September 16, 2025 • 36 mins
What does it really take to turn dreams into reality? In this inspiring episode of Lost in Jersey, we talk to Steve Edwards, President of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, to uncover the success secrets he’s gleaned from interviewing over 100 of the state’s most extraordinary achievers.
Born and raised in Jersey (on the very same date as Bruce Springsteen and Jason Alexander!), Edwards has dedicated his life to celebrating the Garden State’s legacy of grit, creativity, and resilience. From the Hall of Fame’s cutting-edge exhibits at American Dream Mall—including interactive holograms with Frankie Valli and Judy Blume—to its mission of inspiring children with real-life role models, Edwards shows how honoring the past can spark the future.
Along the way, he shares personal reflections from his new documentary Lucky Jack, which tells the incredible story of his father’s journey from high school dropout to neurosurgeon. His insights reveal a simple but powerful truth: perseverance, imagination, and consistency are the keys to achievement.
Whether you’re a lifelong Jersey fan, a seeker of inspiration, or someone who loves a great underdog story, this episode will leave you believing in the power of dreams—and the Garden State spirit.
Want to experience New Jersey's extraordinary legacy for yourself? Visit the New Jersey Hall of Fame at American Dream Mall or attend their 17th induction ceremony on November 21st, hosted by Danny DeVito and featuring the Jonas Brothers among this year's honorees.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Lost in Jersey, Steve.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Give us a little bit of your background.
How is Jersey a part of yourlife?
How did you get here?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I was born on Jersey soil, 1962, same hospital, beth
Israel Hospital on the same dayas Jason Alexander and Bruce
Springsteen.
September 23rd, jason wasactually born, I think four
years before me, on the same dayin the same hospital.
Bruce was born down in MonmouthCounty and then went home to
(00:37):
Union, new Jersey, and NewJersey has been my home ever
since it's in my blood.
I can remember some of myearliest memories were on the
beach at Belmar and BradleyBeach.
Matter of fact, I was anaspiring musician even in 1965.
I was three years old and I wason a stage the Pavilion, I don't
(00:59):
know if it's still there inBelmar and they did a little
talent show and I sang I'm Henrythe Ace, I am Henry the Ace, I
am, I am and whatever else wasthe rest of the song.
Then I got done like a littleshort one-minute thing.
Everybody applauded and I sangit again and then again and
everyone's there.
(01:19):
I mean let me do this fourtimes.
Finally, the woman running thetalent show is like stress.
She's got 10 other kids to puton.
She literally smiled and pulledme off the stage.
Enough enough, my mom said he'sthe ham.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
He's the ham.
That's a good story.
Did you continue with theshowmanship as you grew up?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You know, as a matter of fact I did.
I was lead singer in a rockband in the 1970s called
Satellite in Union, new Jersey.
We played junior, high and highschool concerts and Battle of
the Bands and we played in alocal pizzeria.
And, true story, we played at acarnival and our roadies
managed to shut the electricitydown at the entire carnival.
(02:00):
People were screaming on theFerris wheel.
They plugged our equipment intothe wrong thing.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Oh, wow, I'll never forget that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And my career was over by 77.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So you grew up in New Jersey and have you stayed in
New Jersey for a career?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, I've been here just about all of my 63 years on
the planet, although we didmove to Florida for about six
months it got so hot.
My mom said we're out of here.
We went back to Elizabeth, newJersey.
We did as part of my dad'scrazy story that I just did a
documentary feature film on.
(02:40):
We went to Mexico.
We went to Mexico.
We escaped the eviction man inElizabeth in 1970, and we went
to Mexico for about a year.
My dad went to medical schooldown there and then my mom said
we're out of here and my dadstayed behind.
We came back to Union.
I've been here.
I went to Rutgers and, as youknow, I'm president of the New
(03:01):
Jersey Hall of Fame.
I've been on the Jersey Shorefor 60 years and we love New
York too.
I have an apartment in New York.
In the interest of fulldisclosure and travesty, we
weren't going to disclose thator like look it up or anything.
I just went by the way to my45th high school reunion, wow,
and my question was always whereare you living?
(03:23):
This is a nice way to break theice.
Yeah, and most everybodysurprised me and said New Jersey
.
There were a lot of peopleFlorida and South Carolina,
whatever California, but I wouldsay 85% were still in Jersey,
so that's good.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
That is, that's impressive, I mean people who
are here, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
they see that it's a unique, wonderful, beautiful
place to live the beaches, themountains, the forest, and then
the city.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No doubt about it.
Anyone who's lived here knowsthat.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
And you also highlight all the incredible
people that are from New Jersey.
We want to talk about how yougot yourself involved in the New
Jersey Hall of Fame.
Now you're one of the founders.
I think two people are foundersof it.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, I had come up with the crazy idea back in 2002
.
Long story short, there was aSports Hall of Fame in New
Jersey and it ran its course.
It was defunct financially andso forth.
And I happened to call GeorgeZoffinger, who was running the
Sports Exposition Authority atthe time, and I said what do you
think about a crazy idea, newJersey Hall of Fame?
(04:28):
He said it's so funny that yousay this because we were
thinking of turning the SportsHall of Fame into the Sports and
Entertainment Hall of Fame.
But I like what you just saidabout Edison and Einstein and
people from all walks of life.
So the legislature finallyofficially created the New
Jersey Hall of Fame in 2004.
And then we had our firstinduction ceremony in 2008.
(04:51):
I don't know what we did forfour years and I don't know how
I got away.
I do remember like a year and ahalf out.
Bart Oates, the former centerwith the Giants, was the
chairman and he's like Steve.
We got to do an inductionalready and I'm like let's get
it right.
There's a lot of things tothink through, but you know we
(05:12):
started doing it in 2008.
And we're coming up on our 17thinduction ceremony and we don't
miss a beat now.
So I think we're smart to takeour time.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And you're an American dream now.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
We have, you know, the only three state halls of
fame in the entire United States.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh really, what are the other two?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
California and South Dakota.
I didn't know that.
Yeah, south Dakota's had onesince the 70s.
They're the most mature hall offame California actually.
Maria Shriver actually got theidea through me, through Mark
Shriver, who I worked with atSave the Children, and they
created the California Hall ofFame after New York Times did a
(05:56):
story about the New Jersey Hallof Fame.
We're the first state, though,that has a state-of-the-art
interactive and immersive museum, and that's what's that
american dream, and I can talkforever about it, but suffice it
to say it's a 10 000 squarefoot state-of-the-art museum.
I'll give you two little tidbits.
(06:17):
We've got the model t that's ondisplay, that henry gifted to
Thomas Edison in 1916, one ofthe most valuable cars in the
world permanently displayed atour museum.
Wow, what's cool about that caris they literally and there's
video footage of it theyliterally took road trips
together.
(06:38):
Ford would drive Edison in thepassenger seat.
He couldn't hear Edison, soeverything was like what did you
just say?
And Henry Firestone would be inthe passenger seat.
He couldn't hear Edison, soeverything was like what did you
just say?
Because the engine was stillleft and Henry Firestone would
be in the back the guy that didthe tires.
No way.
And there's video footage ofour car.
I say our, it's not ours, it'sEdison Foundation, but it's so
(06:58):
cool, but most everything elsethat's like an old-fashioned
artifact we remember frommuseums we've been to for years.
