men that Nickie Piantini stopped in the middle of the street with his gun in their faces. Suzanne warns D'laska not to rifle Chief McConnell's files.
Like many things from our past, lemonade stands, once a staple of American life, seem to be disappearing.
Jane French is a volunteer for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation which has raised more than $45 million since 2004 to battle cancer in children. The foundation encourages people of all ages to set up lemonade stands to raise money for a good cause. It offers marketing materials and "stand coaches" to help hawkers maximize the experience.
Episode Sixteen – How many laws have you broken?
Now, other policemen, especially Chief Roberts, believe Calabrese is guilty of premeditated murder. D'laska ignores the unfounded information, disregards Calabrese's past, and concentrates on getting the unrefutable truth about the shooting. A storm is toppling McConnell, which means D'laska and Calabrese could be looking at indictments.
Teaser:
D'laska has been given a deadline to resolve the mystery behind the shooting. What will happen when D'laska and Ainsworth confront Calabrese and Guzzetta as they meet with Floriano and Stone at the Blue Chateau?
Chapter Nine:
The Battle for the Liquor License
In spite of the raid on Studio 54 in December 1978, the club remained open and hotter than ever for more than a year. Time passed, and for twelve months, Steve and Ian continued to plea-bargain with the Feds, and then finally in January of 1980, they reached an agreement and
reported to prison on February 4. The night before his incarceration, Steve sang “My Way” at their going-away party, which was attended by Diana Ross, David Geffen, and many of the Studio regulars. Studio 54 remained open, with Steve and Ian issuing directives to General Manager Michael Overington from the prison public phone until February 29, when the liquor license expired.
Chapter Two: The Raid on Studio 54
Studio 54 first opened in April 1977 and became the most famous nightclub of all time. Its quick ascent was confounding because creators Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were just two guys from Brooklyn in their early thirties. But they had talent. Steve’s contribution was simple:
people loved him and always had. He was the most popular kid in grammar school, high school, and at Syracuse University, where he met Ian. He was short—about five foot five—and slight, weighing probably no more than 125 pounds. Stevie, as he was often called, spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent and frequently wore a goofy grin. He exuded charm and charisma. You simply felt good when you hung out with him. He had unstoppable confidence. He knew you were going to like him.
Episode Fifteen – I almost hear his thoughts, he's praying for a miracle.
D'laska has made some bad decisions, yet he feels he is progressing. Ainsworth sees it differently and makes that clear. D'laska revisits Andre Gabriel, who sliced his neck and won't leave his apartment till he gets the answers he wants. D'laska shows up at Suzanne's apartment after midnight unexpectedly.
Teaser:
With pressure coming down on him, Chief McConnell, frustrated with the inability of D'laska to resolve whether Calabrese committed cold-blooded murder or demonstrated keen police work, gives him an ultimatum. Suzanne questions whether getting involved with D'laska was a mistake.
Written by Mark Fleischman, with Denise Chatman and Mimi Fleischman
Introduction and Chapter 1
"I've had a thing for clubs since childhood. Social clubs, officers’ clubs, nightclubs, and supper clubs—I love them all. It started the night my parents took me to The Copacabana for the first time. I was ten years old and it colored my world forever. Looking back, everything that has happened in my life from that point onward propelled me on a trajectory toward Studio 54.
I became the owner of Studio 54 in 1980 and from the very first night we
opened, in 1981, I was swept up in a world of celebrities, drugs, power, and sex. I was the ringleader for nearly four years and I became intoxicated with the scene—bodies gyrating on the dance floor, sex in the balcony, and anything goes in the Ladies’ Lounge and Rubber Room. Every night, celebrities and stunning women made their way through the crowd, up the stairs to my office to sip champagne and share lines of cocaine using my golden straw or rolled up one-hundred-dollar bills. Nighttime can make you feel somehow protected, operating under a cloak of darkness. It alters your perception of right and wrong, sane and insane, in an arena far more cutthroat than the corporate world I had known before."
This is a story about diversions and daydreaming, of wind in my face. Straddling a chugging V-Twin engine that was born of a childhood fantasy, one where I would be zipping over the treetops, scarf to the wind, oil stained goggles peering at the long winding road below as the open cockpit plane sang to the fields and streams.
Tom Gallagher sat in his favorite coffee shop in a town two thousand miles away from where he grew up, a widower, father of two out of the nest. At fifty years of age, he’d done well for himself, able to put his kids through college and retire all in the same breath. His spot in the rear of the shop afforded the opportunity to see everyone who came and went, he'd lift his gaze from his computer every time the bell rang above the door. Tom Gallagher was fit for fifty, his son and daughter pushed him to exercise all those years raising them, it’s what a single dad had to do. He devoted his life to work and the kids, his wife died when the kids were little and he never looked across the gate of love again, just devotion to family.
