9-9-26 Lance with Bill Koch

0:00I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the survivor files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with the Elizabeth Smart on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Kylie Breakman, Angel Jaretana, Jeremy Cole, Hane Cash, McDonald, and we're the hosts of the artists on artists on artists on artists podcast. The improvised character comedy podcast were each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. He gets right up next to the microphone. You get up high here, you get the elbows here, the eyelashes hate each other. They never seem italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween.

1:04Listen to artists on artists on artists on artists every Thursday on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. College football will hijack your weekend, ruin your sleep and break your heart. And that's why we make the Sullivan verbal college football show. I'm Ty Hildenbrand, he's Dan Rubinstein. Every week we preview the games that matter in the story lines that are going to ignite your group chat. And you can join us in the aftermath as we react to what happened, why it matters and how the sport went completely bonkers yet again. Listen to the Solid Verbal College football show on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Mike Am. And I'm Trevor Sikama and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind. Whether you're a first time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count.

2:07Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you're a seasoned NFL fan or new to the game, there's one place to keep up with all of it. The league's newest podcast, the NFL report hosted by me, Andrew Sassiliano. It is your home for everything football. Breaking news, expert analysis, game picks, and here from your favorite players too. Join me and at All Starcast of Experts for everything you need to know from around the league. Get new episodes of the NFL report Monday through Friday, all season long. Listen to the NFL report podcast on the I Heart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The following takes place between 7pm and 8pm. Alright, into hour two on our way through three and then the transition to the inside

3:15pitch. Cyrano Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet on Lance. The chemistry excited to talk with my next guest Cincinnati Guy from over four decades covering Cincinnati sports written for these Cincinnati post, the inquire written book after book after book. I think I may have had him on for most, if not all of those books and he's got a new project out. So I said, yeah, I got to get him back on his latest book, Buddy, the life and times of Cincinnati icon, Buddy, Larosa. For more on that, let's go straight to the source and welcome in. Bill Cook, how are you? Good. Thanks for having me on. You got a good catching up. I'm in. I'm about halfway through this. I love it. I'm fascinated because I knew so little going in other than just like the pizza guy, but you've been around and you relate this in the book. You've been around people and broadcasters and entertainers and personalities for decades. You believe he might be the most unassuming. What drew you to writing about Buddy, Larosa? Well, I knew a lot about Buddy, as you said, you know, the Larosa sports hall, high school

4:17sports hall of fame. I'm on their selection committee and I have been for about 20 years. In the meeting we had a week, a year ago in May, Mike Larosa and Mark, his two sons talked about how was the 50th anniversary of the hall of fame. They told a story about how it happened. They had a fire at their restaurant and the high school football players in the area, pitched together to help them get the business back up and running again. And to pay them back, he started this high school hall of fame. And I knew his connection there and prior just for my days as a sports writer. And I just thought, everybody knows Buddy or says they know Buddy or they know somebody who knows Buddy or their kid who works. Their father went to school with him with their grandfather. Everybody's got a story about Buddy, Larosa. So I thought it would be something that people would be interested in. And Bill, his story begins with having to clear the hurdle of overcoming a broken home. Isn't that right? Yeah, he was just a little kid and his father was a boxer named Tony Larosa. He was a real kind of a street tough.

5:18And he used to beat Buddy's mother, physically abused her and mentally abused her. And every time he would do it, she would tell him to get out. And then he would go begging for forgiveness and he'd bring a priest with him. And she would take him back. And finally, she had enough one night. She went until he fell asleep and she grabbed a candy dish and hit him over the head with it. And she grabbed Buddy and a few belongings and fled to her childhood home on Queen City Avenue. And that's where Buddy grew up. In fact, he lives today about three miles from the house he grew up in. He lives in a condo that overlooks the downtown, beautiful view of downtown. And he likes to tell this story about that if somebody ever asked me where I live, I asked them, have you ever heard of Indian Hill? And they go, oh, yeah, yeah, you live in Indian Hill and he goes, no, I live in an East Price Hill. And then he paused and he says, remember that's East Price Hill? Not West Price Hill. There's a little snooty over there. He likes to tell that story five times.

