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A Bronx Tale & A Real Life Tale Between Angelo & Dion Nicosia

February 27th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

A Bronx Tale has to be one of my all-time favorite movies. You have danger, romance and a valuable life lesson that’s applicable to everyone. For anyone who may fall under the category of living under a rock or in outer space – here’s the meat and potatoes of the storyline. You have this cute little tenderoni by the name of Calogero.

He’s growing up in the 60s in the streets of the Bronx, hint, hint I think title somehow gives his locality away unless you are deaf, dumb or blind – the name A Bronx Tale. Calogero idolizes this neighborhood mobster named Sonny who in comparison to his father is a stark contrast. Anyways, Calogero also known as “C” falls for this black chick Jane which is no good in his neighborhood or the time frame the story takes place in.

NewzBreaker Book REVIEW: Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story

February 26th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Author Michael Seth Starr has a best seller on his hands with the autobiography “Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story.” From page one, to very last page of the book, Starr takes the reader on a journey through the amazing life of Jon Sanford (AKA – Redd Foxx), from his youth growing up in Saint Louis, to his days of running the streets of Harlem, New York, with Malcolm Little (AKA Malcolm X), pulling off small cons for starters.

Redd Foxx was a man who went from obscurity playing the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” to the greatest heights of the entertainment world. At the age of 49, after working in show business for over 30 years, he became a household name as the star of “Sanford and Son,” a show that took the NBC network to the top. It is all highlighted in this book in great detail. Foxx lived a lot of life in his 68 years on planet Earth, seeing success and failure, but never losing his amazing comedic wits.

NewzBreaker Book Review: Frankly Just Between Us: My Life Conducting Frank Sinatra’s Music

February 26th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Conductor & Arranger Vincent Falcone has worked with a who’s who’s in the music industry to include, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Steve Lawrence & Eyde Gorme and Pia Zadora to name just a few… Each of these talents he speaks of fondly is very enjoyable in his autobiography: Frankly Just Between Us: My Life Conducting Frank Sinatra’s Music which he co-authored with Bob Popyk.

Throughout the pages, Falcone shares countless stories that will move the reader and create many laughs along the way.

Frankly Just Between Us: My Life Conducting Frank Sinatra’s Music is a book you will not want to put down once you start to read it. I am just being FRANK!

Singer and Songwriter Leon Ware DEAD at 77

February 26th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Leon Ware, who was an extremely talented singer and songwriter who penned hits for artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, died Thursday. His manager confirmed the singer’s death to NPR. He was 77. Ware co-produced and co-wrote Gaye’s classic 1976 LP I Want You, which featured the chart-topping title track and “After the Dance.” Ware also co-wrote hits like Jackson’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are,” Minnie Riperton’s “Inside My Love,” Quincy Jones’ “If I Ever Lose This Heaven” and Maxwell’s “Sumthin’, Sumthin”.

Judge Joseph Wapner Dead At 97

February 26th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

The final verdict came in for Judge Joseph Wapner. He died Sunday morning at his home in California of natural causes. He was 97

The famed judge taped more than 2,000 episodes of “The People’s Court” during his 12-year tenure on the program, inspiring decades of similar courtroom shows, including “Judge Judy” and “Judge Joe Brown.”

Prior to his television series, Wapner graduated with both his undergraduate degree in 1941 and his law degree in 1948 from the University of Southern California, and served in the US Army as a Lieutenant. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service in World War II.

Bill Paxton Dead At 61

February 26th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

“It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery. A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker.” A family representative was quoted as saying.

His final film “The Circle,” slated for release on April 28, is based on the novel by Dave Eggers. It stars Paxton alongside Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.

Bobby Darin: A Life – NewzBreaker Book Review

February 26th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

Bobby Darin was a larger than life singer and actor who sadly has his star burn out much too soon. In 1973, at the young age of 37, he would pass away, but he packed a lot of living in those 37 years.

In Michael Seth Starr’s outstanding biography “Bobby Darin: A Life,” the author takes you from Darin’s humble start in New York City to his meteoric rise to fame in his early 20s. Starr covers how he always knew he would not live long because of his damaged heart from a case of Rheumatic Fever as a child, which plagued him throughout his life.

Throughout Starr’s book, he talks to close associates who give great insights to the man who brought Mack The Knife to life with this finger snapping style and it took that great song to the top of the charts making it a smash hit and one he would become associated with from that point of his career, to this very day, years after his death.

