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  • Don Rickles to Get Tribute from Jimmy Kimmel, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart

    Don Rickles will get an all-star tribute from an impressive lineup of comedic celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel, Bob Newhart, and Jerry Seinfeld next month. Robert De Niro, David Letterman, Tracy Morgan, Regis Philbin, Ray Romano, Martin Scorsese, John Stamos, and Jon Stewart are also slated to appear at the event.

    The 90-minute tribute titled One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles will be taped on May 6 at the Apollo Theater, a New York City landmark located in Harlem. The show will air May 28 on Spike Network.

    “The genius of Rickles is in the danger, nobody is safe, and what you can expect is a night of comedy from these superstars worthy of a legend. It truly will be One Night Only,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Event Production & Talent Development, Viacom Entertainment Group, which owns Spike.

    Rickles, a native of Queens, will turn 88 on May 8.

    Often referred to as the “Merchant of Venom” or “Mr. Warmth,” Rickles is considered comedy’s master of the insult.

    Early on, Rickles abandoned his dreams of becoming a serious actor to hone his nightclub act. In 1957, Frank Sinatra saw the act at Slate Brothers in Los Angeles and quickly became Rickles’ champion.

    It wasn’t long before Rickles had caught the attention of Dean Martin and Johnny Carson and was headlining performances in Las Vegas.

    ”My humor is so over the top you’d have to be an awful fool to think I’m embarrassing you,” Rickles said in a 1996 interview with The New York Times. ”When I pick someone from the audience, their eyes say, ‘I can take it.’ But if I’m wrong, I’ll never let them know it. When you sell yourself you just can’t back down. I absolutely believe that. You’ve got to stay with what got you to the dance. It’s an old expression but true.”

    Rickles and his wife Barbara celebrated their 49th anniversary in March. They’re the parents of two children, Larry and Mindy. Mindy followed in her father’s comedic footsteps.

    One Night Only is a relatively new annual event on Spike. The first installment, which aired in 2012 and paid tribute to Eddie Murphy, remains the highest rated show in the network’s history.

    Image via YouTube

  • Melissa Mark-Viverito Is New Speaker Of The NYC Council

    Melissa Mark-Viverito was unanimously elected Wednesday as the new speaker of the New York City Council. She replaces Christine Quinn to become first Latin American to hold citywide office.

    “I hope that as young Latinas and Latinos are witnessing this moment, they are able to dream that much bigger and are inspired to work that much harder, because we have broken through one more barrier,” she said.

    New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, an ally to Mark-Viverito, played a key role in getting her elected. He lobbied council members urging them to vote for her, citing that they both shared the same values and goals for the city.

    In her victory speech Mark-Viverito said her immediate agenda is to help create more affordable housing and improve the lives of those “who have fallen on hard times.” The 44-year-old councilwoman from East Harlem also appealed for unity in the state in order to make it a state of equal opportunities for everyone.

    “We unite for a more equal and just New York where everyone, no matter what borough you are from, what neighborhood you were raised in or who your parents are, has equal opportunities,” Mark-Viverito said.

    Her rival, councilman Dan Garodnick, gracefully conceded defeat Wednesday and said he was looking forward to working with the new speaker to help her deliver a responsible government to the people of New York.

    He also pledged to resolve any rifts that may have been caused by the voting process.  “I will do my part to resolve any rifts this process may have caused among our colleagues, and am here to take any steps necessary to help move forward together,” Gorodnick said. He described the new speaker as smart and committed. However, supporters of Gorodnick were not happy with the outcome and accused Mark-Viverito supporters of hardball tactics leading up to the election.

    Recently, Mark-Viverito had come under fire in the media for allegedly renting apartments in an East 111th St. building she owns without disclosing her income. She still has yet to release her tax returns.

    The post of Speaker is a very influential one. The speaker sets the agenda of the chamber, decides whether a bill can go to the floor for debate and appoints heads of committees.

    Image via YouTube