My Niche

I’m enamored with all facets of the entertainment business. Could I possibly be a celebrity chef? Movie or TV star? Singer/dancer/songwriter? Radio personality? Stand-up comic? Great novelist? Producer or director? GQ fashion model? Broadway performer? Can I make it in Vegas? The circus? Maybe I can be a voiceover for a cartoon character (yep, I do voices too). Heck, I’m down for donning a furry suit again and playing a Muppet. I’ll do commercials. I’m diverse. I’d love to do a variety of things like my idol, Mr. Dean Martin. I’d make a great game show host or maybe even a Goomba Ryan Seacrest! Plenty of possibilities…Or should I say FUGHEDDABOUTIT to all of the above, and just get a job as a bank teller? I don’t think that could happen, I’m real bad with numbers. My acting resume isn’t sparkling, but Johnny Boy has had a lot of adventures. I caught “the bug,” as they say, when I first started dressing up as costumed characters for All-Star Entertainment in North Bergen, way back in the day. I haven’t co-starred with Joe Pesci like Ralph Macchio did for any “My Cousin Vinny” sequel just yet. Still a chance. People used to say I looked like Macchio a bit in my younger days, and then later I was constantly told I’d be a dead ringer for a “Sopranos” cast member. When that particular HBO program was popular, I was chosen to speak on the panel of “Sally Jessy Raphael” to talk about all the hype as an aspiring actor and Jersey Italian-American (the highest rated Sally ever, look it up). In 2002, among about ten-thousand others, I auditioned for Henry Bronchtein, one of the Soprano producers at Harrison High School’s open casting call. I was lucky enough to go to Satin Dolls and meet the whole cast and be part of a scene as a non-speaking extra in episode 48 of their fourth season. Cool, huh? But to date, my actual acting work has been mostly in independent films, and to be honest, my favorite times were when I was a guest DJ on my pal Tony Mangia’s Italian-American independent radio show. That’s where I was always just being myself, and able to talk about my passions. I recently wrote about the “I-TABANAR” (Identifiable-Through-A-Birthplace-A-Nationality-And-Religion) which is me, and how if and when I make it in show-biz, I want it to be on my terms and by just being who I am. I know, I talk a lot and write a lot, but am I being paid millions like the big-shots for it? Not yet. Fast forward to a couple of years ago…I appeared in a background scene of “Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares” on FOX when an episode was shot at my friend Joe’s restaurant, Campania in Fair Lawn. Around the same time, I also was in a scene at The White Manna in Hackensack after writing to The Food Network suggesting Guy Fieri visit there for “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” I’ll always remember Ramsay and Fieri as both being unbelievably cool guys—super down to earth, despite their rock star celebrity chef status. Those kinds of food shows are always gonna be big (look at the recent success of “Cake Boss” on TLC), and of course “American Idol” and all those sing/dance-offs will be around forever. Bottom line is, this reality style programming is hugely popular—no matter what the genre. Some of these shows are absolutely terrible and unwatchable, some I’ll take or leave, and then a few here and there are pretty interesting to me—especially when there is a New Jersey/Italian angle. What will the next big thing be? Will I be a part of it, but as a main player in the game this time? I’ve been on the cusp for a long time now, so close to stardom I can taste it. It’s something I’ve been searching for and trying to get for the past ten years now, and I’ve wanted to be a somebody since I could start talking. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of trial and error—but this stuff is all done with an eye on some payoff in the end. But when does one come to the conclusion to no longer pursue a dream, and to accept being a nine to five guy? I’ve given myself deadlines before, and now with a baby of my own on the way and birthday #29 almost here, it’s time to take my shot. The New Year has provided me a few brief cups of coffee of notoriety—but are my fifteen minutes of fame over, or just beginning? January and February brought this paisan quite a bit of newspaper and website exposure by my participation in the big “Guido Colloquium” in New York, and with my well-documented pursuits of my journey to create a real “Cugine” show to counter the other side of the “Jersey Shore” youth culture. In March, I co-hosted the “Buck Wild At Corrado’s” segment with reporter, Alicia Vitarelli on News 12. And St. Patty’s Weekend will bring the highly publicized gravy & meatball event at Chef Central with author, Lorraine Ranalli. Beyond