Most of the museum is hologramcentric footage.
So, for example, you can get upon a karaoke hologram karaoke
stage.
You can sing alongside whitecliff john singing.
We've filmed him a specialhologram.
(07:21):
If I were president frankievalley, can't take my eyes off
of you.
Gloria gainer, I will survive.
Tony orlando, um, tie theyellow ribbon and so many more.
And you get up and havesomebody film you doing that and
if you dare, you can share iton social media.
And, um, you know stuff likethat.
I mean we've got a late nightJersey television studio where
(07:43):
you can sit down and be a hostfor about 15, 20 minutes and
interview a hologram of eitherStevie Van Zandt or Judy Blume.
I mean the list goes on.
We've got like 50 legends fromNew Jersey that you can
interview and there's likepreset questions like 10 to 15
questions.
How do I write my first book?
(08:03):
You know, how do I become amusician, stevie?
Really, what this place isabout, I should say it's about
Jersey pride, right?
That's important.
More importantly, now more thanever, we really want to provide
children and adults with heroesand wisdom so they can realize
their own highest and best senseof self, and hopefully for the
(08:27):
greater good.
And so that's what we'regrinding out, doing every day.
I encourage your listeners tocome in If you're from Jersey.
You got to do the pilgrimage atleast once.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It's 10,000 square feet, but it's so immersive that
it could be 100,000 square feetonce you start getting immersed
into the exhibits and you startinteracting with them.
So I hope the two of you andyour listeners- come out?
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Oh, for sure, we plan on coming.
When you go to the AmericanDream Mall.
How do you get to your location?
Is it visible?
Is it easy to find, because Iknow that place is pretty huge.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Everyone's saying complains to me.
Ah, steve, I can't find it.
It's so easy.
Park in any parking lot.
Follow the signs for the themepark and the water park.
Okay, good Signs are everywhere.
When you get in front of thetheme park which is amazing
Nickelodeon Universal Theme Parkthey've got a roller coaster
which is, to date, the steepestvertical drop in the world.
(09:28):
When you're standing in frontof that Nickelodeon Universal
theme park, turn around, you'llsee an escalator.
Actually, if you turn aroundand you look up, you'll see the
Hall of Fame at the top of thethird floor escalator.
So if you find the theme parkin the water park and just turn
around, you're going to find us.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Great.
Third floor third floor, thirdfloor Awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Okay, who was the first inductee that you got?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So I'll tell you the criteria is you have to have
lived here at least five years.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Okay, that's the strictest, strictestest.
I've lived here five years.
I've been here five years.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
There you go.
You want to check one box offthere.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Okay, let's see One box.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
The California in South Dakota.
It's if you lived any portionof your life.
It sounds like they'redesperate for crying out loud.
Where are five years?
We got so much talent.
You have to, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
There, where are five years?
We've got so much talent.
Yeah, yeah, there's too manygreat people here.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
You have to have lived here for five years.
We have a master list so anyonethat wants to nominate anyone
can go to njhalloffameorg andthey could fill out a form.
We vet it and then we've got acouple thousand names that are
on the master list and then wesend it off to expert panelists
(10:49):
once a year around January.
They narrowed down sixdifferent categories, 120 names.
We create a ballot that goes toan academy, which is 350
prominent organizations, formergovernors, very grassroots, you
know, and they help narrow tothe top 60.
And then we put every yeararound April we put the top 60
(11:12):
ballot out and the public getsto give us their input and then
our board of trustees makes thefinal decisions.
Usually between 15 and 20inductees every year.
All walks of life, all parts ofJersey.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Can you share the categories with us, just so our
listeners can know?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Well, let's see, it's arts and letters, which would
be novelists and things likethat.
It is arts and entertainment,it's sports, it's public service
and it's enterprise.
And I'm missing one Historicalfigures maybe.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yeah, oh I think that is one.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
We changed it recently, so if you go to the
website you'll see them.
They have an educator of theyear, that's an inductee oh,
that's great.
And then we have an unsung herowhich we're about to announce
this year, in a couple of weeks.
Very high-profile person.
That is an unsung hero, if thatmakes any sense.
That's how we do it.
The first ones were EdisonEinstein.
(12:12):
Well, I want you to imaginethis it's 2008.
No one around the state,including the governor at the
time.
What the heck is the New JerseyHall of Fame?
Yeah, bruce Springsteen was soskeptical.
He told us that night likewhat's New Jersey Hall of Fame?
Bruce Springsteen was soskeptical, he told us that night
like what's New Jersey?
He actually joked around in aspeech and he said does
Connecticut have a Hall of Fame?
Does New York have a Hall ofFame?
(12:33):
Maybe they feel they don't needone?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
But, anyway.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So it's the opening of the show and we did what we
call a dramatic lineup and thespotlight hits and it's General
Schwarzkopf saluting the crowd,and then it goes to Toni
Morrison, nobel Peace Prizewinner, and then it goes to Yogi
Berra, and then it goes to BuzzAldrin and it goes to Nancy
(12:59):
Sinatra.
It's going all these incredible.
And then at the end you hearthere's one silhouette left.
Everyone starts yelling Bruce,bruce.
And there was Bruce and he saidyou know, he's not to me, said
it to a friend of mine.
He's like I didn't reallyexpect this.
You know, this was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Just that lineup for the first.
I mean, if you answered hisquestion like why you know,
because I mean that's, that'sthe whole thing when you move to
New Jersey, that's.
I think the thing that strikesyou the most, especially if
you're coming from New York Citywhich both Rachel and I moved
here from New York City is thatyou just put your kid in school
(13:40):
and you just happen to be at aplayground and you're talking to
someone and they're telling youwhat they do and it's so
impressive.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Part of the mission is to get that word out about
Jersey, but we don't lose anysleep.
The two of you know this.
We don't really care.
I mean, it's more about usfeeling good, and we have every
right to.
That's what our annualinduction ceremony is like.
Once a year, let's take time tocome together and feel great
about ourselves.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But the more important issue we live in such
chaotic times and our childrenare getting bombarded with
negative images and angryrhetoric.
Chance the Hall of Fame andorganizations like it to just
(14:28):
say, no, look here, look foryour heroes, look for the wisdom
, look for your purpose, havefaith, stay focused on your
sacred, blessed missions thatare good for the world, and
that's what really what we'rereally passionate about.
Most of the organizers for theHall of Fame.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, it seems like it, and I like that you use the
word heroes and wisdom, becausesometimes you know every hero
has a backstory and what they'veovercome and they have
resilience.
It's not just like they woke upand were a celebrity or
well-known for an invention.
You read about Edison, you readabout Einstein and Bruce.
You get it's grit andperseverance.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, yeah, it's interesting you bring that up.
Our tagline is everyone needs ahero.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
There is a formula.
I've interviewed by now over100 of these inductees for
hologram interviews.
I have my own podcast.
We're launching Legends ofAmerica.
That's going to be launched ina few weeks.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Oh, that sounds great .
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah, maybe I should just show that.
But we'll work with each otherto lift each other.
That's what it's all about.