It’s a Party Down in New Orleans

February 26th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

Alright I’m taking a break from the mob stuff for now and dedicating this one to all the “Good Catholics” of the World Black, White, Cuban and Asian. This week, Shrove Tuesday falls on February 28th. I myself, (a Waverly Roman Catholic) am not only preparing for the celebration. However, I am teaching my little crew of regulations. One who’s preparing for First Communion, the other Conformation, the significance of the holiday (purposely omitting all the fun parts of Mardi Gras until they are grown and outta my house). For those who don’t know, Mardi Gras is also called Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Tuesday.

Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast: Wayne Newton – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

February 26th, 2017

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The Haunted Emerald Isle: Leamaneh Castle

February 26th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

Leamaneh Castle in Co. Clare Ireland is said to be one of the most haunted places on the island. Reported to be occupying the premises is a woman known as Red Mary. A person may say to themselves, ‘Only one ghost?’

Perhaps there is only one, but please don’t make the mistake of underestimating Mary and her notoriously bloody past.

Red Mary was aptly named, and not just for her flaming red hair but also her foul temper, which was legendary. It is said that if a servant were foolish enough to displease her, they would be hung out of one of the castle windows, the men by their necks and the women by their hair. If the maids did not learn to bend to her will, she would punish them by cutting off their breasts.

The Influence of the Mob on Rap Music

February 25th, 2017

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By Marla Eggar

The influence of the mob has captivated our attenion since the early 1900s. The imprint they’ve placed on society can be seen on everything from the movies to sports. Even the music scene can’t get enough of both real life and fictional mob characters. Artists like Yo Gotti, Scarface and Capone all pay homage to real life gangsters who represent their aspirations for Money, Power and Respect. Until recently, I thought the world of hip hop/rap belong solely to the brothers. Sbagliato! Over the years, I’ve discovered and enjoyed a new genre of music that’s unique within itself. Wait for it…Wait for it – Italian hip- hop. Now before you cynics go off into your “f” that mulinyan music tirade, let me explain. First of all, Italians got rhyme too (I can personally vouch for the men) and their talent isn’t just limited to Frank Sinatra and Lorenzo Ferrero.

Feature Entertainment Writer Marla Eggar Joins the Team at NewzBreaker

February 25th, 2017

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NewzBreaker Press Release

Feature Entertainment Writer Marla Eggar joins the team at NewzBreaker. Her columns will be heavily “Gangster Flavored”, but she will have other subjects as well. We can tell you this, when you see a Byline by Eggar, you are in for some great laughs, a dose of reality and a chance to learn some new things you may have never heard before.

On behalf of the entire team at NewzBreaker, we welcome her aboard.

Tammy: Debbie Reynolds – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

February 25th, 2017

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Once In A While: Jerry Pearce – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

February 24th, 2017

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Racism Or No Racism That Is The Question?

February 22nd, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

Before I type one word in the body of this column I understand that this is an incredibly sensitive subject and I move forward with zero intentions of offending anyone.

I just read an article regarding the European clothing store Primark pulling a tee shirt from its shelves after a couple of customers complained about the print being racist. The shirt adorned a picture of ‘Lucille’, the baseball bat from the very popular television show The Walking Dead. Alongside Lucille was the text, ‘Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe, which anyone who has watched TWD knows are the words chanted by Negan as he chose who he was going to kill using Lucille.

Same Old Song And Dance: Frank Sinatra – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

February 22nd, 2017

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NewzBreaker Movie Review: A Bronx Tale

February 22nd, 2017

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By Joe Liddle

This time around, I’m going to review the 1993 movie, A Bronx Tale, directed by Robert De Niro. The movie itself was De Niro’s directorial debut, and has since become one of the most appreciated movies in the gangster/mob genre. Although the movie’s backdrop is very much about the Italian-American mob in 1960s New York, the plot itself is a coming-of-age story, focusing on the life of Calogero, nicknamed “C”, played by Lillo Brancato, and how his life was molded by his experiences growing up in an Italian neighborhood.

