Shogun MMA founder John Rallo talks Show Your Soft Side and long Dundalk history with Nestor as former Eastwood Little League teammate Mark Karolkowski provides a cameo at State Fare in Catonsville on “A Cup Of Soup Or Bowl Week” for the Maryland Food Bank.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cat, man, talk, john, kids, animals, barks, run, people, girl, day, big, rollo, great, wife, orioles, dude, years, give, charities
SPEAKERS
John Rallo, Mark Karolkowski, Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:02
Are we welcome you back? We are in live radio again it is. It’s Thursday. It’s worked state fair. It’s a cup of soup or bowl. It is crabcake row. We have our first contributions of minestrone soup. Looks pretty delicious over there. Alison’s going to be coming on from Susan G. Komen. Not to be confused with Susan B. Anthony because I get the G and the B mixed up. So I got that straightened my wife before I left and like I said, Susan be calm and she’s like that Susan B. Anthony. She’s on a silver dollar, not Susan G. Komen. John Rollo is our guest and he’s gonna get some. I feel like Oprah when I do this, you know, you get a lottery ticket 10 times the cash top prize. $10,000 Awesome. Your name came up. I know your ears were burning. I was over Costas on Tuesday. And but I should say that you. I invited into state fair and he went to Timonium as I got hit a lot. Oh, man, that’s beautiful. Well, you’re in a great place here and I just wolf down steak and eggs here. They have great shrimp and grits. You have amazing chicken and waffles, this jalapeno raspberry stuff and all that. So you came up and I feel I’m embarrassed because I thought this week I was going to do 100 charities I’m going to do maybe 65 or 70, the food bank thing, the soup thing. But at the beginning I thought well I’ll have celebrities and people you know whatever. And then it just turned in all these charities got back to me and I didn’t like need to celebrity so much of the politicians or civic shakers or old Orioles or poor Mike bordick dragging him out. You know, I don’t need to you know, I think of the charity shirt, and then turn around brought Femi on on Monday. I think he’s been a softy. Right. I mean, he’s had animals. But John Rolla when I talk about you and I talked about you behind your back all the time people talk about you and you know him and I’m like, he’s big guys. And I’m like, Dude, we were altar boys together. 1977 and fatica Lee basically literally a year in every literally, you’re only about this much bigger than me in baseball. But by the time we got to football, you went like this. And I I got shorter and fatter as I remember. So I he’s in every one of my childhood pictures, and I loved your dad, you love my dad. People know that about us, man. Sure, for sure. Different cats. Like really? I
John Rallo 02:14
mean, 100. But what people don’t really know about you is even when you were a kid, you were destined to do this, because I remember at Fatima when the member they would do the trophies,
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:25
something that I don’t really know what he’s gonna pick from.
John Rallo 02:31
He would come to the award banquets, and he would give the sports man and he would get the Colts and the Orioles that were there and give them the Spanish Inquisition. So he was interviewing. Yeah, man. So I have
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:43
a picture of Cal Ripken senior in the basement fan. And he smokin
John Rallo 02:52
heater. That’s awesome. That’s awesome. Yeah, you know, they would serve the roast beef dinner, right? Yeah. 100 Tuesday was a cool thing. Like you would go tell everybody bad. I mean, I don’t even know if that stuff happens anymore.
Nestor J. Aparicio 03:05
John Steadman come one year and when he came in, like 8485, Ben, Neil. Ben, Ben, Ben.
John Rallo 03:12
Everybody knows your friend of mine. zankel.
Nestor J. Aparicio 03:14
Every house I’ve ever bought. Ben has been the title guy, right? Until the last house I bought over here at groundside. But, Ben, when I you know, I’m doing the newspaper thing in the 80s. And Ben knew me from the church. He’s like, can you get John Steadman and Mr. Steadman? Call me call me Johnson, your man, you know, so I sent John over to Fatima. And I didn’t think I went that night was it like in the mid to late 80s was kind of falling apart when we windows seven. And so John went over there. And he came back and said, How’d it go John? Signor? They did not need me. They had celebrities far larger, you know, like sports like was something I’m trying to think of the players that were there. I remember Kenny Cooper come and vividly
John Rallo 03:54
ever can have from the cold. Like, you know what I mean? I think I remember Zachary Dixon was running back came
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:00
Dawson. I have a picture of Jack Dawson channel too. Yeah, man.
