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CNN Connie Chung Tonight

Pete Sampras on Life and Tennis; Uncle Junior on Mafia Hit; Family of Florida Detainee Speaks Out

Aired September 13, 2002 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening. I'm Connie Chung.
Tonight: A man wanted as a 9/11 terrorist is caught.

ANNOUNCER: One of the world's most-wanted men captured, the man suspected of planning the September 11 attacks and being the 20th hijacker, arrested in Pakistan.

Tense moments in Florida: a 20-mile stretch of highway shut down. A possible terrorist threat?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EUNICE STONE, WITNESS: And then they were saying, "If they mourned September 11, what will they think about September the 13th?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Or was this all one big hoax?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS")

DOMINIC CHIANESE, ACTOR: You know, if Jackie Sr. was still acting boss, when a child passed away, this place would be filled to the rafters, flower cars up and down the block.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The man who plays mob boss, Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos" and a fourth season of the mafia smash hit. Who would have ever thought that this guy was the singing Soprano?

Storybook ending?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He done it, his 14th grand slam title.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Pete Sampras defied the odds, age and an army of critics to win his 14th grand slam title. Tonight, Connie goes first- person with Sampras and his wife, Bridgette, about tennis, life and marriage.

This is CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT. Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York: Connie Chung.

CHUNG: Good evening.

Tonight: apparently the biggest, most important capture so far in the hunt for the murderers behind September 11. Ramzi Binalshibh has been caught in Pakistan and is now in custody there. Details about his capture and what it will mean for the U.S. hunt for other al Qaeda are still emerging.

Joining us now with the latest: our CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena in Washington -- Kelli.

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Connie, Ramzi Binalshibh is want in direct connection to the September 11th attacks. He was caught in Pakistan and is in custody. In an interview with CNN earlier today, Pakistan's president spoke of a raid resulting in the capture of several al Qaeda operatives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: We launched an operation. It was the ISI who came to know that, in Karachi, they were living in a residential area. The place was raided. And there was a shoot-out. Two of the al Qaeda members were killed and 10 arrested. We suffered about seven injuries on our side. It was a good operation. And there is one Egyptian, one Saudi, and eight Yemenis in this. And I'm told maybe there is an important person also involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Sources say that Binalshibh was an integral part of the Hamburg, Germany, terrorist cell and was a roommate of Mohamed Atta, who flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center. In a documentary aired on Al-Jazeera, the Arabic network, this week, Binalshibh boasted about his role in the September 11 attacks.

Here is some of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAMZI BINALSHIBH (through translator): This was not just a single hijacking operation, but four. It was crucial that all were executed simultaneously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARENA: Investigators say that Binalshibh was involved in planning and financing the September 11 attacks. And investigators believe that he may have, at some point, planned to be the 20th hijacker. He did try to enter the United States four times prior to September 11, but was unsuccessful -- Connie.

CHUNG: All right, justice correspondent Kelli Arena, thank you for your briefing. And I know you'll keep us up to date if you get more details.

ARENA: I will.

CHUNG: Now joining us to fill in a little more about who this man is: CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen.

Peter, how significant is this arrest?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: It's incredibly significant, Connie, because, if you think about it, the investigation into 9/11 was coming up with not very much.

I mean, Moussaoui, the guy who was flying before 9/11 at those flight schools who was arrested in Minnesota, has said that he may have had some role. But he obviously wasn't part of the 9/11 operations. This guy Ramzi Binalshibh was, it seems, the operational leader of the attacks, in the sense that he put it all together, was willing himself to die in the operations, was refused a visa on several occasions -- but a very critical victory in the war against terrorism, I believe.

CHUNG: And do you know where he was from and how he knew Mohamed Atta?

BERGEN: Well, they were roommates in Hamburg for several years.

And, indeed, when Mohamed Atta -- three weeks before 9/11, Mohamed Atta actually called up Ramzi Binalshibh up and, in code, told him that there were four targets, one of them indeed being Congress, as we learned from the Al-Jazeera interview with Ramzi Binalshibh, and that also, on August 29, Ramzi Binalshibh was able to get a message finally to bin Laden that 9/11 was going to happen on 9/11.

So he was really the coordinator between al Qaeda and Afghanistan and Mohamed Atta and the United States.

CHUNG: Do you think it's likely that Pakistan will allow him to come to the United States?