But you know there is a formula, and the formula is for each
one of them to dream, to tapinto your imagination, to think
of yourself in your highest,best sense of self, and to do
that a lot throughout the day,because we're all sum of all our
(15:52):
thoughts and in this worldwhere you're being bombarded
with negative thoughts, it's soimportant for you to be the one
with discipline, to spend mostof your day dreaming.
And then you know, I call itjust a really good to-do list
the most strategic, clever thattakes time for family and
friends and charity and all ofthe above.
(16:12):
A good, balanced life andexecuting day by day, being
consistent.
And then the Jersey grit thingman, just being relentless and
consistent and never giving upbecause you could do the first
three but you're going to faceadversity along the way and it's
so easy to give up, you know.
(16:33):
I mean like in so many cases wedon't even have as many family
and friends encouraging us as weshould.
It's probably a formula that'sbeen around since the beginning
of time.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So the formula that you've seen.
Let me just want to summarizethis so that I can make sure
that I'm doing it.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Dream you've seen, let me just want to summarize
this so I can make sure that I'mdoing it dream.
So you have to dream, and thenyou, you have to first just be
persistent and work hard,because I spent many years
dreaming about the wrong things.
It was more.
I was a shallow guy.
I'm not going to hesitate totell you.
My 20s into my 30s, my mom andothers would say that's not true
, stephen.
You've always done charity work, but I put too much emphasis on
money in the material world,and so I was dreaming about the
(17:24):
wrong things.
I wasn't dreaming about Stephen, his highest, best sense of
self, which has nothing to dowith money.
It's just a little small pieceof my life.
So, dreaming about the rightthing, we're all figments of our
imagination.
This was something David Geffen,the music executive, pointed
out.
So we're all figments of ourimagination.
It's just that some of us arebetter imagining than others.
(17:48):
So you've got to dream aboutthe right person that you really
want to be deep down.
You've got to find your heroesand the wisdom they have to
offer.
Because you have to bestrategic.
You can work hard but notreally be moving toward your
dream fast enough because you'renot being strategic.
Okay, and then it's getting upevery day, whether you're sore,
(18:12):
you know it's cold out, whateverbeing consistent executing that
to-do list.
You know having fun doing itand then never giving up.
So this is my explanation.
There's people listening ohthat's too technical and it's
too anal, retentive, whatever.
But you know what it is, thatyou know you've got to touch
certain bases every day.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
How many people altogether have you inducted
into the New Jersey Hall of Fame?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Great question.
I think around 250.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Okay, about 250 people.
So there's a common thread, I'massuming, like what you just
described, adversity.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
But I will tell you this and this was something else
I saw a common thread Everysingle person that's been
inducted has overcome oneadversity or another, In most
cases, multiple adversities.
I'll give you an example.
Well, Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce had a really challengingchildhood with his father and
(19:14):
his mom, by the way, was such asweetheart.
She came to our first threeceremonies.
She was so supportive of BruceI think, bought him his first
guitar.
But he grew up in a verychallenging environment and then
he had his own problems withdepression.
Yet another significantadversity he continues to have
to overcome Tom Keene GovernorKeene, believe it or not,
(19:36):
stuttered and had dyslexia.
He talked about this when Iinterviewed him for the podcast
recently and he did it for theHologram interview.
Tom Keene, one of the mostarticulate, distinguished public
servants of all time, had toovercome that very significant
adversity.
So this is something adversityI'm very passionate about,
(19:56):
because I went through a reallytremendous burden on my
shoulders as a kid.
I went through a windshield in1970.
My mom and I went head-on witha Budweiser beer Mack truck in
front of King College.
I had over 300 stitches in myface, last rites, three blood
(20:17):
transfusions, ears hanging, jaw,broken teeth, knocked out lots
of plastic surgery in the yearsthat followed and I needed
growth hormone shots so Iwouldn't make it to five feet
tall and I had ADD.
I was failing in school so much.
All of our inductees thatovercame adversity had similar
moments, but for me it was powerof prayer, praying to God for
(20:40):
three years and being bitter andangry and why did this happen
and how do I get through this?
And I, sometime in 73 73,remember what I thought was God.
Maybe it was saying, Steve,what happened to you happened.
There's no taking it back.
You alone have the opportunityto overcome this adversity or
(21:03):
not.
The empowering part was thething I heard, or not?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
It's up to you.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But if you decide not to don't complain to me I mean
I get goose pimples thinkinglike it was such an epiphany
moment lying there in bed atnight, union, new Jersey, around
midnight, you know, anyway.
So I hope that helps somebodyout there.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
For sure.
And then I think that's kind ofa good segue into this
documentary about your fathercalled Lucky Jack.
Just even reading a little bitabout it from the press and all
that it's fascinating.
And just even you mentioning inthe beginning driving down to
Mexico for your father to go tomedical school.
So can you tell a little bitabout the?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
film.
Yes, Lucky Jack.
It's a story about my dad andreally my mom very much so as
well.
My dad grew up in the SethBoyden Housing Project in Newark
in the 1930s, 40s into the 50s.
Very dysfunctional family.
His dad was an alcoholic.
He died of cirrhosis of theliver.
(22:07):
My grandfather and my dad, Ithink, was around 17, 18 years
old.
His mom was bipolar and had acongenital heart condition.
The point is that he alwayswanted to be a doctor, even in
these bad circumstances, but henever applied himself at school
and so in 1953, Weekwick HighSchool in Newark, he flunked
(22:30):
every course, including gym.
I don't know how you flunk gymbut, you did, then drifted like
a Walter Mitty character.
One failed misadventure.
He always had a big dream, buteverything never worked out and
he failed.
And then, 1966, he was 30 yearsold.
We were living in Elizabeth,new Jersey, wife and two
(22:54):
children, unemployed, part-timepizza delivery man.
He smoked a joint.
He put on man of La Mancha'sImpossible Dream, he put on a
smock that he wore.
He drew blood at a localhospital and he looks in the
mirror and he says I see adoctor staring back.
It was his epiphany moment, hesaid, not just a doctor, but a
(23:15):
brain surgeon.
To make a long story short,nine years later I was making
rounds with him at Mount SinaiHospital in New York City,
standing in the back of theoperating theater.
Him and his.
You know those godlike doctorsand nurses saving people's lives
.
So it's an inspirational story.
(23:36):
It's a jersey grid story, butit's also a human grid story and
it gets complicated.
Um, what his?
He morphed into a marcuswilloughby type of general
practitioner.
Then back into the operatingroom during neurosurgery.
He was like a house surgeon.
He was doing all kinds ofsurgeries and, quite tragically,
(23:58):
he contracted hep C in theoperating room, which is an
occupational hazard for doctorsand nurses.
But the best part about thisfilm, I think, is to see and
hear how he reflected in thosefinal days.
He had no regrets.
The name of his boat was calledArate.
It's ancient Greek wisdom.
(24:19):
It means actualizing yourhighest best sense of self with
a moral excellence of characterand for the greater good.
That was what Plato, aristotleand Socrates referred to as the
essence of life.
And, interestingly enough, aswe're coming up on the 250th
anniversary of America next year, our founding generation looked
(24:42):
to concepts like Arete.
You could find it in the idealsof the Constitution.
He just reflected you know whatI did, what I set out to do.
I made the world a littlebetter.
And he felt and he had faith atthat point.
For him, his faith was that I'mgoing to be a powerful beam of
(25:03):
light that's going to travel theuniverse and then I'm going to
come back.