John Rallo 04:03
It was, it was cool. I mean, and like I said, You were already in your interview. And these guys remember it that way. And I also remember the I mean, and I give you credit where credit’s due, I always tell everybody, I mean, you’re the guy that brought sports radio to Baltimore. There was no sports talk until you started it. And so you know, whatever people want to say you deserve your credit for that. Well, we’re
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:27
doing other important things. Now. You know, I mean, say whatever we want. I mean, the reason you’re here and I’m here, I’ve been a sports guy forever. The first thing you said you think you’re gonna get your Oriole press man, right. And the notion that I’m sitting here instead of in Las Vegas, but I wanted to do something good. And dream this thing up and I told Carmen story cried once already talking about my father starving. You know, my father. I’m going to honor my father’s birthdays. March 5. I’m going to rerelease the 19 chapter book I wrote in 2006. About why I love baseball, and I’m not gonna I haven’t I haven’t looked at it and edited it in 18 years, but In free the birds because my father would have told me to do that, you know that. I mean, what the Orioles became and what they’ve become is not the way it was supposed to be when you and I were on the eastwood Oreo sure in 97 That’s
John Rallo 05:12
what Orioles true. It was. I mean, it’s, I mean, you know, things once everything gets a corporate tanked to it, it starts to ruin things because you lose the personality of it. So the Orioles you know, it’s giant business now the NFL, it’s giant business now. And, you know, instead of people running the organizations by their values, they’re running the organization is based on the whims of the people that are paying them the big dollars to TV networks, and you know, and such. Well, that’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:45
why I’m not in Las Vegas. I’m here and I wanted to do something good. So show your soft side. I’ve told everybody like November a dream this up. My kid comes up with the suit. So now we’re early December, like I want to do 100 charities. And my wife’s like got a lot of charities. I’m like, Well, I just ran into Allison from Susan G. Komen over it. I’m trying to learn today at Coco’s two months ago, and I’m like, I got 100 People like her who do and I’m like, and then I got like I got 100 celebrities and you know, I’ll call this Gaborik will do this in Raleigh. And I put the list together and show yourself side was one of the along with barks at Baltimore humane where I’ve my cat and gold secretary, all these put a list together of who I wanted on the show this week to present and I got to probably 120 different places, but I don’t think a you I thought I write to Sandy. Right. And I think Frank Frank doesn’t come on the show. But I Sandy I’ve been writing to the last time I did a show yourself side piece with Danny Wiseman. And we also grew up with Don bowler Hall of Fame. Danny and I traded baseball cards. We were in the same seventh grade class together at Holabird and Danny’s a Hall of Famer. Right So Danny did a show yourself side with his fire. We did it up in Buffalo Wild Wings in Bel Air and he had done a poster. This before the plague man, this is like 17 or 18 like that range or so it’s been a long time and we lost Lori and I didn’t know Lori but I know sitting there now you and then Tanya came out Tuesday, we got to talking. And she was asking me if I knew university should you know John Rollo. And I’m like, All right. I have that. I’ve invited him over here. And I appreciate you coming over to Kate and good. And but I said something really off Twitter. I’m like, well, when he got his cat, he did a video thing. And he talked me into getting a cat. I remember. You kind of taught me to get we’re second cat now. And she’s like, No, no, John has cats. got four
John Rallo 07:37
of them? Well, that’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:39
why you got invited. You got invited because I said when he got his cat he’s a no no, no, she can. He’s like cats. And we’ve always got more stories. You were were you anti cat or fraidy cat like, like
John Rallo 07:51
it’s a it’s a crazy story with how I became the cat guy. But really never was much into cats because they’re kind of aloof and things and that’s you just thought you know, you can’t even interact, the way you interact like you have a big bull suit. I had a righty I’ve had a pit. All right, you know what I knew you didn’t have a chihuahua with my, with my lifestyle. Especially when I was touring, you know, with Tommy Lee and all that stuff, you’re not home as much. You know, dogs are their their kids, like they have to be walked they have to be fed, you have to take them out. It’s a more of a responsibility where the cats you know, you can roll out for a couple days if as long as the litter pans are clean and their food and water is full. Nobody has to take them out for walks they can just people come through and check on them. So you know that’s kind of you know, a little bit about why but you know, I got converted to cash so wound up like this is going to be a funny story. This isn’t exactly charitable, but I had a rental we had rental properties. And Skye owed me like two grand, went into the house. It was trashed. It’s a mess. Cat had kittens, these kittens are running around, we’re leaving. We go out to my car and one of them follows us. And my girl at the time was like, Oh my God, he’s so cute. And I’m like, take that cat guy owes us money anyway, so we take him home and this guy. He’s who I was in the poster with the picture. His name was doobie and he converted me man. Like he was like a dog. He comes when you call him I used to stick them in my coat go to my friend’s house to watch football. He’d go with us, like the whole nines. So when like what happened? I was involved with barks and I
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:31
didn’t even want to do that story. I am my stake. My mic I’ve done enough talk. Yeah,
John Rallo 09:39
so we so wind up with him. And they at the time when share your soft side came to me he was sick. Like he was kidneys were failing. Literally. We were giving him IV fluids like he would sit on a table. How long was he? Oh man, he’s probably 14 or so.