BERGEN: I would have thought it was unlikely. There's been a history. Ramzi Yousef, the first mastermind of the Trade Center bombing in '93, was extradited from Pakistan to the United States, even though there was no actual extradition treaty between Pakistan and the United States.

Also, the man who shot up the CIA headquarters, who was actually a Pakistani citizen himself, Mir Aimal Kasi, was also extradited. So Pakistan has a history of handing over people. And, recently, we also saw the example of Abu Zubaydah, who was the sort of chief trainer, as it were, who was captured in Faisalabad, Pakistan, was also handed over to American custody.

CHUNG: And just so that I understand exactly what you're saying, one question is, how high up the food chain was he, again, and was he at a higher level than Mohamed Atta?

BERGEN: In a sense he was, because he was the link between Atta and Afghanistan. He was the person who was passing messages between Atta and Afghanistan. And perhaps if he had been allowed into this country, he might have taken the role of Mohamed Atta himself. Clearly, he played a very important part in planning 9/11.

CHUNG: Just very quickly, again, I want to ask you just one more question. We heard the recording in Kelli Arena's report. And I couldn't make out everything that was said. Can you just fill us in a little bit there?

BERGEN: Well, on those recordings, which were conducted in June in Karachi, Al-Jazeera chief investigative reporter talked to Ramzi Binalshibh at quite some detail about it. And there was all sorts of news came out that, that the fourth target of plane 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, was indeed the Congress, not the White House, as some had speculated; secondly, that nuclear facilities were the first possible targets. They dropped that idea.

So, in these interviews, Ramzi Binalshibh is very clear about the important role that he took part in, in the 9/11 events.

CHUNG: All right, thank you, Peter Bergen. Appreciate your analysis and all the information that you gave us.

The news of Ramzi Binalshibh's capture came just as American vigilance against terrorism fell victim to what now has been confirmed as a prank. The incident in Florida started as a nail-biter, until authorities said it was not a case of terrorism. Florida officials said the two cars searched today on Florida's I-75 yielded no evidence of terrorist activity.

But that was hardly a sure thing for most of the day, as CNN's David Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thursday, September 12: a Shoney's restaurant in the Northern Georgia town of Calhoun. Eunice Stone overhears a conversation around 10:30 a.m.

STONE: They were laughing about Americans mourning September 11. And I have very good hearing. And then they were saying, "If they mourned September 11, what will they think about September the 13th?"

MATTINGLY: Seated next to three men of apparent Middle Eastern decent, Stone hears what sounds like a terrorist plan to attack a target in Miami.

STONE: One guy said, "Do you think that will bring it down?" And I looked at my son. And we were just looking at each other. And he said: "Well, if that don't bring it down, I have contacts. I'll get enough to bring it down." And, to me, that meant they were planning to blow up something.

MATTINGLY: 10:50 a.m.: The men leave the restaurant, but not before Stone gets a tag number and descriptions of their two vehicles, then calls the local authorities. But no alert goes out right away. Instead, a state investigator is dispatched to determine the credibility of Eunice Stone's report. Then, 6:00 p.m., seven hours after the Shoney's incident, authorities in the state of Florida issue an alert to be on the lookout for the vehicles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things happened so fast that there wasn't a need at that point to notify the public. It was like Mr. Keanan (ph) said. The information needs to be verified. The last thing we want to do is cause panic.

MATTINGLY: Shortly after midnight, 13 hours after they left Calhoun, the cars are spotted on South Florida's section of I-75 called Alligator Alley.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the vehicles flew through the tollbooth without paying the toll. We had traffic units on scene from Collier County looking for the vehicles anyway. And they were subsequently stopped.

MATTINGLY: 1:00 Friday morning: The men are taken into custody. Bomb-sniffing dogs alert officers to the possible presence of explosives. And a 20-mile section of the interstate is closed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dogs did alert on both vehicles. And from then, we called the bomb team in from our task force. We have asked for reinforcement resources from Miami-Dade. They have some specialized equipment that will help us complete the searches.

MATTINGLY: After dawn, the country awakens to live pictures of a robot searching the first vehicle and officers in special bomb- protection gear. Hours pass as the men are held in a van. They are described as of Jordanian, Pakistani and Iranian decent, two of them U.S. citizens, the third with a valid visa.

The three are medical students studying on the Caribbean island Dominica on their way to medical classes in Miami. Still, the men are described by authorities as uncooperative, not volunteering information. But they are not listed as suspects.

11:45 a.m.: The first vehicle is cleared and the robot searches the second vehicle. Then hours pass and nothing is found.

