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Showbiz Tonight
Lawyers Who Exposed Alleged Giudice Fraud Speak Out; Shocking First Interview with Amanda Bynes; Top 5 Real-Life Crime Movies
Aired August 01, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight an incredible SHOWBIZ exclusive, a shocking look back at SHOWBIZ`s first interviews with Amanda Bynes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You clearly have your act together. Let`s go through my little check list here. No jail.
AMANDA BYNES, ACTRESS: No.
HAMMER: No jail?
BYNES: No. Not yet.
HAMMER: Rehab?
BYNES: No.
HAMMER: No rehab.
Amanda Bynes, what kind of a starlet are you?
BYNES: I know. What`s wrong with me? I don`t know. It`s shocking how it`s become popular to go to rehab, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The stunning tape that reveals just how much Amanda has changed.
Plus, an explosive "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview. "Real Housewife" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice in the middle of a legal nightmare, facing 39 counts of fraud. Well, right here tonight, the lawyers who first exposed the alleged crimes and sparked the federal investigation.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. Thank you for watching.
Tonight a SHOWBIZ exclusive. The couple who say they helped expose the alleged fraud of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice.
The Giudices got their world rocked this week after they were indicted on 39 counts of fraud, including lying to the IRS and bankruptcy court. They both say they`re not guilty, but the charges they face, they`re very serious. If they`re convicted, they each face dozens of years behind bars.
And if the Giudices do go to prison, it could be in part because to the efforts of these two, William Saracino and Monica Chacon. They battled the Giudices in a lawsuit that snowballed into this week`s major federal indictment against Teresa and Joe. They`re with me here in New York for their first TV interview since the indictment.
First of all, thank you both for being here tonight. So Monica, let me start with you. After battling the Giudices in and out of court for so long, how does it feel this week, seeing them charged at this level and facing possible massive prison time.
MONICA CHACON, BATTLED GIUDICES IN LAWSUIT: Do I take that one?
WILLIAM SARACINO, BATTLED GIUDICES IN LAWSUIT: You know, our client had -- it`s been several years, and you know, we have kind of known that their behavior and their actions have been like this for the past few years leading up to this time.
It`s not been a shock to us. I just think that it`s time that the rest of the world sees what`s been going on. And I`m sure that the time has come simply because the U.S. attorney`s office feels that they now have enough evidence to prove their case against both the Giudices.
HAMMER: And obviously, it`s very, very serious. And it is a little complicated. I want to take a look at the SHOWBIZ news line to kind of boil down your role in the Giudices` fraud charges.
It was 2007 when Joe`s ex-business partner, someone you two represented, claimed that Joe forged your client`s signature to get a loan, and then in 2009, you and your client won a judgment against Joe, but days later -- this was October `09 -- the Giudices filed for bankruptcy. This was a long ordeal with them that was shown on the "Real Housewives" show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We made an offer to the U.S. Trustees Office as well as to the Chapter 7 trustee. And they have not accepted that offer at this point.
TERESA GIUDICE, REALITY TV STAR: I will do whatever it takes to defend myself. Like I don`t have any skeletons in my closet. Again, like I always say, the truth shall set me free.
When do you see, like, the end of this? I want to see the tunnel, I want to see the light.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s so interesting to hear her say, no skeletons in my closet. Of course, innocent until proven guilty here. There`s only been an indictment. But the Giudices` bankruptcy filing after you guys beat them in court got the feds involved in looking at their finances which all led up to this week`s indictment. Is this in a way personal for the two of you?
CHACON: Not on my part. Absolutely not. I just think that, for my client, for Joe Mastropole, that has always been a long road to something that he`s entitled to. You know, there was fraud committed against him. It was proven in court. It`s been many, many years that he`s been trying to tackle this, and to date, he has not been completely whole in this situation. You know, he has not been completely -- what`s the word I`m looking for?
SARACINO: His case isn`t fully resolved.
CHACON: Resolved.
SARACINO: It hasn`t been completely paid. It`s not personal, but you know, we took a case on for many years in many different courts on our client`s behalf. It wasn`t just us. There was other attorneys. My father was my partner. We had a separate bankruptcy counsel.
And, you know, our client, Joe Mastropole, really went through the ringer in the case and that`s where the line starts. There are many more people behind him that, you know, basically are in the same position.
HAMMER: Well, Monica and Bill, I really appreciate you both being here tonight. I know it has been an incredibly long time that you`ve been dealing with this, and I do appreciate you being on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We did reach out to representatives for Teresa and Joe Giudice for response to the statements that Monica and Bill have been making about. They did not get back in touch with us by show time.