He said I just have a hunch.
I'm going to come back.
As a poor Indian boy in avillage in India, he felt like
that was my dad.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I love it.
What an extraordinary person.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
He really was.
Everyone that met Jack lovedhim.
He was the mayor of the LibertyState Landing Marina slip, one,
always helping people out andwaving to people, and we miss
him.
He left us in 2006, but I stayconnected with him every single
(25:40):
day and I will to the end of mylife.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
It's no surprise that you have landed in a career
where you are, you know, exposedto people who are making their
dreams come true, and that youhaven't had that experience so
closely and you're heroes whenseeing a real live one at home.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Well, that's right and you know part of this.
Originally the Hall of Fame wasgoing to benefit children
throughout the world.
It was sort of outgrowth of mywork with Save the Children.
And when my dad passed in 2006,I had a tough time for a few
years.
I was bitter, I was angry, butI channeled that very difficult
(26:24):
time through the Hall of Fameand we changed course.
I was able to convince ourstate leaders let's focus on
children.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So can you tell us a little bit about your background
with Save the Children?
You've mentioned it a few times.
You've always had a kind of adrive to help children.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, I sure did.
And Save the Children startedfor me in another little point
of my life, around 1997.
And I went with the presidentof Save the Children, charlie
McCormick, and Nancy Tusig and afew others.
I went to Nicaragua and ElSalvador and I saw the great
work they were doing.
(27:01):
They continue to do to this dayand I was really moved by how
grateful parents down there wereto me and to save the children
for helping them.
It really moved me.
I'm like, wow, they need us,you know.
And the bottom line is, I feelthe same way here.
(27:22):
I mean, there's so many people.
So I think it's a point worthmentioning.
The Charlie Kirk thing happenedyesterday, two days ago.
It was so awful.
My daughters saw the video.
They're really affected by it.
I think it's super important.
Whether you believe CharlieKirk or not, nobody should be
(27:42):
killed.
Violence come on.
We also should reflect everyday that 99% of the world is not
about that.
Nobody wants to hurt each other, even if their civil discourse
is not so great.
It's a safe world 99.99% of thetime.
So I just think that, goingback to Save the Children, we're
(28:06):
all living 8 billion people onplanet Earth, 200 nation states.
We all have the sameexistential threats.
We all got to start workingnicely, even if we disagree with
each other.
We got to work nicely and keepmoving forward.
So anyway, I digressed a littlebit, sorry.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
No, I mean, it's on everybody's mind, so I
understand it.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
One other thing you said that has been playing back
in my mind is about you know,with all our kids are bombarded
now with imagery of violence onsocial media.
Just conversations, thoughts,all the thoughts that aren't
their own thoughts.
And you were saying you need todream so that you can think of
your own thoughts and have timeaway from that.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
So I you just hit the nail on the head because my dad
used to say it all the timewe're a sum of all our thoughts
and we can will so many greatthings to happen.
Yesterday, because of theCharlie Kirk tragedy, um, I said
to my wife and two daughterslet's go to the park and let's
(29:15):
go back to where we used to gowhen they were little kids.
Let's See all the smiling kidsand all the parents and see all
the good in the world and quietour minds.
I just said to both mydaughters I'd give them little
pep talks, whether they like itor not.
Usually I think they roll theireyes.
But I said, weekends are aboutresetting, no matter what's
(29:36):
happened.
Resetting, quiet the mind andget excited about the challenge
coming up the following week andcontrol those thoughts and be
careful.
That's why I always encouragethem to see good movies and read
and listen to great music.
And we're going to have tolearn and I'm confident.
Well, we're going to just haveto.
(29:57):
We're all going to becomeexperts at regulating,
self-regulating what we'retaking into our brains what
we're thinking about and calmingourselves.
meditation, yoga, stretchingyeah, I mean, we're going to
have to do that.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
We have to, we can't, we can't keep working on this
path because obviously, we'redestroying each other.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It's not sustainable.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
I agree with both of you it's not sustainable.
I'm always an optimist becauseif you look at this country and
you look at world historycertainly children to remember
history, to read up, to be goodat, because history always
repeats itself and you can learnfrom it we're going to overcome
this.
We've overcome two world warsand a depression and, as Warren
(30:46):
Buffett says, never bet againstAmerican and human ingenuity.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
As you had said, your own experience of what was
spoken to you is that you caneither take what you've gone
through which is what we're allgoing through collectively in
the country, and make it better,do something good with it, or
not Just let it.
You know, let's try.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Exactly right.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
I know there's a couple of questions that Rachel
wanted to ask you that I wanther to get in here.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Who calls the person that tells them they're going to
be inducted in the Hall of Fame?
And what are some of thosereactions?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Who calls them.
We send a letter.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Many of them have gotten a tip off by someone that
may have nominated them.
But they get a letter.
I'm sure they frame it.
I mean, why not?
Bruce Springsteen, during hisspeech, said when I got the
letter I saw Edison Einstein, mymom.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Seriously, yeah, yes, show your mom.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
That is First thing to do.
Show your mom.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
That's pretty great when they come to the museum.
A lot of them have comerecently for the podcast.
It's my throwaway line EdisonEinstein and Tony Orlando.
They love it.
How do you not love that one?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I know it's perfect.
Is the induction ceremony?
Is it like a concert or is itclosed video?
What is the induction ceremonylike?
Speaker 2 (32:19):
We're going to be releasing information.
Our induction ceremony isusually a live ceremony.
This year it's going to be onthe ice skating rink at American
Dream, just steps away from ourmuseum.
Yeah, and it's going to beFriday, november 21st.
Danny DeVito is emceeing.
(32:39):
We've got David Bryan from BonJovi's band is going to be
inducted.
Bon Jovi will be there.
Jonas Brothers are beinginducted this year.
They'll be there.
It's going to be an incredibleevent.
We'll release informationwithin a couple of weeks.
On ticketing there's limitedtickets available, but we do
(33:02):
make some available to thepublic.
It's just a great night.
I encourage your listeners ifthey want to.
There's limited ticketsavailable, but we do make some
available to the public.
Just a great night.
I encourage your listeners ifthey want to see any of the
acceptance speeches for thefirst 16 ceremonies.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I have watched some of those.
They're amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
They're swan songs from some of the most legendary
people that have lived in thestate and are unsung heroes,
educator of the Year Awards, andwe've got scholarship winners
every year.
It's not just about famouspeople, you know, and it's a fun
night.
I hope you guys can make maybethe next one.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yeah, we'd love to.
Well, maybe I can be inducted.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, well, I'll nominate you.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
Our final question is we'd like to ask our guests
tell us something that you loveabout New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I love the people.
Obviously, I'm in the peoplebusiness, with the Hall of Fame,
so there's so many people thatmake me laugh.
There's so many people family,friends that love me and I love
them.
I think I'm going to answer itthe same way most people in New
Jersey answer it, I think, whichis our beaches, that ocean, the
sky that salt air.
I just love the Jersey Shore.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Well, it's been a pleasure to talk to you and to
hear your story and hear yourfather's story, and it really
does make us feel that you know,when you have some adversity,
that sometimes that can be theengine to make your dreams come
true.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
But the worst days in your life are ultimately going
to be the best day that everhappens to you and obviously,
when you lose someone that youlove, that's adversity, that's
difficult, but bottom line isyep, you got that choice.