4:30 p.m.: Families of the detained men speak out in Chicago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just because of the way we look or the way we choose to live our lives, we are still persecuted. And I don't think that's fair.

MATTINGLY: Next, Florida authorities publicly suspect it was all a hoax.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this spot, we have completed that search now and believe that there are no explosives on board those two vehicles.

MATTINGLY: Then, more than 31 hours after a seemingly menacing conversation is overheard in a Georgia restaurant, three medical students are released from custody. And now two states consider what charges, if any, will be filed.

David Mattingly, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: Tonight, the men who were stopped spoke with CNN's Mark Potter, who joins us now from Alligator Alley.

Mark, what did they tell you?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Connie, as soon as they were released, they headed down this road, I-75, toward Miami. They had highway patrolmen and media people chasing them on the road. But they didn't go very far.

They pulled into a rest area and said they had to go to the bathroom really badly after sitting in the police van all that time. They did come out, however, and they talked about the situation. They said they nothing wrong. And they said that the woman who called the authorities from the Shoney's to describe their conversation was lying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: And what did you say at Shoney's? What happened there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing.

QUESTION: Did you talk about September 11?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

QUESTION: Any threats of September 13th?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously not.

QUESTION: What were you talking about? Can you tell us?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly?

QUESTION: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were talking about our new semester that we're going to start in Miami.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

QUESTION: You were on your way to a medical conference? Is that correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no. We are medical students. We were on our way to a clerkship in Miami.

QUESTION: So you're saying this woman made up the whole story about what she heard?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, no, she saw, obviously, the way I was dressed and tried -- and maybe she put a little salt and pepper into her story.

QUESTION: A little salt and pepper? She's saying you said September 13. "They thought September 11 was bad."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, yes, whatever.

QUESTION: Did you say that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, obviously not. Of course not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, authorities have theorized that the men may have been perpetuating a hoax. They may have been joking and it got out of control. But the men said they were not doing that. They knew better than to do that. They were simply talking, as they said, about their upcoming internship at the medical school.

And they said that the woman just got it wrong for some reason. They did praise the police. They said that they were treated very well. The said the police were simply doing their job. They got their cars and all their property back in good order.

And after leaving here heading east toward Miami, and after meeting with the media, they then turned around and headed West, going with a man that they met at the rest area who said that he was going to take them to some area, undisclosed, to where they could get some rest, they could eat, and they could regroup and kind of figure out what they are going to do next.

And, Connie, they also would not identify themselves. They refused to do that. They were asked a number of times. They would not say -- they would not give us their names -- Connie, back to you.

CHUNG: How bizarre. It's just so completely bizarre, Mark.

Did the authorities there tell you whether or not they were going to pursue questioning with Eunice Stone, the woman who reportedly heard this conversation?

POTTER: They said that they will continue their investigation. They are done with the three guys. But they have said that they are going to contemplate charges.

There are no federal charges to level and none here in Florida, even though Florida authorities are quite upset about all the money they spent on this and having to shut down this highway. They say that they are going to consult with Georgia authorities to see whether there is something that they can do. And in the furtherance of that, they're going to have to talk to the people at Shoney's again. So that investigation there continues, not here in Florida.

CHUNG: All right, thank you so much, Mark Potter. Appreciate it.

And when we come back, we'll talk to the family of one of the detainees and the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

ANNOUNCER: Still ahead: A mobster's in the house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS")

CHIANESE (singing): I remember you. You're the one that made my dreams come true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Uncle Junior from the hit show "Sopranos" with a hit of his own.

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO GAP)

CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: ... and talked about any terrorist activities?

JAVED CHOUDHARY, FATHER OF OMER CHOUDHARY: I cannot imagine them talking about anything else, except their school, that they wanted to get a place to live and start their medical school rotation there, coming Monday.

CHUNG: Komel, your brother is a medical student, correct?

KOMEL CHOUDHARY, BROTHER OF OMER CHOUDHARY: Yes.

CHUNG: And he was born here in the United States?

K. CHOUDHARY: Yes.

CHUNG: But you all were originally -- I mean, your parents are from Pakistan. Is that correct?

K. CHOUDHARY: Yes.

CHUNG: So tell us a little bit about your brother.

K. CHOUDHARY: My brother, he's a great guy. He would never do anything like this. He's always -- he's considered the goody-goody out of all three of us, me and my other brother. He's never broken any laws. He's never done anything illegal, straight-A student, always been on top of things.