But after the couple`s indictment, Teresa`s attorney did tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this: "Teresa will plead `not guilty.` The judicial process that begins today with an indictment is a search for the truth. As it moves forward we look forward to vindicating her."
And now on to a SHOWBIZ exclusive. A look back at Amanda Bynes before her sad downward spiral.
Now Amanda is currently locked up on an involuntary psychiatric hold. This is after months of odd and dangerous behavior that we`ve all been watching play out.
Today TMZ reported some rare good news about Amanda. I`m so happy to see that she is responding to medication, according to this report. Still, obviously a long way to go before Amanda is the Amanda Bynes that we saw all the way back in 2007. That`s when she was this young and really focused star.
So get ready now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive look back. We found this early chat that I had with Amanda Bynes, and I`ve got to say, when I see this, it is so sad for me to look at Amanda then compared to how she is now. I think you`ll see.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BYNES: For me, it`s actually -- it`s not that hard. To me, I get that you know, if you go to clubs and you hang out with "those people," that maybe it would be easy. But I -- I`m not interested in that. The club, you know, the club scene and drinking doesn`t appeal to me. So it`s actually easier for me not to do it. I have -- I have no problem. I`ve never even been offered drugs. And people, you know, when I tell them -- they`re shocked.
HAMMER: What town do you live in?
BYNES: I know, because I don`t go -- I never -- even if I`m there, I`m surrounded by people who aren`t interested in that. Birds of a feather flock together.
HAMMER: True.
BYNES: And I definitely don`t fly with that crowd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Doesn`t even seem like the same person.
Joining me from London tonight, psychologist Wendy Walsh.
So Wendy, I don`t know about you, but I am sad and I`m concerned when I see that. I`m happy to hear this new report that she may be responding to medication today. But what is it like for you, seeing Amanda Bynes, so focused on that tape and so together, really, compared to how she obviously is today?
WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, frankly, it`s not surprising. You know, our colleague, Dr. Drew, and I have been talking about this on his show a lot in the last few weeks. And this is the age, in the early to mid-20s, when mental illness most often sets in. And this is the kind of downward spiral, as you term it, that you`ll see: dramatic personality change, mood swings, reaching out into the environment to self-medicate, because there have been reports, of course, that she`s been on Adderall, or she`s been trying to procure marijuana. I don`t know the truth of them. But I will say that that`s a common symptom of when mental illness strikes, is that you reach out and try to self-medicate in some way. It`s tragic, but I`m grateful she`s getting the help she needs right now.
HAMMER: So what do you think the trigger was? What do you think actually took Bynes from that focused woman we saw back in 2007 to the troubled one we see now?
WALSH: Well, you know, you could look for triggers in the environment. But my suspicion is that this is probably biological. And the environmental things happened as a result of the biological changes.
In other words, she suddenly started fighting with her parents and suddenly started moving to New York. Remember, at the beginning, whether it`s mental illness or an addiction issue, people you love try to move away from you as an intervention. They think, well, when you feel abandoned by them, then you`ll change your behavior.
But it, instead, left her isolated and alone in New York with a reported $4 million in savings, and she apparently rifled through more than a million in a couple months, supposedly taking a cab from New York to L.A.
So, the sad thing is, that she wasn`t under the age of 18, and her parents couldn`t do much about it until she broke the law.
HAMMER: Well, that visit that we got to see wasn`t Amanda`s first to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She was here in 2005 when she was only 19 years old. She came by. She spoke with Karen Brian about her strong relationship at the time with her parents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BYNES: I`m very close to my parents, and I don`t want to do anything that I would have sort of a hard time telling my parents. And for me, it`s sort of like if I did something, it really would be in a magazine or in the paper.
And I just don`t want my parents to sort of have to find -- I don`t want them to have to find out that way, and I definitely don`t want to have to break it to them, and be like, "Oh, got married. You don`t know him, and I just met him that night."
So, you know, and I just sort of feel like, I don`t know. I mean, I think people -- people go through things, and I`ll probably go through my dumb things, too. But, you know...
KAREN BRIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen, there`s nothing wrong with loving your parents and respecting them and wanting them to be happy with you.
BYNES: Thank you.
BRIAN: So you keep on doing that, sister woman. You know?
BYNES: Keep trucking. Keep on trucking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And as you alluded to, Wendy, Amanda`s relationship with her parents obviously has gotten a lot more complicated since then, with the claims that she`s made about them and them going to court now, seeking this conservatorship over her.
And really, except for the fact that she was a child star, this just shows how hard mental illness can be on families.