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:55
And I’m freaking out my girls almost seven now and it feels like a minute. Now you’ll
John Rallo 09:59
be Fine, but um, you know, so we’re taking care of them. And they asked me to do this campaign and I was one of the charter members. It was myself. It was Adam Jones. And it was Jared Jared. Jared. John. I had Jared on two weeks here. So we were the three guys. And they Tori and other posts. Everybody came after that they took pictures with their dogs. Heat mod. You know, doobie was, was passing. So I wanted good pictures of us. So I told them, you’re doing them with cat, right? Yeah. So they took the pictures and everything. He when I went like Stephanie Rawlings Blake was the mayor at the time, she asked me to come to City Hall and speak when they were introducing the thing. Well, let’s get to the real story. Kids were killing cats. Oh, well, this is an animal anti violence campaign. 100%. So that that was really the one they wanted to be the idea behind. You know, slogan was only a punk would hurt a cat or a doll. Right? And we were there to talk about that, obviously, because the animals can’t speak for themselves. But when they did the posters, and I did the cat, look, I’m not an Oreo. I’m not a raven, I’m known locally, but I’m not. I don’t consider myself like a star something like Adam Jones. And my picture got more like responses on social media than there’s because of the cat, right? So it just got crazy. And that was that when I went to do the speech he had already passed, but I’m not gonna I was gonna bring everybody down. I just acted like he was alive. And the story she’s talking about, there was a show called must love cats, with one animal planet. And when I went to adopt a new cat from barks, they actually came film, the whole thing came to the house. I remember that
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:45
because I think I saw you do that. And my wife said to me, I mean, I wish she were here. So I was not anti cat. I was anti pet. Because I’m like, I had a kid when I was 15. I had a 90 year old mother, I like I got employees. Right You know, I had a station am radio like, unlike I, it’s gonna get between us it’s good. And she just wanted a cat really bad. She became in the relationship with a cat. She surrendered her cat because a cat and didn’t take to the move and all that I didn’t understand her emotions about it well enough. So she it was the thing in our marriage, and she beat me up the most about for eight years. Like she really wanted a cat one day we’ll get a cat. You’re never gonna let us have a cat like, like was that and I’m like, I’m not anti cat. I’m anti parenting. Right? I did that. Right? So this is 2010 or 11? I guess it was. And I like, I know, I talked to you. I specifically know I talk to you about it. Because she saw you on TV. And here you are going through like these cages and stuff. And she said John Roberts got a cat. And one night I was doing dishes in the condo was like November, whatever year 910 whatever year it was. And she got emotional. And I’m like, All right, we’re getting a cat. Like if it’s gonna bother you this much. I’m in we’re in just let me get through Super Bowl and to get back. We’ll do it in April. And in April, we I had talked to you for those months leading up about your television show. Yep. And you’re and you I remember you were like, get her a cat. You’re gonna love it. You told me you’re like, you’re gonna love this cat more than anyone you’ll see.
John Rallo 13:28
I mean, really, right. John, if you it’s all about how you raise them. It’s just like a dog. If you have a dog that could be aggressive or not. It’s a lot of times it’s in how that dog is raised. Cats are the same if you handle them a lot as they’re young, you interact with them a lot. I mean, they they’re gonna come they’re gonna come sit on your lap watch TV with you. You know, you just catch
Nestor J. Aparicio 13:49
the world. There is not a minute of a day where I don’t and she loves my wife more. My wife’s name one. They are number two.
John Rallo 13:58
Most of them. They have they have a favorite. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah, but
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:05
so Jen leaves now to go with her. We did a piece on Ms. My sister in law has MS. She’s doing well but my wife tries to spend more time with her. They go to Paris and I’m sitting on the seat cushion here from Germany. guys saved her life. They took him to the Frankfurt game. The Colts Patriot game was his birthday. This is the seat cushion in my wife brought back and my back’s killing me so I’m we’re using this Thank you, Dr. Steve Elliot. And the whole like, animal thing. First cat we got we adopted her from be more humane. I don’t make it to this road. I didn’t want a cat. I’ve said that bluntly. I didn’t want the cat like but I agreed like it was I was gonna make it work right? We got this cat and brought her home kitty. And for six and a half years she loved my life. My wife gets cancer once my wife gets cancer twice. It became My cat cat loves me. The cat died like it like so we were in Paris. It was the weekend of the Wembley knee, the Wembley, me and 17. My cat died that week and we were in Paris that they are cat died. Our cat took sick the night before we left, and she died two days after we got it when we took the shuttle into Paris to see Jimmy Buffett. And we lost our cat. We were at a Jimmy Buffett concert. At lace gall. I’m talking about 700 seat theater, Jimmy. Jimmy would go play there every year as a as a gift to his band. He would take them all to Paris, and they play three nights in a little theater. The floor bounces there. It’s one of those theaters where the floor bounces. We had a throw tickets. One of our listeners hooked me up at a fan club. She knew what was going on. Like, she’s like I got somebody that has extra tickets. They can’t use them and they don’t want to scalp and they just want to like, get a fan. I paid 100 bucks or whatever. And we went into Paris, and we cried. We were sobbing for three hours during the show. People worry about us people would buffer to like, what’s up? We’re like, cat died today. We’re a mess. You know, but that’s the worst day of your life.