And he has a great personality, like, he would not joke around about something like this, and not nearly to the extent that it was blown to be.

CHUNG: So how did you hear about what had happened? K. CHOUDHARY: I was sleeping. And this morning, the FBI came, knocked on our door. And I opened it. And they were like, "Ma'am, can we come in?"

And I said: "No. Why? What's your purpose?"

And then they told me, "Your brother is being detained for this." And then they explained the situation. And that's how I found out about it.

CHUNG: Were you concerned about him?

K. CHOUDHARY: Yes, I was very concerned. I knew that it was definitely a misunderstanding. I know that, whatever the case, he would never do anything like this. And I knew from the beginning that it was a misunderstanding.

But they were being detained for so long. And we couldn't get in contact with him. And of course we were nervous, because we didn't know what was going on.

CHUNG: You know, other family members of the other detainees have said that they think this is a real case of rush to judgment and racial profiling. What do you think?

K. CHOUDHARY: I think to some extent it is, because, for one thing, they were down in the South. And, obviously, there's a reputation for people being more racist in the South.

I think that this lady, either she was racist or prejudiced, or she just had a misunderstanding. I mean, he was obviously with his friends. And amongst friends, you tend to make jokes and you switch from topic to topic. And I think that she just picked up bits and pieces and put it together as something that was not true. And it was blown out of proportion.

CHUNG: But, you know, if your brother and the others were joking in some way or another, isn't that terribly irresponsible?

K. CHOUDHARY: Well, they would never joke about September 11. I know, like, they were -- like, my brother, he was horrified when he found out about September 11. And he's never joked about it in that way.

I think that they were talking about -- for example, when she claimed that -- about going to Miami on the 13th, they had rotations starting next week. So, yes, they had to be in Miami by the 13th because they had to find an apartment and everything before classes started.

CHUNG: Sir, Mr. Choudhary, do you think that -- do you expect to be hearing from your son after he arrives in Miami, at least?

J. CHOUDHARY: Yes, I hope so, to hear from him tonight.

But this is really just the authority makes people so nervous. If they took that lady's statement credible, they should take the other party credible as well. They should not be, you know, making difference between two people's credibility.

CHUNG: All right, I thank you so much for being with us. Mr. Choudhary and Ms. Choudhary, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

J. CHOUDHARY: Thank you.

K. CHOUDHARY: Thank you.

CHUNG: Some of the police officers who went to the scene today looking for what they had every reason to believe would be a terrorist bomb were members of the Miami-Dade Police Department. They not only sent in a robot. They suited up and went in themselves.

And joining us now from Miami: the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Carlos Alvarez.

Thank you, sir, for being with us.

CARLOS ALVAREZ, DIRECTOR, MIAMI-DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT: My pleasure.

CHUNG: In the beginning, did you have any idea or suspect that it might be a hoax?

ALVAREZ: At no time did I suspect that it would be a hoax. We received information yesterday afternoon. And it's been a long 24 hours. And at no point in time did we believe that it was a hoax.

CHUNG: At this point, is it your belief that the woman was terribly mistaken about a conversation she thought she heard? Or is it your belief that the three men actually had a conversation and were joking and were trying to play a trick on the woman?

ALVAREZ: I think it's premature at this point in time to call it a prank or a hoax.

I believe that the lady did what we in law enforcement are urging people to do across this country. And that is, if they hear something suspicious, if they see something suspicious, to notify law enforcement. And I think the lady should be commended for doing that. It is our responsibility as law enforcement to follow up on those calls and those leads and then make the determination.

CHUNG: But if indeed you discover that the woman was simply fabricating what she thought she heard, and identified these people as Middle Eastern, and suspected them of something that they weren't doing at all, would you take great exception to what she did? And would you pursue an investigation of her?

ALVAREZ: Very much so.

That would be filing a false police report. And, in the state of Florida, that would probably be a crime. But what I can tell you is that we have got systems in place. This lady obviously felt uncomfortable about something that was said or done. She did what we -- or what we are telling people to do when she notified law enforcement in another state, in Georgia, who notified Florida. And the systems that we have in place worked.

CHUNG: Do you know if she's being investigated at this point?

ALVAREZ: The lady that called?

CHUNG: Yes.

ALVAREZ: I don't believe so.

CHUNG: All right.

