Our Town With Host Andy Ockershausen - Homegrown History

Tommy Curtis on the impetus for "Meetin' and Greetin'" "You came up to me and said, 'You're doing a great job,'" and I think I just had huge ratings or whatever it is. You said, 'Tom, you know. I want to say this in the way Andy would say it, because he was a legendary boss and a great guy. He said, 'Tom, I don't think that cruisin' and boozin' is so correct anymore. Can you come up with something else?" You didn't say, 'Stop using 'cruisin' and boozin''," but you said, 'Come up with something else,' and that's how meetin' and greetin' began, thanks to you." Tommy Curtis, The Matchmaker Meetin' and Greetin' A Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen and this is Our Town, and this is a special, special broadcast for me, a podcast, to introduce this man that I've known for many, many, many years. The actual creator ofthe iconic American phrase, "meetin' and greetin'," my guest is a local legend according to the Washington Post, and according to WMALFM. He was a Yale man also, and has the unique distinction

Charlie Brotman on Sugar Ray Leonard and success negotiating his first professional fight: "First professional fight, the youngster normally gets $400. That's just tradition and normal. We were able to negotiate with Baltimore for $40,000, considerably higher. We worked with him the rest of his 15 year career." Charlie Brotman, Public Relations Expert and Announcer of Presidents A Ockershausen: This is a special treat for Our Town for our million of listeners to have the most famous announcer in the history of the President of the United States, Charles Brotman, a native Washingtonian, grew up here, went to Tech High School, and fortunately moved to West Virginia at one time. Charlie Brotman: At one time. Getting Started in Broadcasting A Ockershausen: That's where he got started in broadcasting, as I recall. Charlie Brotman: Correct. I went to the National Academy of Broadcasting. A Ockershausen: And graduated. Charlie Brotman: And graduated. It doesn't exist anymore, but it was on 16th Street. A Ockersha

Mark Russell, the laughter of politics, on roasting "Charlie Brotman - "Why did I want to get on? Because it was a roast and you must go on first. It's an old rule of the Friars Club. The guy to say, mmhmmhm gets all the laughs. In Charlie's case, there's one obvious reference. I talked about how wonderful RFK Stadium was and that there's no AstroTurf at RFK Stadium and the only AstroTurf there at all was on Charlie Brotman's head. Referring of course to his magnificent hairpiece made by little old ladies in Iran." Mark Russell, Political Satirist and Entertainer A Ockershausen: I'm Andy Ockershausen and this is Our Town. We have the distinct pleasure of talking to a Washington legend who is also a Buffalo legend and he's my legend and his name is Mark Russell. Mark Russell, WMAL and Bill Trumbull Mark Russell: Thank you Andy. Thank you. You gave me my first job in radio, right in this building. WMAL, this was the first nonsmoking building in the city. It opened in the late '60s, early '70s and people sa

Ray Schulte on going out on his own - "Once I said that to myself I go 'What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?' I was just so focused. I just said, 'I'm going to do it.' I had no idea that Don Mattingly was going to be the 1984 batting champion." Ray Schulte, Sports Marketer Extraordinaire, Schulte Sports A Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen and this Our Town, and we have the great pleasure today to talk to the president, owner, chief medical officer, chief boss of Schulte Sports founded in New York City in 1984. Ray, welcome to our town. Ray Schulte: It's my pleasure to be part of Our Town. A Ockershausen: Our Town, right Ray. You knew that. Ray Schulte: Yes, I did. A Ockershausen: I wish it was my town, but it's not. It's Our Town, everybody has it. Ray, I found out about a lot of things about you, and knowing you personally of course makes a big difference, but to find out about your early years in New York. I thought you were from up New York State but you tell me Westchester. Ray

Marty Aronoff on sitting in the broadcast booth - "My elbow is one of the most televised elbows in the country, because it's usually in the shot. Sometimes I tell friends of mine, 'If you say something nice, I'll write your name on my elbow.'" Marty Aronoff, The Legend Native Washingtonian A Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen, and this is Our Town. We're talking to the busiest guy in Our Town, the man who knows all, sees all, and tells all, but nobody knows him. That's why we're so delighted to have him and a chance to talk to the real Marty Aronoff. Marty, welcome to Our Town! Marty Aronoff: I'm glad to be here, Andy. Looking forward to it. A Ockershausen: I don't know how we caught you on the rebound, but you're not doing a game tonight or you didn't do one last night, but you got one coming up, right? Marty Aronoff: I'm doing game five, the deciding game, tomorrow night for Fox Sports. The Dodgers at the Nationals with Kenny Albert A Ockershausen: Right here in Wheatey-ville, right? Marty Aronoff:

Guido Adelfio on his passion for travel - "It's hard work. It's a lot of energy to fly to Europe for three days, do stuff the whole time, and fly home and head right back to the office, but I love it. The beneficiaries of that are our clients." Guido Adelfio, Global Travel Expert, Bethesda Travel A Ockershausen: We have a special guest here today for Our Town. A man who knows Our Town and probably knows your town and their town and every town. It's Guido Adelfio from Bethesda Travel, a very, very dear friend of WMAL for so many years. Guido, where did Bethesda Travel start? Guido Adelfio: Good morning, Andy! A Ockershausen: We did that already. Guido Adelfio: We did that? A Ockershausen: It's not morning, it's night. La Familigia, Antonio and Margaret Adelfio, and Bethesda Travel Guido Adelfio: Thanks for having me. Bethesda Travel started in a dream of my parents. In 1961, my father was working for Air France. A Ockershausen: He had been in the Italian Air Force. Guido Adelfio: He had been in the Ital

"Often imitated, never duplicated, where the elite meet to eat." ~Tommy Jacomo of The Palm Restaurant Tommy Jacomo, The Palm Restaurant, Washington DC A Ockershausen: This is Our Town with Andy Ockershausen. I'm delighted to have a man here that I've known since he came to Washington, and I remember in 1972, Tommy. Tommy Jacomo, as far as I'm concerned, is the mayor of the D.C. restaurant world, and certainly knows more famous people than any ten people I know. Tommy, welcome to Our Town. Tommy Jacomo: Pleasure, thanks for having me Andy. Beginnings A Ockershausen: It's a long way from New York, New York. Tommy Jacomo: It's all downhill. A Ockershausen: You grew up in the Queens, right? Tommy Jacomo: Correct. A Ockershausen: Went to school in New York City? Tommy Jacomo: Yeah, very little schooling, I was hustling most of the time. A Ockershausen: Your family was in, was your family in the restaurant business? Tommy Jacomo: My father was a bartender at Waldorf Astoria for 40 years. He started in the men's

"There are a few people in the world you can say you’ve known for over 50 years and Donald Dell is one of them." says Our Town host Andy Ockershausen. Donald Dell, Tennis Icon Andy reads a description of Donald Dell from a Washington Post article that pretty much sums up who he is: Arguably the most powerful man in his sport, Dell is a political animal. He was an advance man for Robert Kennedy in 1966 and in RFK's presidential campaign in 1968, and in style and substance he remains a Kennedy man, equally idealistic and well-versed in practical politics. He has Establishment credentials - Landon School '56, Yale '60, Virginia Law '64 - but can wear brass sknuckles with his Ivy League suit. He is polished, sometimes charming, but not bashful about using strong-arm tactics. As a sports agent and founder of ProServ (now known as SFX), he’s represented some of the biggest names in sports such as Michael Jordan, Arthur Ashe, Moses Malone, Stan Smith, James Worthy, and John Lucas . . .In 1972, Jack Kramer and D

"The firecrackers go all over the place. . .one of those photographers that just drove around, his name was Bill Beall, a nice guy, he took a picture when I was talking to the child, the child was with his mother. His father was in the military and was out of the country." ~Maurice Cullinane Andy Ockershausen: We are delighted, exceptionally delighted, in Our Town to have a special guest that I've known for more years than I hate to admit but he's a special man, Maurice Cullinane, former Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department, who is a native Washingtonian. Maurice Cullinane - Retired, Chief of Police, Metropolitan Police Department Andy Ockershausen: Maurice Cullinane was a Navy veteran, got out of the Navy in 1951 and became a cop or a policeman as we call them now but when he grew up they were cops and they were great and things were different but they really weren't, Cully.Your years in the force saw a lot of changes, a lot of things happen. They were tumultuous in the seventies and I r

"I'm waiting, Andy . . .for the day in a few years not too long when my grandchildren and I will jump on a ferry in Georgetown take it down to the stadium, and before we go into the stadium, on a saturday afternoon game, we're going to change into our bathing suits, dive into the Anacostia, swim and have lunch that's what I'm looking forward to." ~Mark Tuohey Ernie Baur, Wendy Rieger, Mark Tuohey and Lucille Baur Mark Tuohey - a name not well known to the average citizen of Our Town, but he is a key player in the law of some of the most visible trials in local politics over the past 30 years and is one of the people responsible for bringing baseball back to Washington.You’ve probably seen Mark Tuohey sitting in the second row in box seats at the Nats games, in the "Halls of Justice" for some of the city’s more interesting cases or sitting next to the Mayor of our Nation’s Capital, he’s the venable Mark Tuohey and he’s Andy’s guest on Our Town. Born in Rochester, NY, the home of America’s most recognizabl