John Rallo 16:05
I mean, it’s your they’re your family. People don’t realize they are your family. You know what I’m saying? So if I saw somebody hurt one of my cats, you can bet I’m gonna pull their head off their shoulders like it’s here. Yes, they’re your family members. So and
Nestor J. Aparicio 16:18
I bet you for what do you got? You know, I
John Rallo 16:20
have a marble bangle. He’s called he’s Dexter. You lost
Nestor J. Aparicio 16:27
in like, oh, 11 or 12? Yeah, this was before I had my first cat. So we’re going back 15
John Rallo 16:34
years, right? So right now we have Dexter we have socks, who’s a tuxedo cat like to be? It’s a female Dexter is obviously male. Then we have we call many. His name’s Apollo. He’s a Siamese. He’s a boy, little guy. He’s hilarious. And then we have one we call a little girl. That was like 25 It’s not very little. We took her to events the other day. And we heard them through the door. They get a little girl. I don’t think so. You know, whenever carrying her back, but you know that? We have two boys two girls right now.
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:06
Where did you pick? Well, and why? I mean, why normally three? Not five? Well,
John Rallo 17:12
I mean, right? I guess right now four is the good number. I think it is yeah, for I would say 90% of the time they all get along. But Dexter’s from barks many is from barks. Little girl, we came with my wife Angel years ago, like it was, she had the one of her cousin’s had to cat or something. And then they couldn’t keep it and I wasn’t gonna, you know, we took it in. And that’s the same thing with the other one that we have with socks. She was with my wife’s like, you know, you know her, she has a child with another dude, it was his mom’s she had two cats. She passed away. Billy took the cats in, and he has a dog and one of the cats did not get along with the dog. So instead of them surrender, and we took her in, and like she’s great. So, you know, I will always adopt, you know, the cats. I think it’s a it’s, it’s a I mean, it’s really something necessary. You know, if you go to a place like barks, I mean, they take in as many as 12,000 animals in a year. And they do everything they can to save, you know, every animal that comes through the door. So you know, think about 12,000 Animals rolling through the door, they need homes. And, you know, so instead of going out and buying something from you know, a puppy mill or something, I think it’s better to go. And I mean, you’re saving a life, you know what I mean? You really are because even though barks and look when barks when Jen took barks over the city was running it, they were killing 98% of the animals that came into animal control. In order to be considered a no kill shelter, I think it’s 90% Save rate that you have to get to. When I was on the board there, she had achieved that bringing in 12,000 animals, they do not turn if you brought an animal got hit by a car, they’ll take that animal in and try and save it. You know, like I always tell people like with the SPCA, they don’t do that. They cherry pick the good animals, like they do help barks by taking animals but they take their most adoptables. You know, if you went to the SPCA with an injured animal, they’re not fixing it, they’re going to turn you away. So they’re to play started there to the shiny star, everybody gives them millions of dollars. People need to give their money to places like barks, or show your soft side that are actually out there trying to save animal lives and don’t have kind of that star power behind them. And, you know, like, I’m not going to just slam them on the air. But I could tell you a bunch of stories about things that I didn’t appreciate that they did while I was on the board. And you know, and I think that, you know, when the overreaching goal is just to you know, to try to help these animals. You shouldn’t really Pick and choose like if you’re really there for this support of these animals you should
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:04
they all match. Yes, yes. John Rollo, he matters. He’s here. He’s been my friend for a long time. I don’t know what to say about you your MMA run a school girl What are you doing? Yeah, it’s been a long time. I’ve gotten well you know, analysis got food over here now. State Fair when antimonium For crying. We’re in Catonsville. Come on over. Bring some McCain goods for for the Maryland Food Bank. I’ll give you a free lottery ticket. Our friends at Windsor nation are part of this Jiffy Lube the whole deal. John Rollo is our guest here today we’re going to be on a five Alright, so
John Rallo 20:39
with me, you know, the MMA I wound up getting it legalized here had the lobby speak before the Senate, the House of Delegates get a law passed so that we could do mixed martial arts
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:50
and amazing thing unto itself because I think it was ever going to happen. Yeah, well, a lot of people didn’t think so. And theta super was gonna be Vegas.
John Rallo 20:59
Gambling would be here in Maryland, right. But uh, you know, so, you know, went through that process, get it legalized. During that time, you know, some people know my school’s called Ground Control. We have five locations now four here in Maryland and one down in Florida. West Palm Beach. We have one in Hunt Valley, one in Columbia one and Owings Mills, and I’m mainly at the Rosedale location. You know, it’s where I’m from that side of town. And I choose I like to be I just think I like to get back to the community there. So, you know, even though it’s more of the blue collar, it’s 140. We’re right on Pulaski highway lane, that we moved from that place, man. We got to place now like 15,000 square feet. It said at 303. We’re between Northeastern plumbing and the steel tin cam company. And exile gym. A good friend of mines gym is right next door to us. So and Bobby’s got a Cray head best gym in the East Coast easily. It’s like 60,000 square feet. It’s crazy. But I wish I had that when I was a kid. But um, you know, so we’re they’re doing the schools. I wind up starting to promotion called Shogun fights. Shogun has a show coming up at a live casino March 30. It’s our fifth one there.
