Who Am I? March 2020

I was born in Brooklyn to orthodox Jewish parents. Mom was a seamstress from Vilna and dad, who was born in the Ukraine, operated a bar and grill on Fulton Street. My dad died when I was only 9. He had been working part-time in a north Jersey defense plant.One day, on his commute home, he suffered a fatal heart attack. His loss really hit me hard. Our family was forced on to the welfare rolls for two years and we knew hard times. I barely made it out of high school and had no possibility of furthering my education.

My ambition was to work in radio and I got my chance at WAHR when one their d.j.’s quit.  I was earning the princely sum of $55.a week for my efforts but I was on my way! Who would have thought that I would become a newspaper and magazine columnist as well as a published author?  Most of you probably know me as a professional interviewer as I was on national TV 5 times a week hosting an international call-in show. No doubt you noticed my hunched shoulders and pointed elbows while I was interviewing celebrities, presidents, dignitaries, boxers, actors, rappers and all sorts of people from both high and low places. I pride myself as having a non-threatening style in which I usually ask my guests open-ended questions. At last count, my Twitter feed had 2.6 million followers. I am proud of my induction to both the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.  

I was never particularly handsome. Many people consider me homely.  In fact, former President Bill Clinton actually once remarked to me that he hoped my kids, for their sakes, looked more like my wife than me! Nevertheless, I have been a serial husband who married 8 times! I hope Bill will give the eulogy at my funeral. I think you all should know me by now. My recognizable eyewear appears in the image below. 

(1)Who am I? and how did I get my stage name? (2)Who do I consider as my mentor? Who
succeeded me after I left my 25 year run on national TV? (3) Walden Cassotto was my first
celebrity interviewee. You probably know him better by his stage name, Bobby Darin. In what restaurant did that interview take place? Here’s a hint – There was an eatery with the identical name on Broadway in Fair Lawn until a ‘cease and desist order’ caused the Fair Lawn restaurant to change its name. (4)What do I usually have for breakfast? (5)What vehicle is my ride?