6:20I love it. I love it. From the pizza standpoint, I mean, the, and this is what, among many things that are fascinating, the empire is built on a recipe that was borrowed and a loan that was rather unorthodox, right? You're talking about the loan from the guy for the operated the slot machine. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I heard that he had borrowed money from the mafia. I asked him about that. And he said, no, no, it wasn't the mafia. It was, it was my uncle. And then he said, well, it wasn't really my uncle. It was just a guy the family knew it. He did, he did beveling slot machines, but he let me the money. But he says, just because you're a tie and they always say it was a mafia. He said it wasn't a mafia. You mentioned Aaron prior. He made his mark on since on the Sensei Sports scene as his manager. And I, you know, I think you think boxing and I think a little elements, maybe, Shady CD corrupt and that doesn't sound like buddy. What drew buddy into boxing and drew him to the relationship with Aaron prior?

7:20Well, buddy grew up, grew up among boxing because even though his mother and father divorced, he maintained a relationship with his father, even though his mother didn't want him to, she tried to keep him away from him because she didn't want him to grow up with the blanket's father. But he still kept the relationship with him. He was around boxing a lot. He wanted to be a boxer, but he was too small. And a doctor told him one time he was going to, he was going to, he was going to, just the same brain damage if he kept doing it. He did box a little bit in the Navy and high school a little. But so anyway, Aaron, he knew about Aaron because Aaron grew up and over the ride. He used to come around and put his dad's fruit markets and work for him sometimes. And Aaron lost in the Olympic trials in 1976 when he was one of the favorites to win the gold medal. He didn't even make the team. And after he didn't make the team, he decided to turn pro and he had one fight, one pro fight. And it didn't go over. Well, he won, but it was kind of a slap dash thing thrown together. And he went to buddy and said, will you be my manager and buddy said, well, you know, I don't have any hobbies.

8:20I don't play golf. I don't bowl. And I like boxing. And he knew about Aaron. So he said, yeah, that's where we started to represent Aaron prior. Man, oh man. What a, what a connection they had. What was his connection to? What was his relationship like with Muhammad Ali? He was at the, yeah, I'm one of the jungle in Zahir in World's at 74. And he would go, he stayed out by where Ali was training. Ali didn't train in the city. He trained out further. And he used to go out there every day and just watching train. And then after every training session, Ali would hold court with a media and he would talk about all kinds of things. That's how buddy got to know him. He has, but he has a whole storage room full of artifacts and memorabilia. And I was in there with him one day. And I asked him if he's got boxing gloves and shoes from Muhammad Ali, that Ali just gave to me. Ali also gave him one of his belts that ring magazine to give to him. He gave him the buddy. What? What? I don't know. I don't know.

9:21But he got, when Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record. But he gave him a 24-karat old embossed Alleros' card that he could have free pizza for life. No. he said he never used it. He's convinced that Pete sold it. That's beautiful. That is beautiful. Bill Cook check it in tonight. The book is latest, buddy. The life and times have since it had a icon, but of the Rosa. Sure, false. Buddy once went toe to toe with Sylvester Stallone. Yeah, verbally. Yeah. Well, when, uh, when Aaron started him with him success, he, he and buddy hit a bit of a falling out and Aaron was always being pursued by these other big time managers and promoters and one of them was Don King. And another one was so much as alone in his buddy said, anybody that they just would show him a show, Aaron to open up a, a briefcase full of dollar bills. Aaron would sign with him. So Aaron kept

10:22sign with all these other managers and buddy would have to go tell the manager that he's my guy. I got him under contract. So he flew to Caliwood, wants to meet with Sylvester Stallone. And Sylvester said, yeah, yeah, I'll be with you. And he made, he made buddy in his water, wait all day. And then he came and said something to say something to him, buddy. Said, um, you call yourself Italian. You know Italian. No Italian would ever make somebody wait like you didn't even do us a drink of water. So Sylvester Stallone felt bad. And he had brought him back to lunch the next day. Oh, I love it. I love it. So he is, uh, I believe he's 96. How is he doing these days? He just turned 96. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer in February. He's, he's got a great attitude. In fact, he called me on the phone from the hospital from UC hospital one night. And he said to me, well, Bill, I guess you're going to have a good ending for your book. And it's like, he was real upbeat about it. So he said he's not going to get chemo or radiation or anything. He's just going to let his

