(upbeat music) - Hi everyone, Steve Adubato.

We kick off the program with my longtime friend and colleague in the media, Joe, the Joe Piscopo, "Joe Piscopo Show", "AM 970 The Answer" weekday six...

This dude gets up at like three or four, 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and also on 77 WABC, I do not miss a Sunday night.

"Sundays with Sinatra", hosted by Joe Piscopo.

Sundays from six to eight, a legend from "Saturday Night Live" and a whole bunch of other great things.

Hey, how are you, Paisan?

- Stephen, you look great.

So every hit I do on TV, I put a suit and tie on 'cause you and I are from the Bloomfield Avenue School of Style.

And you gotta do the Frankie Vincent, Joey Pesci, dress it up a little bit.

So I'm on with my buddy, Steve, I've known you 100 years- - Well, what happened, Joe?

What happened?

- I'm home.

I'm in Hunterdon County and I said, "Let me just kick back at my house, we're Zooming..." And look at me but look, this is be... You know, the comedian, the great comedian Jeff Norris gave me this shirt, how cool is that shirt?

It's Jersey, baby, look at that.

And it's got all the counties, the 21 counties on my sweatshirt, so and then... And the hat's Tunnel to Tower so I'm locked and loaded, but I don't look near as good as you, my friend.

- And Tunnel to Tower is Mary Gamba our Executive Producer, Mary, connect with our folks.

'cause I just saw a Tunnels to Towers 30 second spot.

We need to do a feature on that organization because they are incredible, the work that they're doing, we'll do that.

Hey Joe, let's do this.

- Yeah.

Where the heck are we in 2024 when it comes to those of us in the media, all different mediums and our responsibility to report and talk about things factually, but always respectfully even when we disagree, please, Joe.

- Yeah, it's a great question, my friend.

You know, and you... You know, you actually started even before I did.

I got into the radio so you know, if you keep it... What I try to do, is to keep it, everybody calm.

Everybody's scared and you gotta calm everybody down, no matter what you believe.

You and I are old school Essex County Democrats, you know?

It's like, I'm not anymore but I always was and that- - I'm not anymore, Joe, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- What, what, what?

- I'm a journalist.

- What?

Yeah, oh yes, you're a journalist.

- I thought, wait- - A democratic journalist.

- No, no Joe... Joe, hold on, just because you used to be a Democrat and then you've transformed into, we'll talk about that in a minute.

But I'm gonna say this, those of us... Those who watch our programming know, I don't care if someone's a Democrat or Republican.

- No, you're right, you're right.

You're right, you're always like that.

- But don't you try to do the same thing, Joe?

- Oh man, I'm... After the four hours on the radio, six to 10 on "AM 970 The Answer" you've come on, you've hosted, you know what it's like.

It's like...

It's like a wild runaway train and then I see all the news coming in, and then you don't know if it's real or not.

And I could read everything offline but I don't, I gotta check with Joe Sibilia, I gotta check with Al Gattullo.

- Your producers, yep.

- With Debbie DuHaime.

And we got our team there, thank God.

Steve, I'm exhausted.

I say, do everything under the radar 'cause the thing you gotta do, and what I preach every single morning, is I put aside the hate.

You can't hate and everybody hates that.

Stop with the hate.

We're all in it together, it'll all work out.

You know, if you believe in something.

I have friends that are way far right, way far left, and I love them and I don't hate 'em, you know?

And I think it's...

I'll tell you the truth between you and I, Steve, 'cause we know each other so long, be perfectly honest with you on your show.

It's like if I...

If I wasn't like kind of in the middle or, you know, I'm right of center, but my friends are either way left, left of center or right.

If I wasn't...

If I was hardcore, I would probably have a million followers, you know what I mean?

Sometimes if you're hardcore either...

The extremes seem to get all the followers.

I'd rather keep it under the radar, keep it quiet, try to be nice, amicable.

Pragmatic is my favorite word.

I get upset sometimes, you know?

And I'll rail sometimes but for the most part, it's nice to stay as calm as we can, you know?