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:15
So you were doing the arena for the arena
John Rallo 22:18
forever. And Frank, you know, remise he brought up earlier fantastic guy. You know, he’s the one that convinced me a big part. I said no to him three times, because I just thought the place was too big for us. And he talked me into it and his staff loved the people that were incredible. You ever sold there? For the first one man we sold almost. We sold over 7000 seats. And then you are big enough? Yeah, on a bad day. Well, we just didn’t open the top. So on a bad day, like he said, because he’s the one he said look when WWE comes here, unless it’s a pay per view. They closed the top. He said they just put black covers over the top.
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:56
I was I saw Bryan Adams at the shark tank in San Jose. They closed the upper deck of like an old you know the even the biggest hockey rink I was kind of shocked. He’s gonna sell 5000 tickets. Yeah, they know that they close the upper deck. Yeah, man.
John Rallo 23:10
So they made it really look cool. Everything was great. When COVID Hit obviously we got shut down there. We were doing shows that MGM down at National Harbor to we had sold out there twice. We got shut down everywhere because of COVID and then you know that the management of the arena changed hands. In that they brought a $220 million in renovations to the arena. So when I was there, and Frank and I had a deal worked out and you know, the rent has tripled. Since sure I was there. I can’t handle that kind of overhead overhead now you know, it’s I love the fact that we did it there for so long. I love the fact that you know we were growing up it was the civic center. So the place where I would go to see things shows, letter funds, The Rolling Stones were there prints I saw prints there. So for me it was a like I was I mean it was a source of pride that I was able to grow up here and be able to do a show on that level here. And you know after when when COVID was up the renovations were still going on the casino had been approaching me you know Christopher so you needed a place to do it yeah, first is my contact over there great guy yeah, man he dude he runs he’s their national entertainment director Chris has really like worked his way up GM no of live
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:42
live Yeah. Okay. That as much as I thought you did MGM we
John Rallo 24:46
did MGM two and that’s what I’m what now I won’t I wouldn’t go back there just because I see it as a conflict. Here with live they treat me great. MGM is not a competitor of the arena to casinos. I just feel classically, I wouldn’t feel right. I would think they would be upset if I was down there.
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:06
And quarters.
John Rallo 25:08
Yeah, yeah. And the quarters family has been great to me. So I’ve been real happy there. I think it’s a, that a better fan is it almost is a better fan experience because everything’s self contained. You know, you have the casino, you have the restaurants, you have the hotel right there. The production value inside because it’s a brand new spot with their screens, and all is amazing. So it’s been a great relationship. You know, what
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:31
is it again? March March 3, march 30, when
John Rallo 25:34
they let me just, always Saturday. Yeah, so
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:36
putting a card together, when you’re Shogun and just trying to do it with Frank all these years ago. A lot of people doing that participating now, right? From a, I dare I see minor leagues or major leagues, you know, this man, I’m gonna, you know, I’m not gonna say
John Rallo 25:52
it’s, for us. I look at us as like the, you know, people, Oh, you shouldn’t ever say you’re like the B league or whatever. We’re a regional promotion. And my goal is to take our local talent, showcase it and help them get to the next level, you know, so that maybe one day UFC champion will be somebody from Baltimore, you know, um,
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:12
from a ground control level and from kids doing this and who comes in and train. We start, couldn’t do the show in Dundalk. The other days. You’re training people? Yeah,
John Rallo 26:25
well, we start. We start kids, we have a four to seven age group 812, age group,
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:32
teen group, would this be reminiscent? Karate would feel like someone say
John Rallo 26:36
I would say it’s kind of funny to me. Like the kids. You know, do you remember Binky Jones from? Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:45
we played football. He’s a legend.
John Rallo 26:49
Binky is the head of the kids program. And he’s phenomenal with the kids. Him and Tony Hines run the kids program. My brother Jamie retired from Baltimore County teach and after 30 years, Jamie runs my gym pretty much now you know what I mean? So if I’m not there, he’s there. And he holds it down for me. So yeah, man, it’s been a very cool experience. And, you know, I’m just thankful to be making a living doing something that I enjoy, just like you, you know, I don’t really consider it work, you know, crew. Look, dude, I just hit Tommy up. When I saw he had this. He took a video of himself and his hands locked, rest, his legs messed up. And he said, Man, I had carpal tunnel real bad had to get it fixed. He says, You know, I make money with my hands. And
Nestor J. Aparicio 27:38
my friend Don. And I hang out with Jean. And we actually my son, on my birthday, we were drug CDs along stores like something that a song when I’m drinking at the bar or drug City at the fountain and my son started asking her about drummers and styles and different stuff like that. We talked about Tom and they do all that. Yeah,
John Rallo 27:55
that’s what he did. I have a symbol after one of the tours we did, like Zildjian is there’s his simple company, when they he breaks the symbols hitting them too hard. And those things call us so they take them and re melt them down and make symbols again, I got him to give me one of the symbols broke. And the whole band you know, signed it for me and I got it in like a nice box at the house. Now it’s pretty cool.
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:21
I know politically you I don’t want you to have to say, as a fan, what’s going on inside the band with making all that in any band and that goes for people pissed it sticks from some 40 years ago or whatever. It does warm my heart and I saw you two out of the sphere. They get a different drummer because he can’t draw you saw them at the seat.