that, there may be something else, even bigger on the spring horizon. Throughout all the guido madness, I found an ad online casting for another reality show seeking “under-30 engaged couples in New Jersey.” The ad said nothing having to do with New Jersey Italians or any real details. But, I’m always exploring opportunities, so I filled out the application. Shortly after, I got a phone call and was told that my application “greatly excited” the producers of the program, and I was immediately invited for an interview. I was intrigued, and already thinking about what shirt I was planning to wear. During that initial phone conversation, I also was told that the original format was already being altered from when I sent in my application. It was explained that this was now going to be specifically, a “New Jersey Italian-American” focused show. The new production team was going to be the same team that produced “Jersey Shore,” and they’d be probably airing it on the same cable network. The enthusiastic voice on the other line was familiar with who I was, and actually knew my whole back story. It was starting to make sense why this guy was so enamored with me. It came as no surprise that he worked side by side with the guy who interviewed me last May when I auditioned for “Jersey Shore.” I was getting flashbacks. This was basically the same story I heard back then when I was told that the original premise for “Shore” was being changed. (As I said on many occasions, that aforementioned show was supposed to be a REAL character-focused drama with human elements and dignity, and not the so-far-from reality, staged, overly-dramatic Jerry Springer-fied series it turned out to be.) Hmm…did this mean that I was setting myself up to be a part of some kind of “Shore” style clone, and be forced to act like some over the top caricature? I then thought to myself, even if that’s ultimately what they ask for, should I do it anyway? Would that make me a sell-out, or should I simply concede that this is truly the reality of making it in on TV, and the door I just have to open to finally grasp that stardom? No matter what, I had to at least meet with the casting directors. I found out some more details as our conversation progressed. The information I got was that this would NOT be the type of show where I’d be hanging out with a bunch of wild, single kids and be expected to act crazy and party in every episode. The reason for that was simple. While this show is definitely going to be an MTV style project and not a PBS one, it is going to be a “family show.” And here’s why: it’s going to be a show about young New Jersey Italian-American girls and guys planning to get married, and all their daily interactions with their friends and family during that critical youth-to-adulthood period. Gee, that sounded like a familiar idea that I’ve been talking about for a TV show! MTV president, Tony DiSanto never wrote back to the letter I sent him about my TV show pitch, and no one from the network responded to my youtube video or reached out to me. But now they wanted to meet me based on an application I sent in to talk about a show that the “Jersey Shore” producers were creating? Anyway…this all takes us back to Sunday, the 28th of February…

Me and my beautiful, (22 weeks pregnant) fiancée, who surprisingly didn’t need any real prompting from me to join in on the fun, headed across the GWB—and fittingly over the 495 Expressway—to Long Island’s spectacular New Hyde Park Inn, for our big meeting with the Hollywood heavyweights. That kind of support I felt when she agreed to be a part of this dream cannot be expressed in words. I can’t reveal any more right now, but I can say, Megin and I both had a great experience. We were a team once again, and we certainly made an impression. Nobody knows if the ideas discussed for this show will be changed again, or if we’ll be asked to become something we’re not, to still be a part of it. Then there’s of course, the editing process—what will the final product be—and will we have any control over it? Will UNICO approve or will they be out calling for a boycott? What they (and the audience in general), is led to believe is that cameras are simply rolling and that what we see is all just coincidentally the most extreme moments in perfect continuity. That’s not the case at all. Unless you are watching an independent documentary shot with one single camera rolling, let’s say, a show on the day in the life of a goldfish—where that’s just filmed in its raw glory—a reality show is truly a creation of meticulously produced programming with unknown stars. My future bride and I did make a pact that if this were to all pan out, that we wouldn’t do anything that either of us didn’t feel comfortable with. I’m not going to hook-up with any other chicks or