11:27body fight it the best it can. Best of can. And one time is up. It's time is up. So he turned 96 August 25. So last time I talked to him, he was a few, which was a few weeks ago. He's still, he sounded awful good. Um, and he's always, he's always upbeat, always legendary. Unbelievable. It makes for a fantastic book. Uh, the book is buddy, the life and times of Cincinnati icon, buddy, the Rosa bill for those listening. I want to get their hands on it. How do they go about doing that? Right now you can only do it by via Amazon. Um, it should be in Joseph Beth another week or two. I always ask you because you always have, it seemed to have something in the pipeline. Is there anything else in the pipeline? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure. I haven't gotten that for yet. But I, but I would like before I go, I heard skinny on this. Oh, yes. Yes. It's already hurting. It's, is there anything you'd like to dispute publicly or negate and, and point the, uh, the incorrect, uh, stories behind it? No, but I, I didn't hear the whole thing, but John Rarty told me before that he, he gave me a nice

12:30compliment about what he did when we were supposed to get it. So I'm not going to dispute that, but he told a story about Pat Harman. Yes. And, uh, and I, and I don't know if that's true or not, but I have a better story about Pat Harman. I know this one is true. Pat and his wife had like 10 kids. Okay. And so Pat came home from work one night. I don't know if he was especially hard night or whatever. Maybe he stopped for a drink on the way home. I don't know if he goes into the house and all the kids are running around. And he yells, I'm, he says, yeah, I don't, I don't hear enough from you kids. Get upstairs. I don't want to see any more arrests of the night. And they all ran upstairs except one kid. And Pat turned to him and said, well, why aren't you heading upstairs and the kids hit because I live across the street. And I know that's a true story because I asked Pat Son about it. That is beautiful. That's a perfect way to end it. Always good catching up. Best of luck with this book. And, uh, you know, I'm here when the, uh, the next one comes out. Okay. Lance, I appreciate it. Thanks, Bill. Take care. Thank you. All right. There you go. Uh, Bill Cook.

13:31That's good. That's good. Again, the book buddy, the life and times have since it had a icon, Buddy La Rosa. Again, I'm about half way through it and some wonderful stories that kind of, uh, fill in the details on you. You think pizza, you think buddy, you think pizza, and there's just so much more in your, like, no way, no way. And just way, there's more and more stories, in the book. I survived nine months in captivity. And I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart. And these are the survivor files. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the survivor files with Elizabeth Smart on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Kylie Breikman, Angel Jaretana, Jeremy Colhane, Patrick McDonald, and we're the hosts of the artists on artists on artists on

14:32artists podcast. The Improvised Character Comedy Podcasts were each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He, he winks on Halloween. It's right up next to the microphone. You get up, I hear you get the elbows here, the eyelashes hate each other. You never seen it least so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Listen to artists on artists on artists every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Mike Am and I'm Trevor Sikama and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind. Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Whether you're a seasoned NFL fan or new to the

15:38game, there's one place to keep up with all of it. The league's newest podcast, the NFL report hosted by me, Andrew Sassiliano. It is your home for everything football. Breaking news, expert analysis, game picks, and here from your favorite players to join me and at all star cast of experts for everything you need to know from around the league. Get new episodes of the NFL report Monday through Friday, all season long. Listen to the NFL report podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. College football will hijack your weekend, ruin your sleep and break your heart. And that's why we make the Sullivan-Verbal College Football Show. I'm Ty Hildenbrand. He's Dan Rubinstein. Every week we preview the games that matter in the storylines that are going to ignite your group chat. And you can join us in the aftermath as we react to what happened, why it matters, and how the sport went completely bonkers yet again. Listen to the Solid Verbal College football show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.