John Rallo 28:41
Unbelievable, right? You got to us he’s going to do a show there. You think I’m gonna ask Rogan to hook me up with tickets for that? You know?
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:47
That’s weird. Why would you have seen what they need the wall? He said
John Rallo 28:50
it’s gonna be crazy. Like Dana. I just saw Dana McAfee talking about it and what they’re going to do in there. So I’m interested to
Nestor J. Aparicio 28:57
see if you can afford to rent the hall.
John Rallo 29:02
But guys, almost a billionaire at this point. So
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:04
I’m wrapping things up show yourself sign. I want to get that because I have other guests will get together with visiting. Sure. I said to my wife give me time to speak. I’m gonna say well, times a little short, but you’ll come back. So John, come back on John’s road to Imodium then drove to Cambridge. State Fair is he Kingsville people? Gosh, Voss state fairs this week. It’s not all like August, you know, and they got a Ferris wheel and horses and all that. Plug waiting. I’ll say we done yeah, man.
John Rallo 29:37
Like for me, if you’re looking for charities, share yourself side. I still like the big spot projects. Project Runway is in April. Okay. April 4, I believe. And that’s always I mean, it’s always a lot of fun. You know, you basically bring the animals out. It’s all adoptable animals that have different people like myself or ballplayers that Bring the animals out and walk down. John. John John’s there every time. Another Eastwood guy. So, you know, John great.
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:08
We do stick together. I mean, we did. I saw
John Rallo 30:11
John went to my boy, the guy who was a Nikki’s guy when I was with Motley, he slashes guy, and when slash played down at a Tec nine o’clock club maybe. And John was opening for slash you know what I mean? You know, a psalm down there, he hit me up. I saw him down there and,
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:32
you know, real close. Yeah,
John Rallo 30:34
he’s a good dude.
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:36
I owe him when they went out on tour. Actually, I invited him to my big Christmas party. He came in Aaron came in December. I saw John a couple months ago. See that? He is the exact guy that I would have bothered this week to come out. But like, I didn’t have to bother you guys like, and I bothered you anyway, because your name came up and I started talking about you people said, and I’m like, am been on it forever. Why not invite. So it’s
John Rallo 31:02
always cool to see and it’s good to like to be able to talk about soft side and barks and ground control Shogun, like, you know, next.
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:11
I’m looking for you. Look, marrieds. I’m looking for him. We’re I mean, I’ve been shouting them out. I don’t have his number. I’m sucking me.
John Rallo 31:19
I’ll see if I can find it. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:21
I was in Coco’s your day and I like curly and Dan assure and what happened was
John Rallo 31:26
Stitz because Timmy Whitman still trains there three days a week trains in the daytime and, you know, obviously he knew very well because he was coaching all
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:35
people. world now, right?
John Rallo 31:38
I mean, we don’t want to feel turn 5555 Right. I’m gonna hold it down as long as I can.
Nestor J. Aparicio 31:42
Oh, dude, our art our little league teammate is walking in one of our one of our baseball, Little League teammates just walked in the door. And you think nobody listened to this show. When he walks around the corner. I’m gonna let him walk in because I just saw him. I’m not gonna I was gonna end this segment, but I’m gonna make him sit down. Allison, you gotta wait a minute. One of one of our childhood friends is listening. And just well, this is what happens. It’s like it’s sort of like Arnold’s you know, like happy days. People walk in, but the dude that’s walking in the door, you get to find him. Yo, Mark, Adam asked me if he’s Mark. Yeah. Yeah, we just, I just saw him walk through. He’s gonna be coming in. I’m not ending the segment. Police sits down and talks about his father. So you now know who we ought to be Carol kowski so yeah, absolutely. Let’s see here. Come on, dude. We’re doing live radio here. Sit down, man. What are you doing? Come on. I know you’ve been listening. Let’s go Come on. Mark. What are you doing? Man? What are you doing dude? This is the stock the everybody thinks Apollo was the storage team. But Carol Caskey it like 560 that year over here. Did you know we’re here or did you know oh put your headset on man I got this is like the worst Barney Otis Is he out playing music right Well Howard put put your headset around on this professionally before you’ve been on my show before
Mark Karolkowski 33:08
I didn’t think I noticed since free the birds we went
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:12
to free the birds together nice. I started telling a story to my son at Costas on on Tuesday. About free the birds the day I when Steven l miles. Let’s talk about it. He’s my friend. Right? That might lawyer but he represented me at various points where people were doing stupid ish with me right? Acting like fools. So Steve Miles I want to get I want to get you on camera here and get everybody in? Yeah, yeah. The camera back I missed it so afraid of unplugging us because I’ve done it so many times. So what was I talking about? I lost my train of thought get my camera. To me on the day of free the birds 18 years ago when your wedding Mani Otis was with us, too. We’re all wearing free to I have great pictures of us. It was like yesterday, when was 18 years ago. Miles says to me. Don’t worry about him. You’ll outlive him. That’s what he told me. I don’t know. I don’t know, man. You know,
John Rallo 34:05
he’s still kicking. He
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:07
still can’t. How are you then? Well, thank you. So I’m doing a charity thing this week. All right, in which he runs a gym but he does nice stuff for cats. I do this stuff and get banned by the ravens to do nice stuff. You have been doing beautiful work with beautiful people like your whole adulthood. I am in awe of the work that you do. Tell everybody what you’ve dedicated your life’s work to doing and helping humans. This guy’s a special guy, dude. And we knew your dad and your mom. That’s why you turned out right your boy
Mark Karolkowski 34:34
was Joan. Absolutely. Right now I’m actually working for the Veterans Administration helping homeless vets hopefully try and find and maintain their housing. And then you actually helped me out a while ago I work at therapeutic Maryland Therapeutic Riding on the weekend in crownsville. All right, a big fundraiser for their Kentucky Derby year to it. They don’t have a year but you were there.