Move away from it and on tobetter things or not.
And please, for those that areout there suffering, choose,
(34:49):
move on, keep moving forward.
Like Frank Sinatra once said,another Jersey inductee, he
faced his share of adversity.
Just keep moving forward, baby.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Very good advice to end this great interview on.
It was really nice to meet you.
Thank you so much for coming on.
Lost in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Ladies, I can't thank you enough.
Have a wonderful Jersey day.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
This podcast was produced by Rachel Martens and
Jeanette Afsharian.
You can find us on Spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
Welcome to Lost in Jersey, Steve.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Give us a little bit of your background.
How is Jersey a part of yourlife?
How did you get here?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I was born on Jersey soil, 1962, same hospital, beth
Israel Hospital on the same dayas Jason Alexander and Bruce
Springsteen.
September 23rd, jason wasactually born, I think four
years before me, on the same dayin the same hospital.
Bruce was born down in MonmouthCounty and then went home to
(00:37):
Union, new Jersey, and NewJersey has been my home ever
since it's in my blood.
I can remember some of myearliest memories were on the
beach at Belmar and BradleyBeach.
Matter of fact, I was anaspiring musician even in 1965.
I was three years old and I wason a stage the Pavilion, I don't
(00:59):
know if it's still there inBelmar and they did a little
talent show and I sang I'm Henrythe Ace, I am Henry the Ace, I
am, I am and whatever else wasthe rest of the song.
Then I got done like a littleshort one-minute thing.
Everybody applauded and I sangit again and then again and
everyone's there.
(01:19):
I mean let me do this fourtimes.
Finally, the woman running thetalent show is like stress.
She's got 10 other kids to puton.
She literally smiled and pulledme off the stage.
Enough enough, my mom said he'sthe ham.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
He's the ham.
That's a good story.
Did you continue with theshowmanship as you grew up?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You know, as a matter of fact I did.
I was lead singer in a rockband in the 1970s called
Satellite in Union, new Jersey.
We played junior, high and highschool concerts and Battle of
the Bands and we played in alocal pizzeria.
And, true story, we played at acarnival and our roadies
managed to shut the electricitydown at the entire carnival.
(02:00):
People were screaming on theFerris wheel.
They plugged our equipment intothe wrong thing.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Oh, wow, I'll never forget that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And my career was over by 77.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So you grew up in New Jersey and have you stayed in
New Jersey for a career?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, I've been here just about all of my 63 years on
the planet, although we didmove to Florida for about six
months it got so hot.
My mom said we're out of here.
We went back to Elizabeth, newJersey.
We did as part of my dad'scrazy story that I just did a
documentary feature film on.
(02:40):
We went to Mexico.
We went to Mexico.
We escaped the eviction man inElizabeth in 1970, and we went
to Mexico for about a year.
My dad went to medical schooldown there and then my mom said
we're out of here and my dadstayed behind.
We came back to Union.
I've been here.
I went to Rutgers and, as youknow, I'm president of the New
(03:01):
Jersey Hall of Fame.
I've been on the Jersey Shorefor 60 years and we love New
York too.
I have an apartment in New York.
In the interest of fulldisclosure and travesty, we
weren't going to disclose thator like look it up or anything.
I just went by the way to my45th high school reunion, wow,
and my question was always whereare you living?
(03:23):
This is a nice way to break theice.
Yeah, and most everybodysurprised me and said New Jersey
.
There were a lot of peopleFlorida and South Carolina,
whatever California, but I wouldsay 85% were still in Jersey,
so that's good.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
That is, that's impressive, I mean people who
are here, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
they see that it's a unique, wonderful, beautiful
place to live the beaches, themountains, the forest, and then
the city.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No doubt about it.
Anyone who's lived here knowsthat.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
And you also highlight all the incredible
people that are from New Jersey.
We want to talk about how yougot yourself involved in the New
Jersey Hall of Fame.
Now you're one of the founders.
I think two people are foundersof it.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, I had come up with the crazy idea back in 2002
.
Long story short, there was aSports Hall of Fame in New
Jersey and it ran its course.
It was defunct financially andso forth.
And I happened to call GeorgeZoffinger, who was running the
Sports Exposition Authority atthe time, and I said what do you
think about a crazy idea, newJersey Hall of Fame?
(04:28):
He said it's so funny that yousay this because we were
thinking of turning the SportsHall of Fame into the Sports and
Entertainment Hall of Fame.
But I like what you just saidabout Edison and Einstein and
people from all walks of life.
So the legislature finallyofficially created the New
Jersey Hall of Fame in 2004.
And then we had our firstinduction ceremony in 2008.
(04:51):
I don't know what we did forfour years and I don't know how
I got away.
I do remember like a year and ahalf out.
Bart Oates, the former centerwith the Giants, was the
chairman and he's like Steve.
We got to do an inductionalready and I'm like let's get
it right.
There's a lot of things tothink through, but you know we
(05:12):
started doing it in 2008.
And we're coming up on our 17thinduction ceremony and we don't
miss a beat now.
So I think we're smart to takeour time.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And you're an American dream now.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
We have, you know, the only three state halls of
fame in the entire United States.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh really, what are the other two?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
California and South Dakota.
I didn't know that.
Yeah, south Dakota's had onesince the 70s.
They're the most mature hall offame California actually.
Maria Shriver actually got theidea through me, through Mark
Shriver, who I worked with atSave the Children, and they
created the California Hall ofFame after New York Times did a
(05:56):
story about the New Jersey Hallof Fame.
We're the first state, though,that has a state-of-the-art
interactive and immersive museum, and that's what's that
american dream, and I can talkforever about it, but suffice it
to say it's a 10 000 squarefoot state-of-the-art museum.
I'll give you two little tidbits.
(06:17):
We've got the model t that's ondisplay, that henry gifted to
Thomas Edison in 1916, one ofthe most valuable cars in the
world permanently displayed atour museum.
Wow, what's cool about that caris they literally and there's
video footage of it theyliterally took road trips
together.
(06:38):
Ford would drive Edison in thepassenger seat.
He couldn't hear Edison, soeverything was like what did you
just say?
And Henry Firestone would be inthe passenger seat.
He couldn't hear Edison, soeverything was like what did you
just say?
Because the engine was stillleft and Henry Firestone would
be in the back the guy that didthe tires.
No way.
And there's video footage ofour car.
I say our, it's not ours, it'sEdison Foundation, but it's so
(06:58):
cool, but most everything elsethat's like an old-fashioned
artifact we remember frommuseums we've been to for years.
Most of the museum is hologramcentric footage.
So, for example, you can get upon a karaoke hologram karaoke
stage.
You can sing alongside whitecliff john singing.
We've filmed him a specialhologram.
(07:21):
If I were president frankievalley, can't take my eyes off
of you.
Gloria gainer, I will survive.
Tony orlando, um, tie theyellow ribbon and so many more.
And you get up and havesomebody film you doing that and
if you dare, you can share iton social media.
And, um, you know stuff likethat.
I mean we've got a late nightJersey television studio where
(07:43):
you can sit down and be a hostfor about 15, 20 minutes and
interview a hologram of eitherStevie Van Zandt or Judy Blume.