Episode Fourteen – I feel like a sack of broken glass.
D'laska and Ainsworth question Andre Gabriel at his apartment. It is not "official." Against Ainsworth's protests, D'laska decides to stop at Marlowe's Italian night spot on a busy night. Claudio Cellini is holding court, and unexpected patrons are not welcomed. D'laska finds out the hard way this was not a good idea.
Teaser:
Andre Gabriel has sliced D'laska's neck, and he has taken a terrible beating by thugs at Marlowe's. Ainsworth questions his partner's obsession with this case. D'laska decides to revisit Gabriel alone. He has questions and a score to settle with him.
I've done many interviews with authors, but only a few of them wearing two hats, that of being an editor, as well as an author. It was time for me to dig deep and learn about how they take on both tasks without having confusion set in. How do they separate these two very different areas of the craft of writing? These three crucial areas are learning the craft of writing, reading the craft of writing, and writing the craft of writing.
Episode Thirteen – I offer him my hand, but he doesn't accept it.
Captain Conners confronts D'laska again, and Detective Olearczyk attempts to ignore him. Why has this shooting brought up so much animosity? After Calabrese slips out of his house, Guzzetta picks him up, and they meet with disbarred lawyer Dean Henry to discuss new ventures.
Teaser:
A surprised Andre Gabriel gets a visit from D'laska and Ainsworth? Does he have the information they need? D'laska goes into the Italian nightspot, Marlowe's, on a busy night, and his welcome is chilling.
A four-lane highway passed over the Sparks yard at its eastern limit. The highway bridge had pedestrian spirals at each end and a jump-proof fence all across both sides. From mid-span, looking west, Lynden and The Duke could see the entire layout—freight cars hulking in the darkness, car-knocker’s lanterns bobbing like fireflies as they checked the couplings. A switch crew was making up a train at the west end, and on the main line a string of power units waited, ready to roll.
I lost time to a steady rhythmic swing and clicking of cars traveling over rails. Passing scenery like a thief with no passion for roots, just a traveler fictionalizing what might be in the stationary figures I skidded past. Doesn’t change for me, every day I slip back to her, and though time fades away I will always be right there with her, nineteen eighty five, etched in eternity.
Welcome to Novel Books, readings that will take you on the author’s adventure, with stories you’ll enjoy listening to.
Today’s reading is from Chapter 1 of the novel Bone Necklace by Julia Sullivan. She started working on Bone Necklace more than twenty years ago, after visiting the Big Hole Battlefield in Wisdom, Montana. Julia first became interested in the Nez Perce story because of the great injustice that the tribe suffered.
Episode Twelve – I don't seem to satisfy anybody.
Deputy Commissioner Ruth Mulvaney and Deputy Inspector Larry Ring confront Chief McConnell about D'laska's handing of the Calabrese investigation and want it turned over to Ring. Otherwise, they are going over his head. A frustrated McConnell has a serious conversation with D'laska. How is the case progressing? Is Calabrese innocent of premeditated murder?
Teaser:
How does the questioning of small-time drug dealer Andre Gabriel help D'laska put the pieces together about the shooting of Nickie Piantini? D'laska and Ainsworth find more disturbing and damaging news about Calabrese and Guzzetta. Find out what they are in the next episode.
Episode Eleven – I don't like being used.
At her apartment, a cunning Suzanne Baxter defines what is and isn't art to D'laska. Paul Ainsworth, D'laska's partner and close friend is back from Montreal. When D'laska fills him in on all the case details, Ainsworth states, "When you are about to be killed, your time is divided between the DA and a priest. Calabrese doesn't act like a man whose life is in danger."
Teaser:
At a meeting with Chief McConnell, Deputy Commissioner Mulvaney and Deputy Inspector Larry Ring present their case of why D'laska should be removed from the investigation. They also have damaging information tying Gino Guzzetta, Calabrese's partner, with a Mafia family. D'laska has many more questions than answers. Will he resolve some of them in the next episode?
45 years ago it was 1977, I look back at my photography career, thinking about all that I'd seen and photographed as I began my career as a photographer. Studio 54, the infamous disco was the calling card to my beginnings as an established celebrity photographer.
Episode Ten – Every time I turn around, I find something out about you I don't like.
D'laska and Calabrese square off in the basement of Calabrese's house. D'laska tells Calabrese he believes he knows what happened the day of the shooting and knows Calabrese is lying. The man with the contract on his like, Louis Calabrese, tells D'laska to leave or he will throw him out. Either way, it makes little difference to him. D'laska is enjoying his evening with Suzanne Baxter until something unexpected takes place.