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:56
I couldn’t do it. Right but I want it to do it even just was the wrong night
Mark Karolkowski 35:01
for me and you had Kelly Rogers on the air a couple of years ago helping to promote I think
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:05
that promo therapy. Yeah, I think I did that but I couldn’t make it but I wish I could have made it. Yeah. So
Mark Karolkowski 35:10
we help kids and veterans both with therapeutic riding and hippotherapy, kind of getting on the horses and doing their speech therapy, occupational therapy. hippotherapy physical therapy. Did you really know we were here just walking to have lunch? No, actually, it was in the neighborhood visiting a veteran Believe it or not, you walked in and didn’t know we were sitting here now. I heard you on the radio.
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:32
Listen, everybody
Mark Karolkowski 35:33
here this
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:34
is awesome. Could somebody take a picture of me and my little league team? Because I got other guests and one of the early guys
John Rallo 35:42
said Mark
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:46
people are here but these are my dudes Mani Otis Where are you get down here play some guitar man. See people think people from Dundalk don’t turn out but they do all right, I got a break. Mark I love you man. It’s so good to see you. Same time get people help you talk about the writing thing Tell me where to find them and everything. So
Mark Karolkowski 36:03
be Maryland Therapeutic Riding on the internet. We have a big fundraiser coming up every year for the derby so I
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:09
told you I get 100 charity just gonna walk you go there it is. We go Johnny Yes sir. John Rollo went to the other state fair antimonium That That only happens once a week and we’re here at Gainesville doing it every day. I am I had some steak and eggs this morning. I’m gonna have a salad for lunch because seeing John all buffed up I feel like my back all effed up I gotta like get on a yoga mat tonight. Do
Mark Karolkowski 36:31
some What about me jacket hiding?
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:34
I already said you hit 536 in 1973 closer together.
John Rallo 36:38
MVP trophy. Now you guys live all that stuff man
Nestor J. Aparicio 36:43
should why it’s crazy. I started trash talk and Barry states and I want you to pile on a little bit because there’s my fall on the one that struck out in the seventh inning with the bases loaded in a three two pitch was outside the zone, which he passed. I know you had a loss in your family lately, but I’ll never forget Richie, Richie, Richie.
John Rallo 37:00
Richie up at Essex. I will go up there to run and he coached you know he was coaching the Essex baseball team at the time he
Mark Karolkowski 37:06
and I were currently together but yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:09
did he strike you out too? He was nobody because you didn’t hit a double in his sevens i Bad fifth I come up after you you I think they walked you to get to MIT well path was like effectively wild at that point.
John Rallo 37:28
Any free some heat is out Paul so people you weren’t used to seeing that this
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:32
is where you have validated my life knowing you since we were 10 years old. I have felt awful about letting you down. i My wife would say I’m scarred by it. But at least I said he was effectively wild and you guys like yeah, he was like Oh shoot. I mean you were you would beat us up but you couldn’t hit his fastball the crap out of me. Richie was good Oh, but I want to talk some trash about sticks because I’m trying to I’m trying to oh, we gotta do to get Rollo out as text him all we got to do to get you out. It’s like talking on the radio. You show up. Sits meanwhile, who’s on the other team was talking to him. You know, he was on the ying yang. He was using the other teams on fast team that I’m trying to smoke him out. Get him you’re talking about Kurt because I got two curly boys here.