WALSH: You know, I hope the lesson, A.J., for families out there is that you have to be proactive and do as much as you can before they are 18 where they have far more control and they`ve got to go to judges and try to get control of your young adult child.
But, you know, we look at Brittney spears as a model for -- and her parents and what they did to get her back in shape and now we see Amanda Bynes parents doing the same things.
HAMMER: Wendy Walsh, thank you so much.
From our shocking lost interviews with Amanda Bynes to the most shocking breaking stories caught on tape tonight. George Zimmerman, he`s back in the headlines, getting stopped for speeding in Texas with his gun in his glove compartment, and of course, it was all caught on dash-cam video. I reveal the whole bizarre thing.
Plus, the horror of Ariel Castro`s victims, expressed with tears and drama today at the mad man`s sentencing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE KNIGHT, SURVIVOR: It was a bad thing that you hypocritically were going to church every Sunday, coming home to torture us. Death penalty would be so much easier. You don`t deserve that. You deserve to spend life in prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Grief beyond words. One of the victims brutalized by Ariel Castro finally has her say.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, it`s top "SHOWBIZ Shockers."
That is Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper, caught on tape using a racial slur during a Kenny Chesney concert as his time was playing in Philly. We`re going to get to Riley Cooper caught on tape in just a moment.
But first, we are kicking off our "SHOWBIZ Countdown" of today`s top shockers with another brand-new "Caught on Tape" story.
No. 3, George Zimmerman, pulled over. You`re watching dashcam video of the police stop, when George Zimmerman he was pulled over for speeding in Texas. Zimmerman, of course, was just acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going go back and just check you routinely. The reason you were stopped is for speed, OK? Slow down a little bit more.
And as long as you don`t have any warrants you will be cut loose with a warning. Just take it easy, shut your glove compartment and don`t play with your firearm, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Don`t play with your firearm. Good advice.
You heard the officer there. George Zimmerman got a warning for speeding. He also did inform the police that he was carrying that concealed weapon, which is why the cop said that.
With me now in Atlanta, Ryan Smith. He`s the host of "HLN AFTER DARK."
Ryan, this relatively typical traffic stop has really reignited the debate over Zimmerman. A lot of people saying today, he gets out of a speeding ticket too? What`s your take?
RYAN SMITH, HLN ANCHOR: I think it`s a little bit of a shock. He sped, and a lot of people would get a ticket in that situation.
The other thing that surprised me is, and I think it surprised a lot of people, he`s got that gun again. And he can have that gun. He`s legally allowed to.
But still, you have to wonder. His lawyers have said, hey, he feels like he`s under danger.
Sell, it just leaves you wondering why he`s carrying that and it would leave people, some people say, a little bit concerned. But yes, it does seem kind of strange, since the last time I was speeding down the highway, I got a ticket.
HAMMER: Yes, yes, well, that -- I could go down a whole road with that right now, Ryan. I`m not going to do that.
But let me get to David Begnaud. He`s the host of "Newsbreaker" on Ora TV.
David, are you more shocked that he didn`t get a ticket or the fact that he was carrying this gun? Which again is in within his right to do. It just seems so shocking after all that has gone on.
DAVID BEGNAUD, HOST, ORA TV`S "NEWSBREAKER": Look, here`s the deal. George Zimmerman has got to be the luckiest guy in the world. I don`t know anybody luckier than this dude.
The bottom line is, he had every right to carry a gun. He was. He let the officer know. I mean, everything went true to form with how a traffic stop would go when you`re carrying a weapon.
But the bottom line is, who`s going to get away with speeding like that? I mean, I guess it was his lucky day. But I mean, this guy just seems to get away with a lot.
HAMMER: Teflon.
BEGNAUD: The officer, the officer followed everything to the tee. I mean, you see the whole thing for yourself. Zimmerman came right out and said, "The weapon is in my vehicle." But man, I tell you what, this guy is one lucky fella.
HAMMER: Yes. I guess it`s always in the officer`s discretion.
Let`s get right to No. 2 in our "Countdown." This is a shocking racially charged rant by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper and of course, it was caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRADLEY COOPER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WIDE RECEIVER: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Riley has apologized for what he did. He did explain during his press conference what made him react that way and here is how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There was a confrontation with me and one of the security guards. And I`m not going to get into what happened, but I said something that was absolutely disgusting and terrible. And I should not have handled it the way I handled it. It was terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. It was terrible. Apparently, Riley wanted to get backstage and the security wouldn`t let him through. David, he apologized. He was fined by the NFL. Is that enough?