Teaser:
D'laska is surprised at the response Suzanne makes to his advances. D'laska's partner Paul Ainsworth returns from making wedding arrangements in Montreal. D'laska fills him in on everything that has transpired, and Ainsworth tells D'laska, "If Calabrese is innocent, the best thing he has going for him is you. If I discover a motive, I'm burying him." With Ainsworth's input, will evidence of Calabrese's innocence or guilt surface? Episode eleven may reveal the answer.
Episode Nine – Officer Calabrese didn't seem to care who he shot.
More officers from the scene outside the hospital remark to D'laska that Calabrese was indignant, and Captain Connors and he almost came to blows. While having a moment to himself, D'laska believes he has a plausible explanation why Nickie Piantini and not his muscle Tito Garcia may have been leaning into the second car. Jerry Calabrese repeats a well-rehearsed but unconvincing speech confirming his brother's reasons for being in Manhattan the day of the shooting. Calabrese and D'laska ride to the impound center, where D'laska ties up some loose ends, but an indifferent Calabrese is unphased. D'laska asks Suzanne Baxter to accompany him to Little Italy for dinner.
Teaser:
At Calabrese's home, D'laska confronts him with his idea of what happened when Nickie Piantini was shot. Calabrese responds with a threat if D'laska doesn't leave. D'laska gets an unsubtle warning he is on the wrong side of town when he is out with Suzanne in Little Italy. Has D'laska broken the icy indifference of Suzanne Baxter? Listen to the next episode.
Kindness seems to have taken a backseat to rampant racism, abruptness, and violence.
It's being selfless, caring, compassionate, and unconditionally kind. Like love, it takes practice to understand and feel it. We share love with others through kind acts such as a smile, a nice word, an unexpected deed, or a planned surprise.
The pundits often talk about the idea of “coming together” in times like this, yet no one does come together. Instead, we splinter apart,, and take on the attitude it's everyone for themselves.
I was in line with just a few groceries one day. Ahead of me was a couple with a full basket. They asked me if I wanted to go ahead of them. I smiled and replied that my days of impatience were over, and I didn’t mind waiting for them to go through the checkout line.
My turn came, but it took me a moment to realize that the couple ahead of me had taken my three items and slid them into their purchases. I immediately protested saying that this kind gesture was not needed but they scoffed me off, paint for my three items and handed me my bag of items.
I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like this before. The gesture was huge, the items small, but the fact that they did this was so heartwarming and I told them that.
I remember when I would drive back and forth from New York City to Boston, and manned toll booths were common. Without giving it much thought, I always gave the attendant the fee for the car behind me, then I just drove off. No one asked me to do such a thing, but I just did it as a matter of kindness. No agenda, just kindness. Occasionally, the car behind me would role alongside me and I would wave or salute them.
Kindness can come in many forms. Monetary is certainly one way, but even small gestures go a long way. Drivers are always out scouting for the nearest parking space to their destination. Fights often ensue, especially if you're in a large city with parking on the streets a scarcity. The few times it happened to me, I realized that they may have a reason for wanting to be close, even without a handicap hanger. Who knows what they have been through, so I’d let it go and keep looking for a spot. The same goes for lining up at the gas station, searching for an open pump. I’ve been cut off more times than I can count, but it's just not worth getting angry about, so I just pull in behind a vehicle and wait my turn.
I remember the adage ‘don’t get upset about the things you can’t control. Take action on things you CAN control. It makes for a less stressful life, it's non-confrontational and it makes it easier to do the smaller chores in daily life easier to deal with.
Take ownership of kindness. It goes a long way.
What act of kindness have you done for anyone lately?
Nearing 70, I’ve kept a large amount unsaid about my family. I felt it was time to let this go, once and for all. There is much more to my story, but I didn’t want to bare every last detail which needs to be written out as a memoir.
This very personal audio essay is about growing up in the family that made me, where greed and avarice were a day-to-day experience as they climbed the social ladder of New York City, much more concerned about their vast art collection than the family. In doing so they left their children largely behind.
Known for their art collection, my mother was the darling of Women’s Wear Daily. The couture designers threw clothes at her to wear to all the parties. The designers would cluck when her photo appeared in their clothes.
Things started to come apart in the late 1970’s when the art got locked up in a warehouse as they divorced. The battle and the subsequent trial of the decade were on. How were they going to divide this art collection?
Episode Eight – The smell of corruption is always a nauseous odor.