get into a bar fight, and I’d hope she wouldn’t either. If that’s what this turns into, we’ll both pass on becoming the next Pauly D. and Snookie, even if that means settling for nothing more than minor internet celebrity status (if that even means anything). Do I have star quality and enough talent to take me off of facebook and onto the screen? Here’s the big question we asked ourselves: If we did it, we both knew we’d have to ham things up at times (as I said before, that’s just the nature of “reality” TV), but we both aren’t going to turn into total gavones. That’s the big “balance” thing that has that very thin line people that do this stuff are often encouraged to cross. The fact is, we are getting married and starting a family either way—and doing it in the true Italian-American Jersey style. If that process is televised and ends up being our “Star Search” vehicle to fame and fortune, great. If not, I’m still gonna feel like a rich man, just like I do now. I have my life partner. That’s something I take very seriously, and I’m very fortunate, considering I never thought I’d be tying the knot again or ever having children of my own after an unsuccessful previous marriage and subsequent divorce. Our wedding will be the ultimate event, and I’m very excited to plan it, and not just because it could potentially be on national television. Our song is going to be Survivor’s “The Search Is Over,” and I got my fingers tightly crossed that my search to find my niche in life is also over. I want to be a strong provider for my family, because we can no longer just “live on a prayer”—especially with a baby on board. I’ve been working non-stop since I was sixteen, doing every kind of occupation one can imagine. But I haven’t yet found that true niche—something I can call a career and feel secure with. The job market out there is tough, and that aint no joke. I’ve probably applied for hundreds of positions since last January, but I’ve had barely enough interviews to count on one hand. Most of the stuff online and in the paper are scams or low-paying, and it’s quite sad that the state of our economy is in such a mess. I really have been trying, but it’s also difficult to find something local and that pays more than what I get from unemployment—especially since I have no college diploma. Collecting wore out its fun long ago, but I can’t settle for something that would not be beneficial to me and my family—and my own personal sanity. It’s been over a year since I got laid off from Dale & Thomas Popcorn, and I really dread the idea of going back to corporate America. I’ve been trying to get a job as a cook—my big passion in life—and I’ve been doing my best with trying to get by on Bonnie & Clyde catering jobs—but there just haven’t been enough gigs. Someday, I will own my own restaurant. Mark my words. Of course, the family olive oil business is always there for me, but I just feel like I gotta make it on my own. My other big passion is story-telling, people say I got what it takes as a writer, and I truly want to make a living at it with a weekly column somewhere. Anywhere. You all know I had a weekly column for about four months at an online paper (which I will not plug here), but what most people don’t know is that 90% of those columns were altered by my former egocentric editor to suit his own needs, and I was often manipulated into writing about things that fit into his advertising agenda. I was also being controlled with who else I collaborated with in regards to other writing projects and even acting endeavors. It’s funny how I was published many times before that (and many times after) on various websites and newspapers, but never once were any of my words rewritten. I love sharing my Cugine Corner facebook stories with everyone, and maintaining control over what I do. And any auditions I ever went on that led to things, or didn’t lead to things, were done by my own dedication and hard-work—and never with an agent or manager. I’ve been writing so much in the past year, enough to definitely publish a book, but the thing is, one needs a certain level of notoriety to make money with it. I’m just not there yet. Maybe this TV show will catapult me to that publicity. I know once I achieve that, I will have a much better shot at getting my forum to express myself and get paid to do it. I’ll always be an actor and a writer at heart, even if I never make a full-time living out of it. And just like Sinatra said, I’m doing it my way, because I won’t compromise my morals or be used. But more importantly, I’ll always be a family man and that same regular goomba from the neighborhood. I’ll update this at the end of the summer—hopefully from the perspective of flourishing success. No matter what, I’m a survivor and I’m gonna make it. At something. That’s a guarantee.