BEGNAUD: Look, I take him at his word. He says he`s sorry. He says he didn`t mean to do it. That`s fine.
There are penalties. The team called his conduct detrimental; they fined him. The NFL will not fine him in taking separate action, but I mean, you know, this guy is not a role model when you use this type of word, period.
HAMMER: No.
BEGNAUD: You apologized, that`s fine. We`ll accept the apology. But this is not good for him.
HAMMER: Unbelievable what goes on when people don`t think before they act.
Ryan, David, thank you both so much.
That leaves us at No. 1 on our "SHOWBIZ Countdown" of today`s top shockers. You`ve got to see the big reveal, coming up next.
But as we move on, it`s a fascinating "SHOWBIZ Countdown" coming your way tonight. The top 5 true crime movies of all time, and you know this classic made the list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m in construction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we wanted something we just took it. And you didn`t even think about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The bad boy mobsters of "Goodfellas" have become absolute American icons, but are the "fellas" bad enough to take the No. 1 slot on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown"?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, it was such an unbelievably emotional day in the Ohio courtroom today when a monster, Ariel Castro was just sentenced to life, plus 1,000 years in prison for his heinous crimes against three girls that he kidnapped and tortured for as many as 11 years.
Today, the victims got their day in court. Victim Michelle Knight, speaking out about what she and the other girls endured, tops today`s shockers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE KNIGHT, KIDNAPPING/TORTURE SURVIVOR: Nobody should ever have to go through what I went through or anybody else, not even the worst enemy. Gina was my teammate. She never let me fall; I never let her fall. She nursed me back to health when I was dying from his abuse. My friendship with her is the only thing that was good out of this situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, I mean, as I watched that live on HLN today, all I could think was how incredibly strong she is.
With me now from London, psychologist Wendy Walsh.
Wendy, I watch this and I can`t believe, after all she`s through, Michelle was able to get up there, in front of all those people, and face the man who held her captive and tortured her. What does that tell you about how she was able to survive that nightmare?
WALSH: It actually tells me that she`s probably healing well, A.J. This is a woman who, the way she described her care-giving abilities. Remember, during her captivity, she was both nurse, midwife, pediatrician, caregiver to the other girls. And this would be classic textbook Sigmund Freud, which is sublimation. That`s the way we care for others who are in the same pain as ourselves, as a way to console ourselves. It`s a psychic defense. It`s a good one. It`s healthy. And here she`s living it on, being the spokesperson for all three today.
HAMMER: Well, that sounds like good news for her and at least for her future. And I was also captivated today, as Michelle spoke about the strength that she got from making her statement in court today. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KNIGHT: Writing this statement gave -- gave me the strength to be a stronger woman, and know that there`s good -- there`s more good than evil. After 11 years I am finally being heard, and it`s liberating.
Thank you all. I love you. God bless you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, I mean, Wendy, that`s just amazing to hear and to see. So it sounds like it feels her recovery is going well. But do you think that she will ever be able to eventually lead a normal life, something that I think a lot of us could never have imagined for her?
WALSH: Well, you know, the human mind is an amazing thing. There`s so much neuroplasticity that can happen through environment changes. So she`s going from a very negative environment into a very positive one with lots of support. And I think the key one there is she said, "Now I finally have a voice."
HAMMER: And I think it will be a good thing, giving great strength to so many others. Wendy Walsh, always great to see you. Thanks so much.
Coming up next, we are counting down the top five true crime movies of all time. And I figure, who better to help us count down these gangster classics than the reality TV "Mob Wives."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to go to war with me? You want to go to war with me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to rip her face off like a zombie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a junkie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. The stars of "Mob Wives," right here with me, counting them down and revealing their stunning personal connections to the real-life mobsters that we see portrayed on the big screen. "Goodfellas," it is surely filled with lots of raw reality, but just how close is it to the real thing? Well, we are taking you right inside this iconic mob masterpiece. Question is, will it top our "SHOWBIZ Countdown"? You will find out.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," the top 5 true crime movies of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m in construction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Goodfellas," raw reality, it`s a violent depiction of real-life mobsters. But how close does it come to reality? The stars of "Mob Wives" are here with the answer. They also reveal their stunning personal connections to the real men portrayed on the big screen. But can "Goodfellas" top a headline-making serial killer?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Double homicide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police received a letter from the .44 Caliber Killer. He`s calling himself the Son of Sam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just saw the bodies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am the monster, Beelzebub.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Summer of Sam horror. Spike Lee`s hit film relived the very real terror of a serial killer on the loose in New York City. Michael Badalucco, who portrayed the notorious killer known as Son of Sam, is right here. What is his personal connection to the horrific case? And what`s the No. 1 true crime movie of all time? A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, thanks so much for watching. Tonight on the SHOWBIZ countdown, the top five true crime movies of all time. Yes, those outlandish fictional Quentin Tarantino outlaws are certainly fun to watch, but whether it`s the talkative mobsters in "Goodfellas," the deranged serial killer in "Monster" or the smooth-talking drug kingpin in "American Gangster," a crime drama is even more gripping when it`s based on characters who really lived and on stories that actually happened. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that when it comes to can`t-miss movie moments, true crime really does pay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAY LIOTTA, ACTOR: As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.
