Michael Franzese grew up the son of Sonny Franzese, the notorious underboss of New York's violent and feared Colombo crime family. At his most affluent, he generated an estimated $5 million to $8 million per week from legal and illegal business. It was a life filled with power, luxury...and deadly violence. When he was 35, Fortune Magazine listed Franzese as number 18 on its list of the "Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses," just five spots below John Gotti. He quickly became the target of Manhattan"s federal prosecutor, Rudi Giuliani who promised Franzese 100 years behind bars upon indicting him on racketeering charges. Giuliani came up empty-handed.

"Inside the American Mob" premieres Sunday July 28, at 9 and 10 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel.

For more information:

www.natgeotv.com/americanmob

Twitter: @NGC_PR

"Restrepo", a film directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger (author of The Perfect Storm), spent what they called "a year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan". This war documentary stars the men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Juan 'Doc' Restrepo is the medic for whom the documentary was named.

Both Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondos were killed in Misrata, Libya, at the height of that country's battle that brought down the Gaddafi government. Hetherington by a motar blast and Hondos from an explosion. Colleagues say both men could have been saved if the journalists and rebels knew first aid.

For more information on the movie:

http://restrepothemovie.com/

Movie Trailer

http://restrepothemovie.com/home/trailer/

Sebastian Junger's Twitter

https://twitter.com/sebastianjunger

Tim Hetherington's Twitter and an Article on Tim Hetherington in Vanity Fair (4-2011)

https://twitter.com/timhetherington

http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2011/04/sebastian-junger-remembers-tim-hetherington-201104

Chris Hondos' Website

http://www.chrishondros.com/

Reporters Instructed Saving Collegues (RISC) Website

* RISC is a medical training program created by Sebastian Junger for freelance journalists after the death of Tim Hetherington.

http://www.risctraining.org/

Dr. Wangari Maathai founded the Greenbelt Movement and is the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Author of several books, Professor Maathai’s movement planted over 51 million trees in Kenya. She was an environmentalist and activist. She visited me at the studios of WPFW-FM Radio in Washington, D.C. while she was appearing at National Geographic. She spent several hours with the staff.

In my excitement at having a chance to interview Dr. Maathai, I referred to her as "Miss" and further in the interview I called the continent of Africa a country. Just to set the record straight.

For more information on Dr. Wangari Maathai:

www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography

Septime Webre became artistic director of the Washington Ballet in 1999

after serving close to a decade in a similar capacity at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey.

As a dancer he was featured in works by George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham and others. Among the companies he’s created works for are Ballet Austin, Atlanta Ballet and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens.

This Cuban-American sits on the board of Cultural Alliance, D. C.

http://www.washingtonballet.org/sitewide-bios/webre-septime-twb-leadership

Shireen Lewis, J.D., PhD. is the Executive Director of EduSeed and

founder of SisterMentors. She is making a difference in the lives of women

and girls.

For information on Eduseed:

http://www.eduseed.org/

For information on SistersMentors:

http://sistermentors.org/

William Shakespeare is by common consent, the world’s greatest playwright

yet little is known about Ann Hathaway, his wife, and mother of his children. For centuries scholars and journalists have maligned her, portraying her as a homely wench, who shackled Shakespeare in a loveless and unproductive marriage.

Dr. Germaine Greer, one of the 20th century’s most influential thinkers rescues her in what many consider the first sympathetic rebuttal to Anne’s detractors in “Rethinking Anne Hathaway”. The author of the influential first book “The Female Eunuch” came to Washington, D.C.’s Folger Shakespeare Library and spoke with me soon after.

Mary Higgins Clark is a best selling mystery and suspense author. “The Lost Years”, a novel, tackles the issue of Alzheimer one of the most debilitating diseases of our time.

For more information: www.maryhigginsclark.com

Sir Patrick Stewart has played royalty, villains and professors. Named by TV Guide in 1993 as the best dramatic television actor of the 1980s, and television’s sexiest man the year before, Sir Patrick is best known for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series,

The next film in the franchise opens this weekend. I spoke with him about his work with Amnesty International and some of his other interests.

For more information on Sir Patrick Stewart:

http://ihe.britishcouncil.org/going-global/speakers/prof-sir-patrick-stewart

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001772/

https://twitter.com/SirPatStew

This year, Dag Hammarskjold, was honored with a symposium at the United Nations marking sixty years since his inauguration as the organization’s second Secretary General. The Swedish diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize laureate perished in a plane crash in the Congo on September 18th, 1961. He is the only United Nations Secretary General to die while in office, Hammarskjold was en route to cease-fire negotiations.

In Hammarsjold: A Life, Roger Lipsey documents this author and economist’s monumental life, his spiritual writings, Markings, and much more.

For more information:

http://blog.press.umich.edu/2013/04/roger-lipsey-to-speak-on-hammarskjolda-legacy-at-un/

"Mom and Me and Mom." Dr. Maya Angelou's latest book took her decades to write. It's the heartwarming story of love and forgiveness. A stunning portrait of "Lady" , Vivian Baxter, her mother and a remarkable grandmother who instilled in her values that she cherishes. Here is my interview with Dr. Angelou.

For more information on Dr. Maya Angelou: http://mayaangelou.com/