I mean the list goes on.
We've got like 50 legends fromNew Jersey that you can
interview and there's likepreset questions like 10 to 15
questions.
How do I write my first book?
(08:03):
You know, how do I become amusician, stevie?
Really, what this place isabout, I should say it's about
Jersey pride, right?
That's important.
More importantly, now more thanever, we really want to provide
children and adults with heroesand wisdom so they can realize
their own highest and best senseof self, and hopefully for the
(08:27):
greater good.
And so that's what we'regrinding out, doing every day.
I encourage your listeners tocome in If you're from Jersey.
You got to do the pilgrimage atleast once.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It's 10,000 square feet, but it's so immersive that
it could be 100,000 square feetonce you start getting immersed
into the exhibits and you startinteracting with them.
So I hope the two of you andyour listeners- come out?
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Oh, for sure, we plan on coming.
When you go to the AmericanDream Mall.
How do you get to your location?
Is it visible?
Is it easy to find, because Iknow that place is pretty huge.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Everyone's saying complains to me.
Ah, steve, I can't find it.
It's so easy.
Park in any parking lot.
Follow the signs for the themepark and the water park.
Okay, good Signs are everywhere.
When you get in front of thetheme park which is amazing
Nickelodeon Universal Theme Parkthey've got a roller coaster
which is, to date, the steepestvertical drop in the world.
(09:28):
When you're standing in frontof that Nickelodeon Universal
theme park, turn around, you'llsee an escalator.
Actually, if you turn aroundand you look up, you'll see the
Hall of Fame at the top of thethird floor escalator.
So if you find the theme parkin the water park and just turn
around, you're going to find us.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Great.
Third floor third floor, thirdfloor Awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Okay, who was the first inductee that you got?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
So I'll tell you the criteria is you have to have
lived here at least five years.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Okay, that's the strictest, strictestest.
I've lived here five years.
I've been here five years.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
There you go.
You want to check one box offthere.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Okay, let's see One box.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
The California in South Dakota.
It's if you lived any portionof your life.
It sounds like they'redesperate for crying out loud.
Where are five years?
We got so much talent.
You have to, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
There, where are five years?
We've got so much talent.
Yeah, yeah, there's too manygreat people here.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
You have to have lived here for five years.
We have a master list so anyonethat wants to nominate anyone
can go to njhalloffameorg andthey could fill out a form.
We vet it and then we've got acouple thousand names that are
on the master list and then wesend it off to expert panelists
(10:49):
once a year around January.
They narrowed down sixdifferent categories, 120 names.
We create a ballot that goes toan academy, which is 350
prominent organizations, formergovernors, very grassroots, you
know, and they help narrow tothe top 60.
And then we put every yeararound April we put the top 60
(11:12):
ballot out and the public getsto give us their input and then
our board of trustees makes thefinal decisions.
Usually between 15 and 20inductees every year.
All walks of life, all parts ofJersey.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Can you share the categories with us, just so our
listeners can know?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Well, let's see, it's arts and letters, which would
be novelists and things likethat.
It is arts and entertainment,it's sports, it's public service
and it's enterprise.
And I'm missing one Historicalfigures maybe.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yeah, oh I think that is one.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
We changed it recently, so if you go to the
website you'll see them.
They have an educator of theyear, that's an inductee oh,
that's great.
And then we have an unsung herowhich we're about to announce
this year, in a couple of weeks.
Very high-profile person.
That is an unsung hero, if thatmakes any sense.
That's how we do it.
The first ones were EdisonEinstein.
(12:12):
Well, I want you to imaginethis it's 2008.
No one around the state,including the governor at the
time.
What the heck is the New JerseyHall of Fame?
Yeah, bruce Springsteen was soskeptical.
He told us that night likewhat's New Jersey Hall of Fame?
Bruce Springsteen was soskeptical, he told us that night
like what's New Jersey?
He actually joked around in aspeech and he said does
Connecticut have a Hall of Fame?
Does New York have a Hall ofFame?
(12:33):
Maybe they feel they don't needone?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
But, anyway.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So it's the opening of the show and we did what we
call a dramatic lineup and thespotlight hits and it's General
Schwarzkopf saluting the crowd,and then it goes to Toni
Morrison, nobel Peace Prizewinner, and then it goes to Yogi
Berra, and then it goes to BuzzAldrin and it goes to Nancy
(12:59):
Sinatra.
It's going all these incredible.
And then at the end you hearthere's one silhouette left.
Everyone starts yelling Bruce,bruce.
And there was Bruce and he saidyou know, he's not to me, said
it to a friend of mine.
He's like I didn't reallyexpect this.
You know, this was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Just that lineup for the first.
I mean, if you answered hisquestion like why you know,
because I mean that's, that'sthe whole thing when you move to
New Jersey, that's.
I think the thing that strikesyou the most, especially if
you're coming from New York Citywhich both Rachel and I moved
here from New York City is thatyou just put your kid in school
(13:40):
and you just happen to be at aplayground and you're talking to
someone and they're telling youwhat they do and it's so
impressive.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Part of the mission is to get that word out about
Jersey, but we don't lose anysleep.
The two of you know this.
We don't really care.
I mean, it's more about usfeeling good, and we have every
right to.
That's what our annualinduction ceremony is like.
Once a year, let's take time tocome together and feel great
about ourselves.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But the more important issue we live in such
chaotic times and our childrenare getting bombarded with
negative images and angryrhetoric.
Chance the Hall of Fame andorganizations like it to just
(14:28):
say, no, look here, look foryour heroes, look for the wisdom
, look for your purpose, havefaith, stay focused on your
sacred, blessed missions thatare good for the world, and
that's what really what we'rereally passionate about.
Most of the organizers for theHall of Fame.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, it seems like it, and I like that you use the
word heroes and wisdom, becausesometimes you know every hero
has a backstory and what they'veovercome and they have
resilience.
It's not just like they woke upand were a celebrity or
well-known for an invention.
You read about Edison, you readabout Einstein and Bruce.
You get it's grit andperseverance.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, yeah, it's interesting you bring that up.
Our tagline is everyone needs ahero.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
There is a formula.
I've interviewed by now over100 of these inductees for
hologram interviews.
I have my own podcast.
We're launching Legends ofAmerica.
That's going to be launched ina few weeks.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Oh, that sounds great .
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah, maybe I should just show that.
But we'll work with each otherto lift each other.
That's what it's all about.
But you know there is a formula, and the formula is for each
one of them to dream, to tapinto your imagination, to think
of yourself in your highest,best sense of self, and to do
that a lot throughout the day,because we're all sum of all our
(15:52):
thoughts and in this worldwhere you're being bombarded
with negative thoughts, it's soimportant for you to be the one
with discipline, to spend mostof your day dreaming.
And then you know, I call itjust a really good to-do list
the most strategic, clever thattakes time for family and
friends and charity and all ofthe above.
(16:12):
A good, balanced life andexecuting day by day, being
consistent.
And then the Jersey grit thingman, just being relentless and
consistent and never giving upbecause you could do the first
three but you're going to faceadversity along the way and it's
so easy to give up, you know.
(16:33):
I mean like in so many cases wedon't even have as many family
and friends encouraging us as weshould.