HAMMER: Maybe movie goers want to be gangsters. How else can one explain the popularity of movies like "Goodfellas," "Pain and Gain" or "Public Enemies"?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is it exactly you do for a living?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m John Dillinger. I rob banks.
HAMMER: Movies that feature stories of real crimes committed by real people who really lived, and in many cases, killed. Proving that two of the most tantalizing words in crime movies are "true story."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You get to see all of these awful, awful things done by a very real person. So you`re living vicariously, and I think that`s what makes true crime amazing.
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: You`re going to have to catch me.
HAMMER: The nature of true crime movie is as varied as crime itself.
DICAPRIO: My name is Frank Taylor, I`m a co-pilot for PanAm.
HAMMER: You have your lighthearted criminal capers, like the ones depicted in "Catch Me If You Can," where former teen con artist Frank Abignale Jr. was played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is America.
HAMMER: There are tense cat and mouse crime dramas, Like "American Gangster."
RUSSELL CROWE: My investigation indicates that Frank Lucas is above the mafia.
HAMMER: Which shows the battle between 1970s drug kingpin Frank Lucas, who is played by Denzel Washington.
DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: Put me in or out, it ain`t going to change one thing.
CROWE: That`s the way it is.
HAMMER: And Richie Roberts, the cop who eventually brought Frank down. Roberts is played by Russell Crowe.
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: Never rat on your friends. And always keep your mouth shut.
HAMMER: And then there are also shockingly violent mob dramas, like "Goodfellas," which depicts the glamorous rise and ugly fall of infamous mobster turned informant, Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta.
LIOTTA: I`m an average nobody.
HAMMER: The real Henry Hill died last year. In 2003, he told CNN what we saw in "Goodfellas" was pretty accurate.
HENRY HILL: It was right on.
HAMMER: In fact, watching the dramatic push-pull between cops and robbers is what gives true crime movies their appeal. They allow us to experience a life of crime that`s sometimes thrilling, sometimes funny.
JOE PESCI, ACTOR: How the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) am I so funny? What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is so funny about me?
HAMMER: Just don`t tell the gangsters that.
And we are kicking things off at number 5 on the SHOWBIZ countdown of top true crime movies with "Goodfellas." So just how close is the movie to real life? Well, I sat down with two women who have the inside track. They are cast members of the reality show "Mob Wives," and they have lived life inside the mob. Ramona Rizzo is the granddaughter of the infamous mobster Benjamin Ruggiero, also known as Lefty Guns. Oscar winning actor Al Pacino played Ramona`s grandfather in "Donnie Brasco." Renee Graziano is the daughter of Anthony Graziano, who according to the feds was a high- ranking member of La Cosa Nostra. Renee`s dad knew Jimmy Burke, aka Jimmy Conway. In the movie "Goodfellas," Robert De Niro played Jimmy in "Goodfellas." So I asked Ramona and Renee how close "Goodfellas" is to the reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RENEE GRAZIANO: Actually, that`s a very scary movie to watch for me, because I don`t think growing up we actually truly know what that life is. And when you see that movie -- I mean, from what I`ve seen in the movies and from what I`ve heard or read, that is probably the closest depiction of that underworld, so to speak. So it`s a little scary to me, actually.
RAMONA RIZZO: And it graphically shows the men that we love and the lifestyle we grew up in actually kind of doing their dirt, and you kind of like picture some type of activity that you never really thought like, you know, grandfather, your father would be a part of, because you only knew them as loving people in the household.
HAMMER: Right. He was grandpa. I don`t think he was grandpa Lefty Guns.
RIZZO: No, never, right, never.
HAMMER: I want to take a look at a scene from "Donnie Brasco," and this is a scene where your grandfather, who is played by Al Pacino.
RIZZO: Yes, he is a very nice man, I got to meet him.
