Heroes Behind Headlines

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FBI Undercover Penetrates the Real "Sopranos" Dec 04, 2023

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FBI agent Giovanni Rocco talks about life undercover as he went inside the real "Sopranos" crime family of New Jersey. In a case of life imitating art, Giovanni describes the real-life characters he dealt with; the deadly politics inside the 'family;' how they felt about the TV show; and how he managed to penetrate this closed society and use their greed against them--all while living a normal life only a few miles away. This is one of the wildest stories ever in the annals of the fight against organized crime!
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

High-Stakes Gambler and Philanthropist Battles Corruption Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

R.J. Cipriani grew up on the hardscrabble streets of Philadelphia and at 10 years of age, he sold pretzels to factory workers everyday before he went to school. He became a gambler at the age of 16.

Many years later, he cared for his beloved mother Regina for six years, who was stricken with Alzheimers.

When Regina passed he was grief stricken and took his last $5,000 and turned it into millions at the blackjack tables in Atlantic City and then Las Vegas. He was so successful that for the past 23 years under the moniker Robin Hood 702, he’s donated well over a million dollars to people in need. He also became a Confidential Human Source (CHS) for the Feds. He talks about this unusual career, helping the FBI takedown a money-laundering, drug-dealing ring, and his current fight against corruption in Las Vegas that's been going on for forty years.

Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

UK Power Couple Rescue People in Crises Around the World Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

UK-native Dean Stott, a former SBS-member, leverages his international experience as the British equivalent of a US Seal Team Six operative as he works with his wife Alana to aid governments, private groups, and individuals in dangerous situations around the globe. Now based in Southern California, they lay out how they started their very successful company, and share some of their client adventures. Their secret in helping in a crisis? Avoid conflict and make friends with local people around the world. Hear the Stotts tell their special story of helping people in need and forging a successful private and business partnership!
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

The Shocking Discovery about the Zapruder Film of the JFK Assassination Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

Thom Whitehead and Sydney Wilkinson are post-production experts in the film industry who used their skills to closely examine a forensic copy of the most famous amateur movie in history - one that captures the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. What they found is shocking - clear evidence that the film had been tampered with before it was shown to the public. It begs the question: Who tampered with the film and why? Of the 50 Hollywood film experts who viewed the film and saw what Thom and Sidney saw, only two were willing to go on record.
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Pioneer female ex-DEA undercover agent talks biker gangs, mafia, and more! Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Patti Naughton is one of the first female operatives recruited as the drug wars heated up in the late 70's and early 80's. Patti was instrumental in helping to make dozens of cases against organized drug traffickers, including the Detroit mafia and the Outlaw motorcycle gang. As a woman, her role was especially dangerous. In this episode, Patti speaks about how she chose a career in criminal justice, her cases, and importantly, about overcoming fear.
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Special Episode: Former FBI, anti-terrorism expert talks about the Gaza Strip and more! Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Former member of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, journalist and author Christopher Whitcomb shares his perspective on the crisis in the Middle East.
This timely conversation shares one man's perspective, as the world's focus is trained on Israel and the Middle East. Chris describes his visit to Gaza to meet Yasser Arafat, as well as his observations about violent crises and the path to resolution. Chris's career later led him into the media, and he also shares his view of how stories are crafted in modern newsrooms.
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Josephine Baker: WW2 Spy Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Author Damien Lewis shares the details from his book Agent Josephine of the career of Josephine Baker as a secret agent during World War II. Utilizing her celebrity as a performer, she furthered the cause of freedom as an Allied spy in the French Underground. Her adventures spanned France, Portugal, and North Africa. Her experiences with issues of race, equality, and freedom motivated her to take brave action, but it was her natural charm and affinity for people that made her one of the most powerful secret weapons of the Allied Forces.
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

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Oct. 23, 2023 @12AM
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Codename Dynamite: Dick Thompson of MACV-SOG in Vietnam: Part II Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Henry L. "Dick" Thompson had to swear to stay silent for 20 years when he joined the ultra-secret, badass MACV-SOG. Now uncensored, he speaks about his insane adventures serving in the Vietnamese jungle, and how he applied his skills as a natural-born tracker raised on his grandparent's farm to the job of team leader: "I could actually smell the NVA."
Though their mission was intel and recon, this famous SOG group saw frequent combat and worse casualties than any other: A small team (approx. 6-9 men) was routinely air-dropped behind enemy lines and often faced battalion-sized NVA and VC opponents during the U.S. Secret War in Laos and Cambodia. Not allowed to wear his dog tags or anything that would identify him, he chose his "Dynamite" codename because as a kid, he liked to blow things up.

Dick remains good friends with recent HBH guest "Tilt" Meyer, a former MACV-SOG comrade-in-arms.

Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Codename Dynamite: Dick Thompson of MACV-SOG in Vietnam: Part I Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Henry L. "Dick" Thompson had to swear to stay silent for 20 years when he joined the ultra-secret, badass MACV-SOG. Now uncensored, he speaks about his insane adventures serving in the Vietnamese jungle, and how he applied his skills as a natural-born tracker raised on his grandparent's farm to the job of team leader: "I could actually smell the NVA."
Though their mission was intel and recon, this famous SOG group saw frequent combat and worse casualties than any other: A small team (approx. 6-9 men) was routinely air-dropped behind enemy lines and often faced battalion-sized NVA and VC opponents during the U.S. Secret War in Laos and Cambodia. Not allowed to wear his dog tags or anything that would identify him, he chose any his "Dynamite" codename because as a kid, he liked to blow things up.

Dick remains good friends with recent HBH guest "Tilt" Meyer, a former MACV-SOG comrade-in-arms. We're delighted this episode will air for the first time during the 2023 annual gathering of SOG veterans.

Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

The Inspiring Life of Brent Poppen: A Paralympic Medalist Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

When he was sixteen, Brent Poppen was horsing around with another kid, and ended up with a broken neck and permanently wheelchair-bound. But Brent, who was already a budding athlete, didn't let that stop him.
Now the winner of numerous Gold Medals and titles, including and a Bronze Paralympic Medal. (Athens '04) Brent describes his journey from basic mastery of his 'new' body to becoming part of the athletic elite in wheelchair sports (tennis and rugby), traveling all over the world to pursue his goals. His story is humbling, inspiring, and just flat-out amazing. A published author, public speaker, and counselor to those who have been similarly afflicted, Brent Poppen is a shining example of the human spirit at its best.
Heroes Behind Headlines
Executive Producer Ralph Pezzullo
Produced & Engineered by Mike Dawson
Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

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