- But I'm gonna follow up on that, Joe, you and I have a mutual friend.

Let's just call him Nicky G, okay?

And Nicky G- - Nicky!

- No, no.

(Joe laughs) Listen, it's not some wise guy name, it's Nicky G, that's who it is, okay?

- Doesn't sound like a wise guy name, you're right.

- No, no, seriously, hold on.

So in all serious- - I'm sorry, go ahead.

- Our friend Nicky G, who is my- - Great guy.

- One of my closest friends of all time, we disagree just about everything.

But here's the thing that Nick and I talk about all the time, that some of my friends who are let's say very far left, will know of his politics, Nick's politics, and they'll say, "How could you be best friends with that guy?"

And my response is... And Nick and I laugh about that because we have different views and we'll say, "Hold on, you think because somebody voted differently in election or someone has different views, you can't..." How about loyalty, history, respect, real friendship, family, la familia.

- That's it.

- And I'm not gonna turn this into an Italian-American thing.

I'm stunned by people who think you can't or shouldn't be friends with people who see the world differently.

Go ahead, Joe Piscopo.

- I know it's true 'cause on the show, you know, they say, "Oh, Joe's a conservative."

I said, "I am."

I said, "I'm just a guy who loves the country."

Like I'm a mouthpiece for my parents, rest of their souls, you know?

I'm a mouthpiece... We know where we were brought up, Stephen.

And your family comes from Newark, you know, and we went to Newark to Bloomfield and up to the- - Let call it old school, just call it old school.

- Yeah and it's about America, my father fought the Second World War.

My mom was a diehard and guilt ridden, church going, God fearin' Italian Catholic, you know?

I still, I dropped to my knees, I go... St. Thomas, I went to St. Thomas in Bloomfield.

We got married at the Basilica in Newark, the Sacred Heart Basilica, that's all me.

So when I talk about it, and I talk about that, there are a lot of people that feel like we do.

Just, you know, we believe in the country, but I don't hate anybody.

No matter what your color is, what your sex is, what you think you are, I don't... You know what, Steve?

I don't have time to hate.

I'm exhausted, you know what I mean?

I don't have time- - And so many in the media, Joe, so many in our business...

Sorry for interrupted my friend.

So many- - Yeah.

- In our business, say this, "Pick sides, who are you with?

Are you with us?"

- No, they can't.

- "Or them?"

- You can't.

They like to divide, they want to divide and conquer.

They want to divide and conquer.

It's like one of my favorite guests, if I may, and my friends who are conservative give me this, is Josh Gottheimer from the 5th in Bergen County.

Great guy- - United States Congressman, Josh Gottheimer, yep.

- Yeah, he's a great guy.

"Oh, he's a democrat."

Yeah, and?

You know, he's an old school kind of Democrat, then I talked to Nicole Malliotakis in Staten Island.

And Josh and Nicole are together, trying to get, you know, that Gateway Project going.

- They don't agree on a lot of things.

- Exactly right.

- They don't agree on the 2020 election.

They don't agree on ideological issues.

- That's right.

- But like, they can't ever come together and work together?

That's ridiculous.

- Did you have work done?

You look good, man, I gotta tell you something.

You look really... You look really handsome.

- Why you hurtin' me like this?

- Because, you look so good.

Can I, you got... Can I have his number?

Can I have the guy's number?

Cause I'm ready.

- Now you're gonna... What are you sayin', Joe?

- I think I need plugs, I need a little of this.

Come on baby, I'm ready.

- Joe, listen, we're gonna use this interview on public television, will you get serious?

- Oh, sorry, sorry.

- Hold on.

- Okay.

- Do this because you and I, go around in our house, Sinatra's everywhere.

Not just playing on Sundays and waiting for Joe to come on.

But there are pictures everywhere of Sinatra and he is a big part of the way I grew up.

Your healthy obsession with Frank Sinatra, give me a minute on or less, go.

- No, Mr. S, you mean?

If he wasn't from New Jersey, if Mr. Sinatra was not a north Jersey Italian-American, and he wasn't born a year apart from my dad- - Hoboken, April our Makeup Artist, Hoboken.