HAMMER: You know, it`s a tough story but pretty cool, and in this scene he meets Donnie Brasco, who, of course, is played by Johnny Depp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: And I`m saying to you is you should give it to somebody who don`t know any better, because that`s a fugazi, all right?
AL PACINO, ACTOR: This is a fugazi? How do you know it`s a fugazi? You looked at it for two seconds.
DEPP: Well, it`s a fake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a funny scene, obviously not a funny story. Your grandfather meeting up with Donnie Brasco and essentially fooled him into thinking he was the real deal. But how close to reality do you think that was in terms of how things went wrong for your grandfather?
RIZZO: Well, I mean, if you really followed the book and what not, my grandfather wasn`t the first one who got introduced to Donnie Brasco. There was another person later on who turned out to be a rat that brought him into the group. And I come from a long line -- my father`s side is jewelers, so that scene would never happen, because my grandfather could have went to my other grandfather and said, hey, is this a fugazi or not?
HAMMER: There is this great scene in "Goodfellas" where Lorraine Bracco`s character is talking to Ray Liotta`s character and asks, what do you do for a living? And he says famously, construction. Which sort of shows us, at least in the movies it did, that the mob wives, or the family members, the women in particular, didn`t necessarily know what was really going on until they were in too deep. How close is that to real life?
GRAZIANO: Oh, I don`t know anything. I don`t think any wife, daughter, granddaughter or grandchild knows anything.
RIZZO: I think how I grew up was more like the original "Godfather," where when Michael had married his wife, she didn`t know anything. But as she grew into this lifestyle, certain things allowed you to know things that you really didn`t want to know, where you started maybe asking questions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So fascinating. My thanks to Ramona Rizzo and Renee Graziano.
And now the SHOWBIZ countdown takes us to the gritty streets of 1970s New York. At number 4 on the SHOWBIZ countdown of the top five true crime movies, Spike Lee`s "Summer of Sam." It`s the movie about the brutal serial killer who called himself Son of Sam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Double homicide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police received a letter from the .44 caliber killer, calling himself the Son of Sam.
HAMMER: David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam, is one of America`s most notorious serial killers. A dark-haired monster with a devilish smirk, who shot 13 people in cold blood, killing six right in the heart of New York City. The great director and famous New Yorker Spike Lee lived through Son of Sam`s 13-month killing spree, and Spike revealed just how terrifying it was in his iconic true crime movie, "The Summer of Sam."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You busy tomorrow tonight? I`d really like to see you again.
HAMMER: Berkowitz`s rampage kept New York on edge during a reign of horror that lasted from 1976 to 1977. And the reason he was killing? He claimed his neighbor was an agent of the devil and used his dog to command him to kill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible), have you been in here? Leave me alone! What do you want?
HAMMER: The cops finally caught up with Son of Sam in the red hot summer of 1977 after the largest manhunt in New York`s history. When the NYPD cuffed Berkowitz, he told them, "what took you so long?" Now Son of Sam`s infamy has been caught on film forever by Spike Lee`s genius in one of the best true crime films of all time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am the monster, Beelzebub.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, the man who brought Son of Sam to life in Spike`s film, is the great Michael Badalucco, and just like Spike, Michael is a native New Yorker who witnessed that terror of that summer. In fact, before he even took the role, he actually had to make sure his mom was OK with him playing New York`s most famous serial killer. Thankfully, she was, and now you have to watch what else Michael revealed to me about our No. 4 true crime film, "Summer of Sam."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: How close did Spike Lee`s interpretation of that time come to actually representing what you were really feeling, the real fear that everyone was feeling that summer before Berkowitz was finally captured?
MICHAEL BADALUCCO, ACTOR: What he captured in the film was the tension. He focused on an Italian American neighborhood in the Bronx and sort of the denizens of that neighborhood. They were looking to catch this guy and they didn`t know how to do it. And they came upon there you have Adrian, right. He turned into a punk rocker, and they started suspecting him, and saying, wow, this guy is weird, maybe he`s the guy. And then there was all kinds of tension, and I think that`s what he captured in the movie. That tension was throughout the city, in the Bronx, in Brooklyn, in Queens. You didn`t know where to turn. You didn`t know if you could go outside, you didn`t know what was lurking in the weeds. And he captured that in the movie, and I was pretty psychotic in the movie, too, I guess.
HAMMER: Yes, yes, you were.
BADALUCCO: Talking to a dog there.
HAMMER: And it was obviously this huge iconic moment in American history, but when you were making "Summer of Sam" with Spike, did you ever think to yourself at any point, hey, this could become or is going to become one of the most successful true crime movies of all time?