D'laska has an in-depth conversation with Captain Rocca, the second high-ranking officer who arrived at the hospital after the shooting. Rocca adds another conflicting layer to an already messy situation. D'laska travels to the Three Duces, watches the local hoods play liars-poker, and shares a moment with up-and-coming mobster Claudio Cellini.
Teaser:
D'laska questions Louis Calabrese's brother, a tentative Jerry, about their planned trip up to Monticello the day of the shooting, which only adds to D'laska’s suspicions about Calabrese's story of why he was gassing up in Manhattan that day. D'laska and Calabrese uncomfortably ride to the impound center, where D'laska surprises Calabrese with vital information. Still, Calabrese remains hostile to all D'laska's attempts to find him innocent of cold-blooded murder. Will the answer be revealed in the next episode?
Episode Seven – I know as much now as I did this morning.
D'laska questions the gas station owner, Vito Barone, who Calabrese told to call in the 1013 cop in trouble and inadvertently gets new information about Calabrese. D'laska reenacts what might have happened that day and suspects why Nickie's muscle Tito Garcia was not around to protect him. D'laska goes to Calabrese and Guzzetta's nightspot, the Blue Chateau in Brooklyn, where he gets more damaging information about Calabrese than expected.
Teaser:
Calabrese has a lover whose husband is a made man doing time for killing a cop. Calabrese loves his family but jeopardizes them. He loves his job but compromises it, shoots Nickie Piantini but feels no remorse, and feels he owes no one an explanation for what happened. Is he a murderer? Will that question be answered in the next episo
John Gage wants more information about Calabrese, the shooting, and the case than he is willing to give about why he wants such information. He does relay that Nickie's father, the gangster Reno Piantini who brazenly killed a Mafia chieftain, Mario Zicaro, talked with the Feds about turning himself over to authorities. How does someone talking with the Feds go to the head of the Mafia and get a contract out on a cop? Is it a coincidence that Piantini's son was killed? Did Calabrese deliver a message of some kind? D'laska meets with the head of the Organized Crime Unit, Larry Ring. Neither seems to enjoy the other's company.
Teaser:
D'laska wants to know who are the two men filmed at Nickie Piantini's funeral. He thinks he saw them at the morgue. Ring tells him they are nobodies, forget them and concentrate on a clever hood named Claudio Cellini, who will take over Nickie's turf. Maybe Calabrese did him a favor. Where will this new information lead D'laska next? Find out in the next episode.
D'laska, tell's McConnell that Calabrese has lied in the past and believes he is lying now. He suggests this case be handed over to Internal Affairs. McConnell dismisses any attempt for D'laska to be removed from this case. A new name pops up in Calabrese's background a disbarred shady attorney who runs an investment realty company named Dean Henry. Calabrese amassed quite a bit of money, then lost it all when the market dipped. How do you invest thousands when you only make hundreds?
Teaser:
The Justice Department has an interest in the Nickie Piantini shooting. McConnell and D'laska are to meet with New York City Budgetary Chairwoman, the ambitious Phyllis Bales Iserlyn, and Agent John Gage. D'laska can understand budget concerns because of the contract Calabrese and his family are being protected twenty-four seven. But why is the Justice Department meddling? Will D'laska unravel that in the next episode?
D'laska has Calabrese's former partner, Officer Gino Guzzetta from Street Crime, ride with him to Montecillo, where Calabrese and his family are staying. Informally, D'laska gathers information from him about the years they worked together in Street Crime. D'laska discovers another disturbing loose end in Calabrese's life
Calabrese has lied to superiors before. Is he lying about why he was in Manhattan? D'laska believes so and pushes that matter. Calabrese sticks to his story knowing the Mafia wants to have him killed. Both men become more hostile to each other. D'laska picks up a clue, a matchbook from a night stop where he believes he and Guzzetta frequent. D'laska is finding what seems straightforward, a cop shooting a criminal in self-defense is fraught with contradictions. What new information will D'laska uncover in the next episode?
Chief McConnell, who is heading this inquiry, tells D'laska that there has been a Mafia contract out on Calabrese's life. Chief Roberts, foreseeing consequences, demands D'laska be removed, and a more seasoned Detective be assigned. But McConnell is steadfast, he is only interested in the truth, and D'laska remains on the case.
One thing that nags at D'laska is why was he selected to investigate this case. He is neither from Organized Crime nor Internal Affairs. How will Calabrese's behavior change now that he knows there is this unprecedented mafia contract out on him, a New York City cop? That question is answered in the next episode.
Episode Two – Why Homicide, Not Internal Affairs.