It's probably a formula that'sbeen around since the beginning
of time.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So the formula that you've seen.
Let me just want to summarizethis so that I can make sure
that I'm doing it.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Dream you've seen, let me just want to summarize
this so I can make sure that I'mdoing it dream.
So you have to dream, and thenyou, you have to first just be
persistent and work hard,because I spent many years
dreaming about the wrong things.
It was more.
I was a shallow guy.
I'm not going to hesitate totell you.
My 20s into my 30s, my mom andothers would say that's not true
, stephen.
You've always done charity work, but I put too much emphasis on
money in the material world,and so I was dreaming about the
(17:24):
wrong things.
I wasn't dreaming about Stephen, his highest, best sense of
self, which has nothing to dowith money.
It's just a little small pieceof my life.
So, dreaming about the rightthing, we're all figments of our
imagination.
This was something David Geffen,the music executive, pointed
out.
So we're all figments of ourimagination.
It's just that some of us arebetter imagining than others.
(17:48):
So you've got to dream aboutthe right person that you really
want to be deep down.
You've got to find your heroesand the wisdom they have to
offer.
Because you have to bestrategic.
You can work hard but notreally be moving toward your
dream fast enough because you'renot being strategic.
Okay, and then it's getting upevery day, whether you're sore,
(18:12):
you know it's cold out, whateverbeing consistent executing that
to-do list.
You know having fun doing itand then never giving up.
So this is my explanation.
There's people listening ohthat's too technical and it's
too anal, retentive, whatever.
But you know what it is, thatyou know you've got to touch
certain bases every day.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
How many people altogether have you inducted
into the New Jersey Hall of Fame?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Great question.
I think around 250.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Okay, about 250 people.
So there's a common thread, I'massuming, like what you just
described, adversity.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
But I will tell you this and this was something else
I saw a common thread Everysingle person that's been
inducted has overcome oneadversity or another, In most
cases, multiple adversities.
I'll give you an example.
Well, Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce had a really challengingchildhood with his father and
(19:14):
his mom, by the way, was such asweetheart.
She came to our first threeceremonies.
She was so supportive of BruceI think, bought him his first
guitar.
But he grew up in a verychallenging environment and then
he had his own problems withdepression.
Yet another significantadversity he continues to have
to overcome Tom Keene GovernorKeene, believe it or not,
(19:36):
stuttered and had dyslexia.
He talked about this when Iinterviewed him for the podcast
recently and he did it for theHologram interview.
Tom Keene, one of the mostarticulate, distinguished public
servants of all time, had toovercome that very significant
adversity.
So this is something adversityI'm very passionate about,
(19:56):
because I went through a reallytremendous burden on my
shoulders as a kid.
I went through a windshield in1970.
My mom and I went head-on witha Budweiser beer Mack truck in
front of King College.
I had over 300 stitches in myface, last rites, three blood
(20:17):
transfusions, ears hanging, jaw,broken teeth, knocked out lots
of plastic surgery in the yearsthat followed and I needed
growth hormone shots so Iwouldn't make it to five feet
tall and I had ADD.
I was failing in school so much.
All of our inductees thatovercame adversity had similar
moments, but for me it was powerof prayer, praying to God for
(20:40):
three years and being bitter andangry and why did this happen
and how do I get through this?
And I, sometime in 73 73,remember what I thought was God.
Maybe it was saying, Steve,what happened to you happened.
There's no taking it back.
You alone have the opportunityto overcome this adversity or
(21:03):
not.
The empowering part was thething I heard, or not?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
It's up to you.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But if you decide not to don't complain to me I mean
I get goose pimples thinkinglike it was such an epiphany
moment lying there in bed atnight, union, new Jersey, around
midnight, you know, anyway.
So I hope that helps somebodyout there.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
For sure.
And then I think that's kind ofa good segue into this
documentary about your fathercalled Lucky Jack.
Just even reading a little bitabout it from the press and all
that it's fascinating.
And just even you mentioning inthe beginning driving down to
Mexico for your father to go tomedical school.
So can you tell a little bitabout the?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
film.
Yes, Lucky Jack.
It's a story about my dad andreally my mom very much so as
well.
My dad grew up in the SethBoyden Housing Project in Newark
in the 1930s, 40s into the 50s.
Very dysfunctional family.
His dad was an alcoholic.
He died of cirrhosis of theliver.
(22:07):
My grandfather and my dad, Ithink, was around 17, 18 years
old.
His mom was bipolar and had acongenital heart condition.
The point is that he alwayswanted to be a doctor, even in
these bad circumstances, but henever applied himself at school
and so in 1953, Weekwick HighSchool in Newark, he flunked
(22:30):
every course, including gym.
I don't know how you flunk gymbut, you did, then drifted like
a Walter Mitty character.
One failed misadventure.
He always had a big dream, buteverything never worked out and
he failed.
And then, 1966, he was 30 yearsold.
We were living in Elizabeth,new Jersey, wife and two
(22:54):
children, unemployed, part-timepizza delivery man.
He smoked a joint.
He put on man of La Mancha'sImpossible Dream, he put on a
smock that he wore.
He drew blood at a localhospital and he looks in the
mirror and he says I see adoctor staring back.
It was his epiphany moment, hesaid, not just a doctor, but a
(23:15):
brain surgeon.
To make a long story short,nine years later I was making
rounds with him at Mount SinaiHospital in New York City,
standing in the back of theoperating theater.
Him and his.
You know those godlike doctorsand nurses saving people's lives
.
So it's an inspirational story.
(23:36):
It's a jersey grid story, butit's also a human grid story and
it gets complicated.
Um, what his?
He morphed into a marcuswilloughby type of general
practitioner.
Then back into the operatingroom during neurosurgery.
He was like a house surgeon.
He was doing all kinds ofsurgeries and, quite tragically,
(23:58):
he contracted hep C in theoperating room, which is an
occupational hazard for doctorsand nurses.
But the best part about thisfilm, I think, is to see and
hear how he reflected in thosefinal days.
He had no regrets.
The name of his boat was calledArate.
It's ancient Greek wisdom.
(24:19):
It means actualizing yourhighest best sense of self with
a moral excellence of characterand for the greater good.
That was what Plato, aristotleand Socrates referred to as the
essence of life.
And, interestingly enough, aswe're coming up on the 250th
anniversary of America next year, our founding generation looked
(24:42):
to concepts like Arete.
You could find it in the idealsof the Constitution.
He just reflected you know whatI did, what I set out to do.
I made the world a littlebetter.
And he felt and he had faith atthat point.
For him, his faith was that I'mgoing to be a powerful beam of
(25:03):
light that's going to travel theuniverse and then I'm going to
come back.
He said I just have a hunch.
I'm going to come back.
As a poor Indian boy in avillage in India, he felt like
that was my dad.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I love it.
What an extraordinary person.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
He really was.
Everyone that met Jack lovedhim.
He was the mayor of the LibertyState Landing Marina slip, one,
always helping people out andwaving to people, and we miss
him.
He left us in 2006, but I stayconnected with him every single
(25:40):
day and I will to the end of mylife.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
It's no surprise that you have landed in a career
where you are, you know, exposedto people who are making their
dreams come true, and that youhaven't had that experience so
closely and you're heroes whenseeing a real live one at home.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Well, that's right and you know part of this.