BADALUCCO: You know, I never really thought about that. I know when he announced the project, there was a big controversy surrounding it. I mean, a lot of the victims` families would write letters to the newspapers and they would protest, and people were sort of against wanting to relive that whole horrific time. But he went ahead with it, and I think films at their best sort of show us a way to look at the events like this and put perspective on it, and maybe we could learn something from it.
HAMMER: So we know you had to check with mom, but I got to know, when Spike said, hey, Michael, I want you to play this guy, Son of Sam, did you pause for maybe even just a moment and think, you know what? The guys in the neighborhood, they are never going to let me live this down?
BADALUCCO: Yes. You know, he said, I said, what do you mean? Why would I be the Son of Sam? He goes, you look like him. You look like him. He goes, you know, the Son of Sam was Italian, his real name was Falco. I said, oh, he was an Italian guy? That`s even worse, I said. Let me think about this. But it was a job, and I thought about it, and like I said, I just wanted to sort of get into, for me as an actor, what was it like to be so evil? What is your mind like? How do you get into the essence of the evil? You know, Spike didn`t really focus on the character of David Berkowitz, but he focused on, as far as the Son of Sam went, the essence of that evil. You know, what makes a person tick that wants to go out and do this? And that`s what I found very rewarding working on it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Thanks to the great character actor Michael Badalucco. Such a fascinating perspective in the infamous serial killer, Son of Sam. And the SHOWBIZ countdown of the top 5 true crime movies of all time is just heating up. We couldn`t even recognize the beautiful Charlize Theron in this ugly story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you talking about, you`re [EXPLETIVE DELETED] killing people!
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTOR: Now listen to me. They`re not coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Theron transforms for the film "Monster," the real story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. But did her haunting, Oscar-winning performance top another Oscar winner? Denzel Washington became ruthless drug kingpin Frank Lucas in "American Gangster." And next, we`re talking to the movie insider who revealed stunning secrets from the real men portrayed in this film. But which true crime film will top our SHOWBIZ countdown? Stick around for that.
And now, more true crime movie madness. The hit movie "Pain and Gain" starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portrayed a dark comedic take on the brutal story of real bodybuilders turned steroid- abusing killers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said no violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I meant it when I said it, I swear to God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cannot kill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Duly noted. Look, when this is over, we`ll all go camping, all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lee, who killed that man?
THERON: Who do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. They`re coming for us.
THERON: They`re not coming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you talking about? You`re (EXPLETIVE DELETED) killing people!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s Charlize Theron, who is barely recognizable as real- life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Charlize won an Oscar for the 2003 movie "Monster," which chronicled the gruesome story of a prostitute who killed seven men in one year. "Monster" coming in at No. 3 on our "SHOWBIZ" countdown of the top true crime movies ever.
Now, Aileen wasn`t exactly a likable movie character, but you know, some criminals are entertaining characters long before their lives are ever captured on film, and one of those larger than life characters is Frank Lucas. The drug lord ruled Harlem, New York back in the late 1960s and early `70s. His heroin empire was legendary, and his brutality was infamous. Throw in the fact that hip-hop was born in New York around the same time as Frank`s reign, our number 2 movie almost writes itself. It`s "American Gangster."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Frank Lucas was a ruthless drug kingpin and a legendary cool cat. There was only one person who could pull off his persona on the big screen -- Denzel Washington.
WASHINGTON: I was with him every day. I worked for him, I protected him, I looked after him, I learned from him. He probably was rich, but he wasn`t white man rich, see, he wasn`t wealthy.
HAMMER: "American Gangster" revealed Lucas` unprecedented drug smuggling ring, going straight to the source in southeast Asia and shipping pure heroin on planes used to return fallen Vietnam servicemen back to the U.S. Lucas was finally brought down in 1976 by federal narcotics officer Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe.
CROWE: I`ve met hundreds of parents of dead kids, addicts who OD`ed on your product, and that`s my story for the jury, that`s how I make it all stick.
HAMMER: But what makes this movie one of Hollywood`s best true crime movies is a blend of Harlem hustle, Denzel`s swagger, and the iconic soundtrack by Jay-Z. And, of course, the legacy of Frank Lucas, a one-of a kind American gangster.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It is so remarkable that as Frank bounced in and out of jail, after that first arrest, he and Richie became friends. They spoke about their unlikely bond with journalist Bob Meadows for a 2007 "People" magazine article. And Bob has a very unique perspective on the facts and the film version of this remarkable relationship. So watch as Bob reveals the inside story behind the unlikely friendship that has stood the test of time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB MEADOWS, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Certainly it was a surprise, certainly it was. Richie had chased Frank for years and years. Richie is the cop, he`s the tough cop. Frank is the villain. So to see these guys as friends, to see that Richie had paid for schooling for one of Frank`s sons, of course that was astonishing.