ALVAREZ: What I can tell you -- because I have heard the word hoax and prank being used. And after 27 years in law enforcement, I can tell you that it's kind of premature to use those terms. I am sure -- now, the FBI is conducting the investigation, but I am sure that the investigation has just not come to a grinding halt at this point in time.

I am sure that there is a lot of work to be done, a lot of people to talk to, and a lot of things to examine. So let time run its course.

CHUNG: All right, you know what? Director Alvarez, if I were you, I'd be pretty darn angry that if, indeed, this was perpetrated by either party, that so much time was spent, so much money was spent by your department. And people were taking it seriously. Are you upset?

ALVAREZ: Well, we took it very seriously. We have been taking it very seriously for the last 24 hours. I'll be quite honest.

CHUNG: Exactly. Precisely my point. Isn't that...

ALVAREZ: You know, the money is a problem. But, more importantly to, me is, for 17 hours or about 12 hours, I had three officers in the line of danger. They were risking their lives, because, as far as I was concerned, there was explosives in their cars. So I was extremely worried about the fact that I had three officers that were putting their lives on the line -- so, yes.

CHUNG: I mean, I couldn't agree with you more. I would think that I would be very upset.

Well, as you say, the investigation continues. And perhaps we'll check in with you again. We appreciate your being with us tonight.

ALVAREZ: My pleasure.

CHUNG: Director Alvarez, thank you.

We'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: Coming up: Call it a Pete Sampras career comeback, the secret to Pete's success on and off the court -- when CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: We'll continue in a moment.

(NEWS BREAK)

CHUNG: Still ahead: What kind of man would order his own nephew whacked? A "Sopranos" man, that's who. You'll meet a made man, Uncle Junior, Dominic Chianese.

Stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: Next: Sampras and Agassi in center court, just like the old days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He done it, his 14th grand slam title.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And now Sampras with his new partner off the court.

CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: With all the talk lately about the Williams sisters, Anna Kournikova and women's tennis, you might have overlooked just one stunning performance at this year's U.S. Open. You're about to meet him.

But first, CNN's Josie Karp recaps just why it was so stunning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSIE KARP, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pete Sampras wasn't supposed to win the U.S. Open this year and he wasn't supposed to win it 12 years ago. Upsets now bookend a career built on consistency, a career spent raising expectations so high and leaving them so often that Sampras can be called the best player the game has ever seen.

PETE SAMPRAS, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: When I was dominating, No. 1 in the world, and winning slams easily, it was -- I expected it.

KARP: From Queens to Melbourne to Wimbledon, Sampras followed the trail of vapor left by his powerful serve to six straight years as the world's No. 1 player.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 2001)

SAMPRAS: To serve 125 up the middle, I'll be able to do that for the rest of my career. And that's a big weapon to have. And that will always give me the belief that I can still play this game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARP: The only blemish on his record is his failure to win on the clay courts at the French Open. Everywhere else, he dominated, especially on the grass at Wimbledon, where Sampras has won seven times.

SAMPRAS: It wasn't until I beat Becker here on the third time that people started to appreciate that I didn't really say or do too much and I just let my racket do the talking.

KARP: The Southern Californian rarely lost his West Coast cool. But when he did show emotion, the displays were striking: sobbing during a 1995 win in Australia; vomiting during a 1996 U.S. Open match; searching for his parents in the stands after winning Wimbledon in 2000 for his record-setting 13th grand slam title.

When Sampras arrived at this year's U.S. Open, he'd played in 33 tournaments since that dramatic moment and hadn't won a single time. He heard whispers that he should quit before ruining his legacy.

SAMPRAS: One thing I promised myself, even though I was struggling this year and hearing this and that, I deserved to stop on my own terms.

KARP: Fittingly, Sampras capped his comeback by beating Andre Agassi in their 34th meeting.

SAMPRAS: At the end, he's my rival. Borg had McEnroe. I've had Andre over the years. And he's the best.

KARP: After beating Agassi this time, he was able to share a victory with his wife for the first time.

SAMPRAS: She's a big reason why I've been able to kind of get through this tough period. It just showed me that I met the right woman.

KARP: At just the right time.

Josie Karp, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHUNG: And joining me now from Los Angeles: Pete Sampras and his off-court partner, his wife, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras.

Thank you for being with us. I'm very thrilled to have you. Congratulations, Pete. It's great.

PETE SAMPRAS, PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER: No problem.

CHUNG: All right, we'll get to tennis.

SAMPRAS: Thank you very much.

CHUNG: All right. And, congratulations, Bridgette.