John Rallo 38:17
Show No, I went to McDonough My brother. My brothers went to Curley. They recruited me playing football and I wound up going scholarship out there and
Nestor J. Aparicio 38:26
I haven’t picked on a story you ready 1979 Miss Johnson and he might Colgate people would know this. I was like a high achiever kid I was a 99 percentile on the Iowa test and all that and they might have been but I was poor and Hispanic and you know, white trash Dundalk. And on the other side of town, and the teacher in our school that she was she was a really weird lady that people didn’t like I loved her. Her name was Miss Johnson. Betsey Johnson. She’s long since passed, but I loved her. And she really looked out for me. She thought I was going to do something with my life. She really, you know, she saw something in me. And she said, We got to get you in a private school, right? Like literally. And on a Saturday morning in 1978 or nine, nine. My parents took me out to McDonald’s to go out there man, that was seventh grade, seventh grade. So I was in sixth grade. She was down for eight. She was trying to get me scholarship money and I had to fix your mic. So I’m coming through you’re sorry, but sorry. It’s my fault for being loud. But they took me out there like seven in the morning on a Saturday and gave me like a California I wish as the amount of time of it by like half. I mean, it felt like I couldn’t possibly have done well on it or whatever. And never heard from I went out there and I didn’t I didn’t want to get on a bus every day and going out. I mean, I still lived out there. You know, I was smaller and everybody was younger everybody I skipped a grade already. So I was already like graduated 16 And I never heard anything but I’ll never forget going out there and having gates open up and like I had been out there a lot As a child because my grandfather lived in randalstown, so we would always pass it on McDonough road. But it looked like this gated mansion thing. And even when I was a kid, so I, like I had an entree to private school did turn out, you know, it
John Rallo 40:13
was pretty wild. Currently,
Nestor J. Aparicio 40:14
because it didn’t have girls. You know, I mean, my parents wanted to send me to curl your Mount Carmel. And I’m like, What are we gonna do for girls? You know, so that’s why I’m gonna curl right across the stretch,
John Rallo 40:24
right? The sisters across the street. Yeah. McDonough I mean, was a military school then it was just guys think around 79 or 81. Co Ed 83. I guess, you know, freshmen, because I graduated in 86. But when I went there, by my sophomore year, girls were boarding at the school as well as guys, you know, so you had one girl dorm and to guide class, not 131 and it was my graduating girls at 110 Dudes, I would say that it was not tough to be a girl there. I mean, honestly, if you’re a McDonough, like being an athlete, that’s I would imagine that’s why they recruit because, I mean, you have you got a lot of women out there. You got a lot of very smart people out there. So the athletes like when they recruit an athlete, I mean, I’m playing football, baseball and wrestling. You know, you’re a lot of guys that come in are like two and three sport athletes and you wind up playing all the sports but it was a it was a great experience. When I first went like I spent days Akerley at Calvert Hall at Loyola peep, you know, everybody was looking at at me as a kid, and I didn’t think I would ever go to McDonald’s. You have to live out there and all this nonsense, but when I went and stayed, I just felt like that was the right place. Yeah, if when I went if you were on scholarship, you were a boarding student. You live there because they wanted to make sure you were doing your schoolwork that you had like a job in the morning. Yeah, I
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:45
was at hammer Jackson. Tommy Lee Yeah, I
John Rallo 41:48
was there. I was there. We only went home on the weekend. And if I got myself in trouble, like I did a lot my freshman year, you’re on restriction. So you had some? I’m shoveling horse crap and a horse barn when
Nestor J. Aparicio 42:01
your old man sent you out there? Oh, yeah. Yeah, you know your dad. So the sticks thing comes honest. Because last Thursday, I promoted this thing on Fox 45. So Patrice had us out Tom’s out there. And Pete from Costas. I said, Pete It’s soup. Do just bring a bowl of soup. We’re gonna bring crab he got into bed DISAPPEA that peach. Also pico standoff makes all the crabs and he brings a young man with him to like help him get all the fish out of the truck to concentrate so I pull up the fox 45 It’s eight o’clock in the morning he’s got to do with and I recognize the dude who brings me food sometimes it costs he’s a runner kitchen runner seems Colin like a colony. We don’t try to be friendly. Take the money where your school we’re which because he looks like he could be college guy got curly. And I’m like, oh, you know stats. He’s like I played soccer for Stetson. Like Give me his number I just it’s his name has been coming up all week now that you showed up and we’ve got a confirmation that it wasn’t so awful the Ricci pass struck me out the basis load you know with a three tuple that you that you validate goes
Mark Karolkowski 43:02
outside that was outside
Nestor J. Aparicio 43:05
damn right it was puts knew that too. I think Butch came out there and did a little URL. We loved your dad man. Your dad was a special Mr. Bush. Dads were amazing people you
John Rallo 43:15
know knock on wood. That’s why we all turned out well because our parents raised us good families. I just we all now we sound like our parents but it was just better back then. It was a better time back then. I believe and you know the middle class was thriving you had you know, Sparrows Point and lever brothers and you know, all these other crises
Nestor J. Aparicio 43:36
Bucky then hit the home run off the Red Sox. We were heading to football practice your dad picked us up Yeah. Jerry shedding Stan. You had to pick his heart to do so. And you didn’t play foot
John Rallo 43:47
Jerry shining it but Neil is Jerry’s uncle
Mark Karolkowski 43:52
did not see and Jeff was my best friend growing up. Yeah, absolutely.
John Rallo 43:57
I still run into them on occasion
Nestor J. Aparicio 43:58
Jerry and I share the same birthday. Absolutely Nice. Well, it’s Eastside loving. Mark Carroll was my childhood friend. John Rollo was my childhood friend. We all played little league baseball and it’s serendipity is what happens here. Love you, Johnny. All right states. You’re next back for more from State Fair. Come give us some canned goods after this.