HAMMER: So many of hip-hop`s current heavyweights were born in and around Harlem here in New York during Frank Lucas` rein, including, of course, Sean Diddy Combs. Now, his dad was allegedly affiliated with Frank. Do you think that the hip-hop connection may be at least one of the reasons that "American Gangster" had become one of Hollywood`s top true crime movies?
MEADOWS: I think it was more Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe that made this a really astonishing movie. Jay-Z`s album which is also named "American Gangster" and was released very soon after, that was inspired by the movie, so I think the movie actually inspired hip-hop a bit more than hip-hop inspired the movie.
HAMMER: So Frank and Richie now, older guys of course in their golden years. It actually seems to me that there could be another movie, I`m thinking "American Grandpas," I don`t know. Seriously, would you like to see Frank and Richie`s evolution made into a movie, perhaps reflecting this friendship that they seem to have?
MEADOWS: I think that would be a pretty tough sell in Hollywood, but I do think if you had the right cast, you could do it, perhaps say Channing Tatum as Richie and how about Redd Foxx as Frank. I would definitely see that getting (ph) five of these (ph), and that might be a hit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That would be interesting, considering that Redd Foxx had been dead for a whole bunch of years. My thanks again to Bob Meadows.
So what will we name the No. 1 top true crime movie of all time? That big reveal is coming up next. And now more true crime movie madness. Angelina Jolie brings to life a real Hollywood mystery dating back to the 1920s. Jolie stars in "Changeling," as a woman who is reunited with her missing son, only to realize he`s an impostor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE: He`s not Walter, there`s been a mistake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought we agreed to give him time to adjust.
JOLIE: He`s 3 inches shorter. I measured him on the chart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe your measurements are off. Look, I`m sure there is a reasonable explanation for all of this.
JOLIE: He`s circumcised and Walter isn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And now the main event in tonight`s SHOWBIZ countdown, our No. 1 true crime movie of all time. What true crime could possibly beat a classic like "Goodfellas" or Denzel Washington and his smooth criminal best in "American Gangster?" Well, how about the true tale of a quick-thinking teenager who cons his way around the country while staying one step ahead of the FBI? Yes, the top grossing true crime movie ever, also tops our SHOWBIZ countdown. Leonardo DiCaprio`s "Catch Me If You Can."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICAPRIO: My name is Frank Taylor and I`m a co-pilot for PanAm.
HAMMER: It`s the story of an airline pilot, a lawyer.
DICAPRIO: The defendant is lying.
HAMMER: A doctor.
DICAPRIO: What seems to be the problem?
HAMMER: And an accomplished check forgerer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are so perfect, the bank doesn`t even know the difference.
HAMMER: Who also happens to be a teenage runaway.
TOM HANKS, ACTOR: He`s just a kid.
HAMMER: 2002`s "Catch Me If You Can" stars Leonardo DiCaprio as real- life legend Frank Abignale Jr., who as a teenager in the 1960s conned his way around the country, literally living a high-flying lifestyle as he was chased by an FBI agent played in the movie by Tom Hanks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Catch me If you Can" was a very special movie.
HAMMER: How special? "Catch Me If You Can," directed by Steven Spielberg, is the top grossing true crime movie ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At every point you are expecting that plot line to be fake. And it wasn`t.
ABIGNALE: I flew about a million miles.
HAMMER: The real Frank Abignale Jr. recently told CNN one thing we didn`t really see too much of in the movie was how truly lonely he was during his life on the run.
ABIGNALE: I cried myself to sleep. Until I was 19 years old, I spent every birthday, Christmas, Mother`s Day, Father`s Day in a hotel room by myself.
HANKS: You didn`t call to apologize, did you? You had no one else to call.
HAMMER: Abignale eventually was caught and sentenced to prison. But "Catch Me If You Can" has a happy ending. Abignale went to work with the FBI, something he still does.
ABIGNALE: I teach at the FBI Academy as a way of paying back to my country that`s given me a second chance.
HAMMER: So the pursued now helps his pursuers. But thanks to "Catch Me If You Can," we`ll always be able to have fun watching Frank Abignale run.
DICAPRIO: You`re going to have to catch me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And in a twist that is stranger than the movie, one of Frank Abignale Jr.`s sons is now an FBI agent.
Well, that`s it for the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Thanks for watching.
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