Oh, go ahead, pick it up, Joe.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah but it's so true, because if it wasn't that, it's my dad.

It's all about my dad.

It's about...

They were so identical and then my father went on, as you know, went to Rutgers, went and became a lawyer in Passaic, you know, Pop?

And our fathers, you know, rest their souls, man.

And now that's what it's about and the old man, Mr. Sinatra, we affectionately refer to him as the old man, as an admiral or a captain, or someone in charge, you know, the ultimate guy.

And he was like so like my dad, I will watch Mr. S, I was at resorts and Mr. Sinatra was there performing and we're watching.

And then I'd watch the moves he'd make, you know?

And he would do the shoulders and he'd do the hand, or he'd say a certain something, "Ah, you know, you make me feel so good, your bone..." Some... That's my father, it is my dad and I grasp onto that legacy because then when I do Sundays with Sinatra, and thank you Steve Adubato, for letting me plug WABC, and now we're streaming worldwide, it's syndicated.

And a matter of fact, this weekend if I can plug, we're out in Nashville, we're down doing a celebration of the Sinatra Barn Lounge, and I'm gonna be down there with Tina Sinatra, that's...

They're royalty, the Sinatra name is royalty, and I treat it with such respect.

But then when I study him, Steve, and I study how he started, that's our neighborhood, man.

The Rustic Cabin.

He was in Englewood Cliffs.

- New Jersey, right?

- He outta Hoboken, this guy?

And he went on to become an international superstar, never forgot his roots like you and I do.

That's the obsession right there.

- And do this, check out our sister series, "Remember Them" with my colleague Jacqui Tricarico, one of our first "Remember Them" series we do in cooperation with the New Jersey Hall of Fame that Joe knows well is...

The number one show, first show we ever did, was on the life and legacy of the great Frank Sinatra.

P.S, Joe, go ahead give me...

I got 30 seconds left, go.

- You did a great job at the Hall of Fame inducting your father.

Wait a minute, this is what...

This was given- - What do you got?

- Michael...

This is from Michael Adubato Junior, you remember this?

A hundred years ago when I first started helping out, leading the way of Ray Chambers and your dear dad, who really blazed the path to help others in the great city of Newark, New Jersey.

I was presented with this by the Adubato family, and I wanted to show it to everybody to say thank you.

- My late cousin, Michael.

- Hey, Joe- - Thank you.

- Before I let you go, when my father passed, what was the song... What was the Sinatra song that they played that was about my father's life and he did it whose way?

- "My Way", baby, "My Way".

- Just checking.

- That was the one.

- What... Hey, when I come, what's the song?

What's the song you guys play when I'm coming on?

Not when you're doing Springsteen, when you're doing Sinatra.

When we're in the summer, when I come on your show, what's the Sinatra song?

- Oh, that's probably Mr. Sinatra's greatest vocal performance.

Steve has it in his contract when he comes on AM 970, we have to play "The Summer Wind".

- "The Summer Wind".

- "Comes blowin' in from across the sea."

- He's...

Listen to Joe on Sunday nights, on WABC Sundays, for Sinatra... (Joe singing) He's still singing, he's still doing it.

What am I, what am I, Tommy... Joey, Tommy Culets over here?

Check him out on AM 970, 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM on AM 970.

Hey Joe, thank you my friend.

- I love you, Stephen.

Love to the family, please, my friend?

Thank you, keep up a great work.

- Same to you, do me a favor, next time when you're on dress up.

Okay, you see right after this, folks, be right back.

(Joe laughing) - [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Celebrating 30 years in public broadcasting.

Funding has been provided by NJM Insurance Group.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

Rutgers University Newark.

Newark Board of Education.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.

The Adler Aphasia Center.

Veolia, And by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Promotional support provided by Northjersey.com and Local IQ.

And by ROI-NJ.

NJM Insurance Group has been serving New Jersey businesses for over a century.

As part of the Garden State, we help companies keep their vehicles on the road, employees on the job and projects on track, working to protect employees from illness and injury, to keep goods and services moving across the state.

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