RSR Video Email Bag Show Book Review: Bobby Rydell Teen Idol On The Rocks (The Tale of Second Chances)
July 24th, 2017 
CEO A Closer Look at Joseph “Skinny Joe” Merlino
July 23rd, 2017 CEO 
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By Marla Eggar
Joseph Salvatore “Skinny Joey” Merlino is a South Philly native believed to be the head of the Philadelphia mob. Merlino came on the scene in the early 90s as an alluring, magnetic and poised personality. Merlino may be better known in the mob world for the war he initiated with John Stanfa when Stanfa was chosen as the new leader of the Philadelphia Crime family. Stanford was chosen because of his maturity and low profile. Merlino on the other hand headed a fraction in the family referred to as the “Young Turks.”
This crew was stocked with more of the “young bloods” in the family whose loyalty remain with each other. The “Young Turks” were also more prone to the limelight and media attention. When the war within the family broke out media attention and the limelight were also accompanied by casualties. Still, by “95” Merlino was declared the winner and became an impressive leader. Now, at the age of 55 Merlino has spent, at least 20 years, of his life behind bars. Despite speculation of participating or orchestrating many hits he’s never once been convicted of murder.
Home Alone Star John Heard DEAD at 71 – Breaking Entertainment News
July 22nd, 2017 CEO 
By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
John Heard, a very successful character actor for years who will be most remembered as Peter McAllister in the “Home Alone” movies has died at 71 in Palo Alto, Calif. He was found dead in a hotel where he was reportedly recovering after undergoing back surgery. The Santa Clara Medical Examiner’s office confirmed his death.
The Mafia Chronicles: The Las Vegas Street With An Explosive Mob History
July 21st, 2017 CEO 
By Larry Henry
In a car culture like ours, certain roads and highways, from Broadway in New York City to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, are significant reference points for a large number of people.
Less known, but of interest to those intrigued by Las Vegas and its mob past, is a short stretch of Sahara Avenue in Sin City arguably packed with as much high-profile Mafia history as any geographically compact space in the country.
The Forgotten Eleven & Turning to the Mafia For Protection!
July 20th, 2017 CEO 
By Marla Eggar
What if I told you the victims of the biggest mass lynching in American history weren’t Black/African American but Italian immigrants, would you believe it? Well, it’s true. Our nation’s early history reflects a moment in time when “change” that came in the form of immigration was met with resentment and hostility. Every nationality at one point or another has been the target of preconceived notions and bias opinions. This was especially true for migrants of Irish and Italian decent or of Catholic faith. At the time, the common belief was that immigrants would distort or defile the cultural values of America. In addition, all these new arrivals were often seen as unwanted competition in the jobs market. Between 1880 and 1920, more than 20 million foreigners made America their new home. In that decade alone, some 600,000 Italians migrated to America and between 1820 and 1930, some 4.5 million Irish followed.
One Crime, Three Lives Forever Changed: Investigation Discovery’s New Series Shattered Reveals Effects of Murder on Those Left Behind
July 20th, 2017 CEO 
When a stone strikes glass, it cracks in all directions before shattering. Crime is the same. Exploring the ripple effects of a single murder on multiple lives, America’s leading true-crime network Investigation Discovery (ID) presents the all-new series, SHATTERED. Each episode unravels a homicide case through three distinct but connected points of view in intimate first-person interviews with those most affected in the minutes, days, and years that follow. Hear from loved ones, witnesses, and law enforcement – many telling their stories for the first time ever – reflecting on how the past continues to haunt the present. SHATTERED airs Wednesdays at 10/9c beginning August 23, exclusively on ID.
Red West Elvis Presley Bodyguard, Actor and Songwriter Dead at 81
July 19th, 2017 CEO 
By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
Red West, a popular actor from the 70’s through present day who was also a longtime and sometimes critical confidante and bodyguard of Elvis Presley died Tuesday night after suffering an aortic aneurysm at Baptist Hospital.
He was 81.
Born in Bolivar, Tennessee, the athletic Robert Gene “Red” West befriended Elvis at Humes High School, where the 6-foot-2 redhead protected the smaller pre-fame Elvis from bullies on at least a couple of occasions, according to Presley lore. He worked for Elvis for some 20 years, occasionally taking small roles in such films as “Flaming Star” and writing or co-writing such memorable Elvis songs as the 1972 hit “Separate Ways,” the holiday favorite “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” and the 1975 masterpiece of infidelity, “If You Talk in Your Sleep,” recorded at Stax.