Italians killing criminal Italians in New York is not uncommon. Officer Louis Calabrese shot and killed gangster Nickie Piantini, son of high-ranking Mafia Triggerman Reno Piantini, who in the past had gunned down mob family boss Mario Zicaro. Two very different police officers sit across from one another in a coffee shop. An educated methodical Detective D'laska listens to cunning streetwise Patrolman Calabrese.
Teaser:
To Calabrese, he killed someone in self-defense, a mafia punk. There should be no investigation, just a promotion to Detective. D'laska sees it very differently. His background as a Criminal Psychologist tells him that Calabrese is a closed man whose version of reality may be different from what logic expresses. Something unexpected and sinister crawls into the case. Does this something make the case more challenging for D'laska or more worrisome? That question is answered in the next episode.
Divisional Chief Roberts informs Detective Sergeant Michael D'laska that he is to investigate the shooting of a Mafia henchman by an off-duty police officer. D'laska initiates the inquiry by speaking with Captain Connors, the first high-ranking officer at the scene. D'laska gets his first taste of the deep animosity and prejudices the established Irish guard have against the Italians in the police force.
Teaser:
Chief Roberts and Captain Connors believe Officer Calabrese is guilty, while Detective Olearczyk says Calabrese should be congratulated for killing a thug like Nickie Piantini. And already, questions seemingly unrelated to the shooting surface. Why was Calabrese in Manhattan at that exact day and time? Detective D'laska needs to have a conversation with Officer Calabrese, which will happen next time.
In this episode, musician Ezra Furman talks about what led her to come out as a trans mom, and what it means for her to leave her young son at home once touring begins again.
All too often, we take our modern lives for granted. Is the air conditioning broken? We call the a/c electrician. Did the car break down? We call the car mechanic. Doctor, we make an appointment. The Dentist, well, we reluctantly call them when we need a repair job on our teeth.
Reported by Celine Teo-Blockey, Sound & Vision’s mini-series, "Apparently," explores the stories of musicians, performers and arts workers who are juggling parenthood with their art. Today we hear the epic story of parenthood from Lowland Hum, who make “quiet music,” but their experience as new parents were anything but quiet. (Cue a tornado, colic, and a miscarriage.)
As reported by Celine Teo-Blockey. Originally produced 11/18/2021 Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett's latest album Things Take Time, Take Time is an attempt to be kinder to herself. To not worry about the big picture of how to stay successful or even sane after achieving then sustaining global stardom against the backdrop of a world that seemed to be burning at each turn. Instead, she shifts her mind and focus on the small comforts — regular Zoom calls with friends during the Pandemic, taking in the laid-back beauty of a Joshua Tree sunset, the blush of a new love and the acceptance of the cycles of change in life. By Courtney's own admission she finds it hard to say the right thing in any given moment, and perhaps that's why songwriting is such a precious outlet for her. Anonymous Club, a new documentary by her longtime collaborator and friend, Danny Cohen (scheduled for released in 2022) will reveal the scope of her turmoil during the darkest days of her last tour. But for now she is employing her best defense 'being annoyingly optimistic."
Many thanks for making this possible — Thank you Courtney for giving us a piece of your heart, even when it hasn't been easy. To Mom & Pop Records for use of all songs. And to Katie Nelson and Grace Jones at Grandstand Media for all the support.
Songs Featured: "Rae St," "Avant Gardener," "Pedestrian At Best," "City Looks Pretty," "Nameless Faceless," "Splendour," "Oh The Night," and "If I Don't Hear From You Tonight."
Too hot, too cold, just right. Americans may differ on where to set the dial, but they agree air conditioning is integral to modern life, a phenomenon we cannot live without today. We are spoiled in that respect, as we feel a sense of entitlement about what we have become accustomed to. It has shaped our world to the extent that people can carry on normal lives, especially during the hottest months of the year.
Thrift shops are much more than second-hand junk shops, they’re often treasure troves, chock full of goods, ready for the taking. They run the gamut, from quality clothing, furniture, jewelry, books, and other gently used items, that can be purchased for rock bottom prices. Many thrift shops are non-profit organizations, like Gulfside Hospice & Palliative Care, dedicated to good causes that not only aid families, but enrich the lives of others. You’ll find a little bit of everything therein, as new items hit the sales floor daily, and are displayed by the volunteers.
Before I get into why I wanted to do this, I just want to point out something I’d never really thought about before I started working on this story. And that is, it’s really hard to account for what it is that people love about golf carts. What makes someone want to buy a particular golf cart?
The Leesburg Bike Fest roars to life during the last full weekend in April. “Welcome bikers”, the sign reads upon entering the rally. The annual Gator Bike Rally at Leesburg, hosted by Gator Harley-Davidson has begun! Many profess it to be one of their favorite rallies.