The phrase “living legend” gets tossed around a lot but there is no better way to describe Ernie Baur, long-time D.C. news and sports director and producer. In this fun and story-filled interview, Andy O. and the 14-time Emmy winning reminisce about the go-go years of local television programming and the diverse personalities that made it so special. Ernie Baur - Emmy Award Winning Producer/Director Born and raised in a Bethesda that has long-since faded from memory among the concrete and steel buildings of today, Ernie attended our Lady of Lourdes until 8th grade. In 9th, grade Ernie attended Good Counsel (hitchhiking to and from the all-boys Catholic school), and ultimately graduated from the co-ed high school right behind his house, Bethesda Chevy Chase. Deciding that more school was not for him (“I went to Montgomery College for about an hour and a half”), Ernie Baur was grilling steaks at the local Bonanza when his first break in broadcasting came as a part time copy boy at Channel 9. His prowess on th

Howard Bomstein is a native Washingtonian. Listen in to Howard talk to Andy O about his immigrant parents, school, his family, the Army, his early career choices, opening and closing the doors of his advertising agency, and landing on his feet at the Washington Post. Howard Bomstein - Advertising Manager Washington Post - Our Town Howard also shares personal stories such as how he fell in love with, and married, Polly, and how it was that he and Andy ended up in a feud that lasted many years until a mutual friend interceded. One thing for sure, you will come to understand Howard’s staying power in the market: connections, connections, connections. Howard Bomstein was born in Washington DC in 1948 to immigrant parents. His Dad immigrated to Baltimore in 1920, and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 1935. When he found he could earn $5 a week more in DC, he and Howard’s Mom moved there, and ran the Pharmacy at Union Station. Howard never knew his Dad. He died 12 days afte

Harry Jaffe is a brilliant award winning writer and author, and a media strategist. As Andy O puts it Harry covers the good, the bad and the ugly of Our Town. Andy calls him a local celebrity, a friend and welcomes him as a special guest in this all new episode of Our Town. Andy wants you to get to know Harry Jaffe. The Harry no one knows. Harry is a Philly boy and can’t escape it. He says “I wish that I could root for the Washington Nationals but I don't like them because I'm a Phillies fan. . .” He says this even after leaving home at 17. He recalls that Wilt Chamberlain and his older sister attended high school together, and he himself attended the high school where Kobe Bryant would eventually go. Although he applied to several colleges, and was even recruited by Dartmouth to play Lacrosse, his Dad had the final say on where he would attend – Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA where the Washington Redskins had training camp for many years. Harry and Andy talk Lacrosse and how popular it is in the

Tim Brant, recently retired American sportcaster is Andy Ockershausen’s guest in this episode of Our Town. Tim grew up in Our Town, played football at University of Maryland, had a short lived pro-football career, and a stellar career as a sportcaster on radio and TV. Listen in to hear Tim Brant recall one story after another of life as a sportscaster in Our Town, including what happened as he broadcast Muhammad Ali v Alfredo Evangelista fight at the Capitol Center in Landover, MD, and when he had to tell Paul "Bear" Bryant that he was playing football at Maryland instead of Alabama. You’ll love listening in to this interview because Andy and Tim are dear friends. Their mutual admiration is apparent throughout the interview. Tim grew up right here in Our Town. In fact, his family has been in the Washington area for generations and have helped to make the Washington DC area what it is today. He and his brothers were all very talented in sports. Tim went to high school and played ball at St. John’s Coll

Lon Anderson has been friends with Andy O for over 40 years. Listen in to Andy describe the Lon Anderson he’s come to know. “He's a big voice in our town. He's helped us . . .get around town . . . You've heard his voice on radio. You've seen his face on TV news talking about one of the biggest issue that affects us daily. He's been on the pulse of transportation issues." Andy continues, Lon's "name has appeared in The Washington Post more than 500 times - sometimes favorably I may add. He can speak on any topic related to traffic safety, holiday travel, speed cameras, gas taxes and driving in snow. He's been the spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic for most of his career. He sits with me on the Board of Directors of the Washington Area Regional Alcohol Program which grew out of some ideas that we had on WMAL years ago, with Jerry Sachs and others and we started this whole effort with WRAP. And, he's my friend of many many years and a great great citizen of Our Town.” Lon Anderson and WMAL Andy consid