Don’t Dream It’s Over (Live): Crowded House – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day
July 19th, 2017 CEO Pearce’s Picks: Sing A Song With Riddle
July 18th, 2017 CEO 
By Jerry Pearce
“This album needs YOU!”
Nelson Riddle was a true pioneer. Besides creating several worthful instrumentals over the years, not to mention creating lavish orchestral backgrounds for singers with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald, Riddle was also the author and creator of a unique album project in 1959 that never seemed to make a dent in the record industry, but today is fondly remembered as one of the true precursors to the musical spectrum on known as karaoke.
Riddle himself spearheaded the project by approaching Capitol with a unique name premise: Riddle would enter the studio armed with twelve arrangements created for a singer, without the singer.
The Mob & The Pizza Connection Blueprint
July 17th, 2017 CEO 
By Marla Eggar
Heroin has always been a profitable business whether it’s organized or not. A person can invest a simple $1500 (I’m told) and have a turnaround profit of over $15,000 in less than two weeks, again the streets are talking not me. With that hypothetical assumption lingering, one can see the enticement for the average street pharmacist to take a chance. The best example of how profitable the heroin trafficking business can be one only needs to examine the layout of The Pizza Connection.
Now in summary, the pizza connection was a mob hustle to sell a mass amount of heroin and cocaine (mainly heroin) in the U.S. The reality is this adventure was so much more sophisticated and clever that till this day it sets the standard for elaborate schemes and should’ve received an award for absolute brilliance! Strategically, the operation got its roots from Carmine Galante. Galante was not the first mobster to deal with drugs, however, I feel he was the one who laid the foundation of how to make it a profitable empire (in regards to the Pizza Connection).
Destination America Investigates The Country’s Most Haunted Towns in All New Series
July 17th, 2017 CEO 
The Tennessee Wraith Chasers (TWC) ghost hunting team is getting their spooky on in an all-new series as they travel across the country investigating America’s most haunted towns. From infamous hotbeds like Gettysburg and Salem to small towns with turbulent pasts that fueled generations of ghost stories, HAUNTED TOWNS explores places that played key roles in the darker chapters of American history, where battle, disaster, and injustice have condemned unsettled spirits to every street corner. Follow TWC – consisting of Chris, Doogie, Porter, and Brannon – as they interview witnesses, investigate hotspots using the latest ghost-hunting technology, and follow new leads until they can pinpoint who is haunting the town and why. But the team isn’t just about collecting evidence. Their m.o. is to find truth – if any – in the legends that have shaped each town’s paranormal notoriety. The eight-episode first season of HAUNTED TOWNS premieres Tuesday, August 15 at 10/9c on Destination America.
The Mafia Chronicles: Kansas City Mob Boss Nick Civella, Smart But Violent
July 15th, 2017 CEO 
By Larry Henry
What was he?
A deep thinker who read Shakespeare and craved good cooking? A violent thug?
What’s the best way to describe Kansas City crime boss Nick Civella?
It depends on who’s telling the story.
To mob lawyer Oscar Goodman, Civella was a “favorite” client who loved Las Vegas, but really just because of the pork necks in vinegar served at an Italian restaurant in town, the Venetian. (It since has closed. It was not associated with The Venetian hotel-casino.)
Wasted Talent: From the Film Classic A Bronx Tale to a Prison Cell & Parole… A Closer Look at Actor Lillo Brancato
July 13th, 2017 CEO 
By Marla Eggar
Lillo Brancato better known for his role as Calogero in A Bronx Tale got his big break in “93” when he was discovered at Jones Beach State Park by a casting agent looking to recruit talent for an upcoming film written by and starring actor Chazz Palminteri. A Bronx Tale was a film based partial on Palminteri’s childhood and was Robert DeNiro’s debut as a director. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which Lillo seized, took him from ambiguity and propelled him into instant celebrity status. In the film, Lillo impressed audiences with his performance and his colleagues with his natural ability to act with very little previous experience.