Originally the Hall of Fame wasgoing to benefit children
throughout the world.
It was sort of outgrowth of mywork with Save the Children.
And when my dad passed in 2006,I had a tough time for a few
years.
I was bitter, I was angry, butI channeled that very difficult
(26:24):
time through the Hall of Fameand we changed course.
I was able to convince ourstate leaders let's focus on
children.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So can you tell us a little bit about your background
with Save the Children?
You've mentioned it a few times.
You've always had a kind of adrive to help children.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, I sure did.
And Save the Children startedfor me in another little point
of my life, around 1997.
And I went with the presidentof Save the Children, charlie
McCormick, and Nancy Tusig and afew others.
I went to Nicaragua and ElSalvador and I saw the great
work they were doing.
(27:01):
They continue to do to this dayand I was really moved by how
grateful parents down there wereto me and to save the children
for helping them.
It really moved me.
I'm like, wow, they need us,you know.
And the bottom line is, I feelthe same way here.
(27:22):
I mean, there's so many people.
So I think it's a point worthmentioning.
The Charlie Kirk thing happenedyesterday, two days ago.
It was so awful.
My daughters saw the video.
They're really affected by it.
I think it's super important.
Whether you believe CharlieKirk or not, nobody should be
(27:42):
killed.
Violence come on.
We also should reflect everyday that 99% of the world is not
about that.
Nobody wants to hurt each other, even if their civil discourse
is not so great.
It's a safe world 99.99% of thetime.
So I just think that, goingback to Save the Children, we're
(28:06):
all living 8 billion people onplanet Earth, 200 nation states.
We all have the sameexistential threats.
We all got to start workingnicely, even if we disagree with
each other.
We got to work nicely and keepmoving forward.
So anyway, I digressed a littlebit, sorry.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
No, I mean, it's on everybody's mind, so I
understand it.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
One other thing you said that has been playing back
in my mind is about you know,with all our kids are bombarded
now with imagery of violence onsocial media.
Just conversations, thoughts,all the thoughts that aren't
their own thoughts.
And you were saying you need todream so that you can think of
your own thoughts and have timeaway from that.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
So I you just hit the nail on the head because my dad
used to say it all the timewe're a sum of all our thoughts
and we can will so many greatthings to happen.
Yesterday, because of theCharlie Kirk tragedy, um, I said
to my wife and two daughterslet's go to the park and let's
(29:15):
go back to where we used to gowhen they were little kids.
Let's See all the smiling kidsand all the parents and see all
the good in the world and quietour minds.
I just said to both mydaughters I'd give them little
pep talks, whether they like itor not.
Usually I think they roll theireyes.
But I said, weekends are aboutresetting, no matter what's
(29:36):
happened.
Resetting, quiet the mind andget excited about the challenge
coming up the following week andcontrol those thoughts and be
careful.
That's why I always encouragethem to see good movies and read
and listen to great music.
And we're going to have tolearn and I'm confident.
Well, we're going to just haveto.
(29:57):
We're all going to becomeexperts at regulating,
self-regulating what we'retaking into our brains what
we're thinking about and calmingourselves.
meditation, yoga, stretchingyeah, I mean, we're going to
have to do that.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
We have to, we can't, we can't keep working on this
path because obviously, we'redestroying each other.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It's not sustainable.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
I agree with both of you it's not sustainable.
I'm always an optimist becauseif you look at this country and
you look at world historycertainly children to remember
history, to read up, to be goodat, because history always
repeats itself and you can learnfrom it we're going to overcome
this.
We've overcome two world warsand a depression and, as Warren
(30:46):
Buffett says, never bet againstAmerican and human ingenuity.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
As you had said, your own experience of what was
spoken to you is that you caneither take what you've gone
through which is what we're allgoing through collectively in
the country, and make it better,do something good with it, or
not Just let it.
You know, let's try.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Exactly right.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
I know there's a couple of questions that Rachel
wanted to ask you that I wanther to get in here.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Who calls the person that tells them they're going to
be inducted in the Hall of Fame?
And what are some of thosereactions?
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Who calls them.
We send a letter.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Many of them have gotten a tip off by someone that
may have nominated them.
But they get a letter.
I'm sure they frame it.
I mean, why not?
Bruce Springsteen, during hisspeech, said when I got the
letter I saw Edison Einstein, mymom.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Seriously, yeah, yes, show your mom.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
That is First thing to do.
Show your mom.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
That's pretty great when they come to the museum.
A lot of them have comerecently for the podcast.
It's my throwaway line EdisonEinstein and Tony Orlando.
They love it.
How do you not love that one?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
I know it's perfect.
Is the induction ceremony?
Is it like a concert or is itclosed video?
What is the induction ceremonylike?
Speaker 2 (32:19):
We're going to be releasing information.
Our induction ceremony isusually a live ceremony.
This year it's going to be onthe ice skating rink at American
Dream, just steps away from ourmuseum.
Yeah, and it's going to beFriday, november 21st.
Danny DeVito is emceeing.
(32:39):
We've got David Bryan from BonJovi's band is going to be
inducted.
Bon Jovi will be there.
Jonas Brothers are beinginducted this year.
They'll be there.
It's going to be an incredibleevent.
We'll release informationwithin a couple of weeks.
On ticketing there's limitedtickets available, but we do
(33:02):
make some available to thepublic.
It's just a great night.
I encourage your listeners ifthey want to.
There's limited ticketsavailable, but we do make some
available to the public.
Just a great night.
I encourage your listeners ifthey want to see any of the
acceptance speeches for thefirst 16 ceremonies.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I have watched some of those.
They're amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
They're swan songs from some of the most legendary
people that have lived in thestate and are unsung heroes,
educator of the Year Awards, andwe've got scholarship winners
every year.
It's not just about famouspeople, you know, and it's a fun
night.
I hope you guys can make maybethe next one.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yeah, we'd love to.
Well, maybe I can be inducted.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Yeah, well, I'll nominate you.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
Our final question is we'd like to ask our guests
tell us something that you loveabout New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
I love the people.
Obviously, I'm in the peoplebusiness, with the Hall of Fame,
so there's so many people thatmake me laugh.
There's so many people family,friends that love me and I love
them.
I think I'm going to answer itthe same way most people in New
Jersey answer it, I think, whichis our beaches, that ocean, the
sky that salt air.
I just love the Jersey Shore.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Well, it's been a pleasure to talk to you and to
hear your story and hear yourfather's story, and it really
does make us feel that you know,when you have some adversity,
that sometimes that can be theengine to make your dreams come
true.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
But the worst days in your life are ultimately going
to be the best day that everhappens to you and obviously,
when you lose someone that youlove, that's adversity, that's
difficult, but bottom line isyep, you got that choice.
Move away from it and on tobetter things or not.
And please, for those that areout there suffering, choose,
(34:49):
move on, keep moving forward.
Like Frank Sinatra once said,another Jersey inductee, he
faced his share of adversity.
Just keep moving forward, baby.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Very good advice to end this great interview on.
It was really nice to meet you.
Thank you so much for coming on.
Lost in Jersey.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Ladies, I can't thank you enough.
Have a wonderful Jersey day.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
This podcast was produced by Rachel Martens and
Jeanette Afsharian.
You can find us on Spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
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