Dexter Manley, former Defensive End for the Washington Redskins, was nicknamed football's “Secretary of Defense” in 1986 by a top government official. Listen in to Dexter tell Andy O the story about how he received the nickname and from whom. Andy says of Dexter Manley, “for many years a legend in the city of Washington. Manley "did so much as a player and so much as a human being”. Dexter recalls that he and Andy met for the first time at training camp in Carlisle Pennsylvania, and how Andy won him over with a deal at the station, “I did a show . . .maybe for about a year and they paid me not one dime but they furnished my bedroom suit for free. I'd never heard of that before. I said where’s my money. Jack Kent Cook said get money don’t go for those deals.” Lots of laughter ensues and we see why Andy refers to Dexter Manley as a “character”. Growing Up in Houston, TX and Oklahoma State University Football Andy O and Dexter talk about Dexter’s childhood years in Houston, Texas. He describes the

Thom Loverro is a sports columnist, an author and most recently a podcaster. Thom uses his talents and experiences from years on radio to run his own podcast called Cigars & Curveballs. He’s hosted Cal Ripken, George Foreman, Joe Jacoby, Dusty Baker and most recently Max Scherzer. You can subscribe to Cigars & Curveball on ITunes or Google Play, or listen to the latest episode online at Washington Times. Andy and Thom discuss Thom’s early years growing up in Brooklyn four blocks from Ebbets Field. One of Thom’s earliest memories was leaving the stadium after a Dodgers game. He tells Andy “I grew up in a Brooklyn Dodgers house and then when they left a New York Mets house.” Andy and Thom discuss Thom’s early years growing up in Brooklyn four blocks from Ebbets Field. One of Thom’s earliest memories was leaving the stadium after a Dodgers game. He tells Andy “I grew up in a Brooklyn Dodgers house and then when they left a New York Mets house.” The ballpark and team were an integral part of the neighb

Wendy Rieger, NBC4 news anchor, is host Andy Ockershausen’s guest in this all new episode of Our Town. Wendy recalls stories and experiences during this interview that will give you good insight into who she is, and how she got to be where she is today. Andy and Wendy talk about how Wendy came to live and work in Our Town. Although not a native Washingtonian, Wendy says she “always says I feel like I'm from here because I came here when I was 22 from Norfolk Virginia. I went to school at American University . . .that's what brought me here . . .I was finishing up my school.” Wendy goes on to tell Andy about how it was she decided togo to American University’s School of Communication. This journey included dropping out of Old Dominion in her sophomore year, and taking up acting much to her Mom’s dismay. Wendy’s interest in news started because of a job she held to make money while acting. She started doing the news on FM 99 because they needed to do news on Saturday and Sunday morning for the FCC. W

Catherine Meloy, CEO of Goodwill of Greater Washington and The Goodwill Excel Center, is host Andy Ockershausen’s guest in this all new episode of Our Town, and who Andy calls “a wonderful wonderful friend.” Andy recalls welcoming Catherine to Our Town in 1983-84 and prompts her to start at the beginning . . . her life before Washington, DC. Catherine was born in Camp Lejeune North Carolina. Her Dad was a Marine for 25 years, and now lives in St. Louis where he and her Mom decided to retire to be close to their parents, Catherine’s grandparents. Andy and Catherine discuss her emotional attachment to the military, and how she loves living now in Annapolis, a military town. Catherine attended high school and college in St. Louis. She tells Andy, that “we had to pay for our own college at that time . . .and at the end of my Sophomore year I owed $10,000 in college debt .” I dropped out “because I just hated owing people money.” Afterward, Catherine went to work for the St. Louis Cardinals as an ushere

Our Town host Andy Ockershausen interviews two outstanding professionals, Attorney Mike Collins and Dr. Joe Novello, in this all new Our Town podcast episode. Andy introduces both men to us by telling us about their very different career paths, then segues into a long laundry list of what they have in common. Up first is Attorney Mike Collins. He is managing partner of The Collins Firm and host of Legally Speaking radio show on WMAL. Andy prompts Mike to talk about his alma mater Notre Dame. Mike provides insight into his early years growing up in Chicago’s school system, and how he started Notre Dame at 16. They go on to talk about Mike’s Dad, the first Notre Dame fan Mike ever met. Although never having attended Notre Dame, his Dad had season tickets with 9 friends and he attended every home game for 49 years. The group was cut off from the tickets when the person whose name the tickets were in passed away. Mike went through a letter writing campaign to get his Dad reinstated and was successful.