We'll get to everything in a minute, but tell me how the two of you met.

Go ahead, Bridgette.

BRIDGETTE WILSON-SAMPRAS, ACTRESS: Go ahead, honey.

(LAUGHTER)

SAMPRAS: Go ahead. You take that one. I'll answer the tennis questions.

(LAUGHTER)

WILSON-SAMPRAS: That's no fair.

CHUNG: Come on.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Well, should I tell the real story?

CHUNG: Yes, sure.

(LAUGHTER)

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Pete saw me in a movie. And a friend of his knew a friend of mine, who set us up. And here we are.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: And where did you go? Do you remember your first outing? Where did you go?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: I actually went up to his house.

SAMPRAS: On the first date, she came to my house.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: Uh-oh. Really? That was very good.

Pete, I know that you were -- your friend, what, was he doing P.R. for the Knicks or the Lakers?

SAMPRAS: For the Lakers.

CHUNG: For the Lakers, yes.

SAMPRAS: John Black.

CHUNG: And he set you up, right?

(CROSSTALK)

SAMPRAS: Yes. He helped and I delivered. (LAUGHTER)

SAMPRAS: And nine months later, we were engaged. And a year later, we were married. And now we have our first child coming at the end of the year. And it all happened pretty quickly. So we're very happy and we're looking forward to the future.

CHUNG: That's wonderful. When is the baby due?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: In December.

CHUNG: Great.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: It's soon.

CHUNG: And do you know if it's a boy or a girl? And you don't have to tell us. I'm just curious if you know.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Not yet.

CHUNG: OK.

Now, Pete, you know...

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Not to say we won't find out.

CHUNG: Right.

Bridgette, I want to know one thing that none of us know about Pete Sampras.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Uh-oh.

(LAUGHTER)

SAMPRAS: I hope it's not too personal.

CHUNG: No, you don't have to tell me anything personal, just one little thing that we don't know.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Wow.

CHUNG: Too hard. You want to think about it?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: That's a tough question.

CHUNG: OK, why don't you think about it? And at the end of the interview, you can...

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Yes, give me a moment. We'll come back to that one.

CHUNG: All right, OK, very good.

Now, Pete, you know, we are going to get into tennis a little bit now, because you did have a drought period from about -- for about two years, September 2000. And people were saying that it had to do with your relationship with Bridgette. And I just think that's awful. I think that's very nasty and not nice.

However, I did realize, of course, that Andre Agassi had sort of a drought as well when he was first married to Brooke Shields. So, to what do you attribute your sort of problems that you had for a couple of years there, because I know you don't attribute it to Bridgette?

SAMPRAS: No, it's more -- yes, I broke the record a few years ago, my 13th major. And something came out of me after I did that. I just -- I didn't feel like I had the week-in/week-out dominance that I once had.

It took a lot out of me. And I did struggle for a little bit. And I got to the finals of the last two Opens, so I was still playing fine. I just didn't have it week in, week out. But this year has been a big struggle. Wimbledon was a huge low point. When I got back from that trip, there were moments that I was thinking about stopping. And it wasn't fun anymore. And it was kind of a burden on our marriage a little bit.

But, fortunately, I met the right woman, who supported me through a very tough time, a great family who helped me out. And everything just worked out at the U.S. Open. It was a tough tournament. But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my wife and my family and all those people that supported me through a very tough time. And that's why this one is the sweetest one. I really worked hard for it. And it all worked out well at the end.

CHUNG: And it's so great. You know, I think all of us were rooting for you in a big way.

Pete, how important was it for you to have a win to show Bridgette -- I mean so that she could be right there?

SAMPRAS: Well, she was -- I was struggling a little bit. And she was not being blamed, but it was about me being married. And it just felt good to kind of really show people wrong. And it just kind of felt good that we did it as a team. And it -- she's a big reason why I'm here today, having won this last major, because, like I said, I did have moments of stopping.

But she supported me and was positive. And those are the moments that you need someone. And so she was my rock that kept me going. And it really is -- it's something special, because I internalize a lot. I don't speak a lot about my marriage. But I will say that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my wife, because she knows how miserable I was this year and the day-in/day-out kind of misery that I was going through.

She was there for me. And that -- it was why I married her. She's very selfless and will do whatever she can for me and has put her career aside for me. And it's really remarkable. And I'm still pretty amazed by it.

CHUNG: Bridgette, it's so great, isn't it? WILSON-SAMPRAS: Going to make me cry over here.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: I know. I know. It is so great when a man loves a woman and feels just free to tell everyone, to tell the world, and is so happy. It even makes me want to cry, too.

