Your History Your Story

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our listeners!  In this special Christmas episode, our host, James Gardner is joined by his wife, Kelly and daughters, Jennifer, Katie and Jamie. They will be sharing stories of Christmases past from their family tree, that exemplify the value of simple, heartfelt, gift giving.  

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Mann

Photo: Courtesy of Gardner Family

In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Michael Franzese, once a high-ranking official of a major crime family. Michael tells his story of how he walked away from the mob and changed his family legacy.

Today, I will be speaking with Chris Costello, daughter of Lou Costello; who, along with his partner, Bud Abbott, made up the legendary comedy duo. They entertained millions of people on stage, radio and film from the 1930's through the 1950's.  Their timeless comedy continues to entertain many people to this day!  Chris will be sharing many stories and also introducing us to her recently released, audio book, "Lou's On First".

Our guest today is known worldwide as "The Amazing Kreskin". He is a thought-reader or mentalist, who, for six decades has wowed crowds with his gift of mind reading. Kreskin will be sharing stories about his family roots, life, career and his amazing gift.

In today’s episode, I’ll be speaking with Jennifer Rush Jacobs who was a former contestant, along with her dad, on NBC’s The Biggest Loser show in season 11.  Jen joins us to share not only her experiences on the show, but how she’s gained confidence through that journey and from the people in her life.

Photo: Courtesy of Jennifer Rush Jacobs

In this episode, I’ll be speaking with MaryBeth Borkowski about her dad, Tony Ventresca.  A child of Italian immigrants, Tony, who excelled in high school athletics and had an offer to try out for a professional football team, chose to enlist in the US Marine Corps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Tony was severely wounded in battle, but his positive outlook prevailed for the rest of his life, creating a wonderful legacy for his family.

Photo: Courtesy of MaryBeth Borkowski

In this episode, we’ll be exploring the life of my wife, Kelly’s, Uncle  Ray.  You will hear stories of  how Ray coached many young men from Brooklyn, NY in canoeing and kayaking.  Ray not only coached these young  men, but also took them on memorable wilderness trips to remote areas of Canada; trips they would remember for the rest of their lives.  Three of these men join us to share their experiences…50 years later!

Paul Hemmer, of the 447th Ordnance Heavy Auto Maintenance Company, US Army, was responsible for retrieving and repairing military vehicles and equipment from the battlefields of Europe during the final years of WWII. In this episode, Paul's son, Tom, tells of his father's experiences which include the liberation of the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp and an encounter with General George "Blood & Guts" Patton.