Pearce’s Picks: Jimmy Roselli

February 21st, 2017

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By Jerry Pearce

The urban legend goes as follows. While Frank Sinatra was ascending to the top of the entertainment industry, the way was paved for his mother Dolly to rise to the top of the local politics in her home state of New Jersey. Mrs. Sinatra was chairing a fundraiser to sponsor a special-needs benefit and she wanted nothing more than for the noted singer Jimmy Roselli, himself a well-known recording star at this point, to sing as the special attraction of this worthy benefit.

Word filtered to Roselli that Dolly wanted him to sing at this event. Roselli had gotten to know the Sinatra family well, both Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Roselli having been born in the same town of Hoboken ten years apart, having lived for sometime on the same city block.

New Orleans: The Big Eerie – The Beauregard-Keyes House

February 21st, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

Although it might be the architecture of 1113 Rue Chartres that slows your steps and catches your eye, it is the history of the property that reels you in, peaking your curiosity. Back in the early eighteenth century, the Beauregard-Keyes House was actually intended to be a weapons arsenal for the budding city of New Orleans. Plans switched however when the Ursuline nuns arrived from France in 1726, and the King of France signed the whole block over to the nuns instead.

The land stayed religious until 1825 when it was bought and the current structure erected. Some years later, in 1865, Dominique Lanata bought the property. Lanata was a grocer in the French Quarter, and also the Consul-General of Sardinia in New Orleans, and he saw 1113 Chartres as a fine investment property. He’d rent it out making good money, which he did until 1904.

New Orleans: The Big Eerie – The Gardette-LaPrete Mansion

February 20th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

The Gardette-LaPrete Mansion is located on the corner of Dauphine Street and Orleans Avenue in the French Quarter. In the early days of the mansion a rich man from Turkey made his home there. He was known to throw legendary parties for his guests and attended to his harem – though rumor has it he was a cruel and thieving master.

One day, after a particularly lavish soiree, a passerby noticed blood oozing out the front door. Police broke through the entrance and discovered a massacre. All of the guests had been murdered and their bodies strewn in bloody heaps. And the horror didn’t stop with murder. The beautiful harem girls, the Arab boys, and even the guards were raped and subjected to vile sexual assaults. The scandal was so horrendous that the details of that night have still not been chronicled completely to this day. Authorities soon found the host’s body in a shallow grave in the backyard with his ghostly hand reaching up from the earth where he tired to escape being buried alive.

New Orleans: The Big Eerie – The Hotel Monteleone

February 19th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

You’re looking for the perfect romantic getaway when you stumble across the Hotel Monteleone, located in the magical French Quarter of New Orleans. Sitting on the corner of Royal and Iberville, the location is perfect and not to mention the architecture and décor are bar none top of the line.

You book it.

WWE Wrestler George “The Animal” Steele Dead At 79

February 18th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

Steele was a professional wrestler from 1967 to 1988 and was best known for his “Flying Hammerlock” move and his cave man image in the ring. With his wild man personality, he would tear up the turnbuckle with his teeth and use the stuffing as a weapon. Steele fast became one of the most recognizable faces of professional wrestling during its heyday in the 1980s. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995.

Piano Man: Billy Joel – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

February 17th, 2017

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Who is The Last Jedi?

February 17th, 2017

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By Joe Liddle

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll know that a few weeks ago, the next Star Wars movie, which will be the eighth episode in the epic saga, has finally been given an official title. Directed by Rian Johnson, known for the 2012 movie, Looper, the eighth installment of the new Disney led trilogy will be a continuation of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, which was released December 2015 in cinemas worldwide.

The title in question, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, which will be released December 2017, exploded among fans, giving way to one question; who is the title referring to? Sure, there are many other questions left unanswered, and some may even be answered in The Last Jedi. Some of these questions include the parentage of Rey, and the true guise of the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke, both of which have been theorized to death. If you’re interested in hearing said theories, YouTube is a great place to get your fill.

New Orleans: The Big Eerie – The Myrtles Plantation

February 17th, 2017

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By Kristi O’Toole

At first glance no one would ever think that the beautiful Myrtles Plantation house had a violent past or a reported dozen restless spirits, but that’s precisely the case.

Built in 1796 by a General Bradford, who was hiding because of the price put on his head due to his leadership in the whiskey rebellion, Myrtles Plantation is a prime example of the Southern Antebellum architecture. Complete with top notch plaster friezework and faux bois, which go nicely with the Gothic décor, there are 22 rooms, winding staircases and the standard dining room of a southern mansion of its time.