Bridgette, you put...

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: You put a little note in your husband's gym bag the day of the finals. What did you say to him?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: What did I say?

SAMPRAS: Well, she -- well, you want to -- just saying that she was proud of me, and I've worked hard to get here, and to take it to him, and enjoy it out there and enjoy the atmosphere playing against someone like Andre. It just -- it was good to read it.

Right before I walked out, I read it and just -- it was nice to step away a little bit from what I was doing and just appreciate my wife and what she was saying. And it's nice having those notes to read before you go out. And it's just always at the right time or the right place.

CHUNG: Yes.

Bridgette...

WILSON-SAMPRAS: That's the most important thing for me, though, is just that he allows himself to enjoy it. There are so many moments. There's so much pressure. There's so many things going on, that to just to have a little sort of quiet moment that allows our intimate or special relationship to have its place, and then go out there and do it, but have it be just right there keeps it -- it's nice.

CHUNG: That's so nice.

Pete, I need to actually ask you -- which everybody is asking you -- about retirement. And you said you needed to wait a couple of months before you really kind of decide. You have a full schedule next year. So what do you think?

SAMPRAS: I'm still weighing that up a little bit. I'm still enjoying what happened last week. I will tell you, I love to compete and I love to play. And it's fun again. It's fun playing the way I did last week.

And I plan on being back next year and having a full schedule and enjoying Wimbledon one more time. And I didn't want to end it the way it ended this year. So I plan on being back. It's what I love to do, but still thinking about it. But there's a good chance I'll be back. CHUNG: Good. Good.

Bridgette, just five seconds left. Did you ever think of anything that we don't know about Pete?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: I knew you were going to ask me.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

WILSON-SAMPRAS: I knew you were going to remember.

CHUNG: Forget it. I'll call you later and you can tell me.

(LAUGHTER)

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Perfect.

SAMPRAS: I need air-conditioning when I sleep, you know?

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Oh, yes.

CHUNG: Oh, there you go.

WILSON-SAMPRAS: Yes, that's true. He sleeps in a meat locker.

SAMPRAS: Yes, I do.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: All right, good.

Well, our studio will be perfect for you, Pete, because it's really cold here, just the way it is on "David Letterman." And you know how cold his studio his.

All right, thank you so much. Pete Sampras and Bridgette, we appreciate your being with us.

And we'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: Next: the singing Soprano.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: If you are a fan of "The Godfather" saga, you know him as Johnny Ola. If you are a "Sopranos" fan, you know him as Corrado Soprano, AKA Uncle Junior. It's Uncle Junior, right?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE SOPRANOS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Mr. Soprano.

CHIANESE (singing): I remember you. You're the one that made my dreams come true a few kisses ago. UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Oh, boy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: Whoa boy, you are the one.

And if you know "The Sopranos," you know that mob figures who sing end up whacked, but not Dominic Chianese. When this actor sings, he ends up with his own CD called "Hits," right?

CHIANESE: Yes.

CHUNG: And he's working on a new one. And he's here today to share his music with us and tell us a little bit more about the family, yes, the great family. I love "The Sopranos." My husband and I just sit there and watch it every single time it's on.

CHIANESE: That's right.

And you're looking forward to Sunday night?

CHUNG: Sure. Absolutely.

CHIANESE: It's going to be great.

CHUNG: Now, it's basically a dysfunctional family, but it's a family with heart.

CHIANESE: I think so, yes. And I think that's why people like it.

CHUNG: But what I don't understand is that you are really the head. Tony is the head of the family, but you are the one was is fingered by the feds. How come? Doesn't that cause a little conflict between you and Tony?

CHIANESE: Well, I'm sort of the boss. So they would go after me.

CHUNG: Yes, OK. And no love lost between you and Tony because of that?

CHIANESE: I think Tony loves me. And I love him, too, because it's a family show, like you say. I love the guy. He's very lovable.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: But didn't you want to have him killed at one point?

CHIANESE: Yes, but that was business.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUNG: Even Nancy Marchand, his mother, right?

CHIANESE: Yes, I know. That's why I think the irony in the show is so funny. There's a dark humor underneath it. It's brilliant, brilliant writing.

CHUNG: I noticed the dark humor, huh?

CHIANESE: Brilliant writing.

CHUNG: I can't remember -- Nancy Marchand played his mother. What was her name?

CHIANESE: Livia.

CHUNG: Ah, Livia, yes, yes.

CHIANESE: What a wonderful actress.

CHUNG: Yes, that was great.

CHIANESE: Yes.

CHUNG: Oh, here's the family. He's got his paper already. He already walked down to the driveway, right?

What was I going to ask you about his mother?

CHIANESE: Livia.

CHUNG: Yes, Livia. Do you, as Uncle Junior, know that he is seeing the shrink?

CHIANESE: I find it out.

CHUNG: You do?

CHIANESE: That's right. I find it out through the mother.

CHUNG: Oh, I see. That's how you found out.

CHIANESE: The mother. Yes, the mother causes problems. She had told me. And she got it from young A.J. It slipped out. So then it causes problems, family secrets coming out.

CHUNG: Why did you want him whacked?

CHIANESE: Well, because I think he was going to disrupt the business, disrupt the business. It was strictly business.

CHUNG: That's important.

CHIANESE: Yes.

CHUNG: All right. People think that this -- because they -- everyone loves you. We love you. And we're watching you now on "Sopranos." But you've had a long career in Shakespeare and everything that we can think of, "Dog Day Afternoon," right?

CHIANESE: Yes. That was a wonderful movie I was in, yes.

CHUNG: "Are you talkin' to me?" Was that -- what did you play?

CHIANESE: In "Dog Day Afternoon," I played a

(CROSSTALK)

CHUNG: Oh, that's "Taxi Driver." I'm sorry.

CHIANESE: Yes, "Taxi Driver."

CHUNG: Go ahead. What part did you play?

CHIANESE: It's all in New York.

I played Al Pacino's father in that. And I had a wonderful line.

CHUNG: What was it?

CHIANESE: The line was called -- I'm watching my son rob a bank. And I say, "Why rob a bank when you have a sucker for a mother?"

(LAUGHTER)

CHIANESE: Isn't that a great line?

CHUNG: That is a great line.

CHIANESE: A great line. That was the only line I had in the show, but it was a good line.

CHUNG: And you've had a prolific career all the way through. And now you are what? You're 71?

CHIANESE: Yes.

CHUNG: And you're working. You're working all the time.

CHIANESE: Yes. I'm very lucky, Connie.

CHUNG: It is. I think you are. But you know what? You're very good.

CHIANESE: Thank you so much.

CHUNG: But you do something else that we all got a chance to see.

CHIANESE: Yes, my first passion really is music and singing. I've always wanted to be a singer. My daddy, I remember, when I was a boy, he took me down here to this area, put me on the radio, signed up on a radio program for me, plunked $100 of his hard-earned money, so I could have a little radio class. Isn't that sweet?

CHUNG: OH, that's wonderful.

CHIANESE: And I knew some day that I would be a singer. And he knew it. And he always encouraged me. CHUNG: And you did do some Broadway.

CHIANESE: Oh, yes.

CHUNG: You did a lot of Broadway. I've been in "Oliver" on Broadway. And I've done a lot of musicals.

CHUNG: Sure. Great. And you know what? I'd love it. Would you sing us to commercial?

CHIANESE: Sure.

CHUNG: That's a guitar. We just happened to have a guitar right there.

CHIANESE: Yes, I'm going to sing a song about New York. It's called "Typical New Yorker," because I'm a typical New Yorker, a cement sidewalker.

(singing): I'm a typical New Yorker, cement sidewalker. I've been all over this town. From Bowling Green to Van Cortlandt, I've been up. I've been down. I've never been to the Statue of Liberty on top of old Empire State. But the trip from Manhattan to an island called Staten, the ferry ride is great.

To the Bronx and Brooklyn, kings and Queens, I sing my rondelles. And in the Central Park moonlight, I can kiss the blues away. I've been hugged. I've been bugged. I've been towed. I've been tugged like a raft upon the sea. And though I love the prairies and the mountain canaries, New York is the place for me.

(CROSSTALK)

CHIANESE: Sing it, Connie.

CHIANESE AND CHUNG (singing): New York is the place for me.

CHUNG: Hey, I'm going to give you a kiss.

CHIANESE: Thank you, sweetheart.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHUNG: On Monday, we'll have the son of a real mobster, who is singing about family life in "La Familia."

And coming up next on "LARRY KING": an old colleague and friend, Peter Jennings.

Thank you for joining us. And for all of us at CNN, have a good night. Have a good weekend. And see you on Monday.

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