Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Sunstein Sessions on iHeartRadio, Conversations about issues that matter.
Here's your host, three time Grasie Award winner, Shelley Sunstein.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I always say to you, and I do believe this,
that one person can make a difference. And I want
to introduce you to two Q one oh four point
three listeners who are definitely making a difference and they
have an event coming up and you can help out
and make a difference. So I want to introduce you
to Frank Montana. He's the owner and operator of Montana
(00:33):
Brothers Pizza and Restaurant based out of Freeport and Merrick.
And also I want to introduce you to Tommy Perniciaro
and they have an event coming up this coming Thursday
at Mayview Catering on the Water and that's in Freeport.
(00:54):
And explain this charity and what you're doing and and
how this all came about, guys, because it's kind of
you know, this is a very very cool story.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
So when I was nine, basically my dad that diagnosed
with stage.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Four stomach cancer. Oxford at the time.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Was his health provider and they dropped him as he
enters Loan kenterin they didn't want to cover the expenses
because they said it was it was pre existent, and
so they drop him. And now the laws have changed
so they can't drop you what you get coverage, but.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Back then they could.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
So you know, with that, we had to go and
find the money because loan was not going to cover
the treatment without having the money up front, or would
you had to have suran.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
So we borrowed the money.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
We did what we had to do and basically put
my family in you know, financial distress they got.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
My dad survived, he was able to.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Beat the cancer, but it set us back a lot,
almost losing our restaurant, you know, we had to move.
Maybe it was a lot of stuff went on. Later on,
my father got diagnosed with patriotic cancer.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Take yours how old were you then?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I was one t three and he died probably seven
eight weeks after you got diagnosed, And that also set
us back. Funerals this that So I always said to myself,
if I ever get to you know, be successful, I
(02:35):
want to get back. And how I'm doing that is,
you know, I'm picking one family that is going through
answer dealing with what everything that comes with it, and
we give all that money that we could raise to
that family so they can help pay for whatever supplies,
you know, anything and everything that they need and what
(02:56):
they would need to battle this this disease. And that's
how that came about for me. And then Tommy, uh,
he has hit his reasons. His mom passed away from cancer.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Tommy, tell yours, tell your story please.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
So so, my my mother was diagnosed with My mother
was diagnosed with bioduct cancer, a pretty rare cancer that
does spread rapid quickly.
Speaker 6 (03:24):
She was diagnosed with that right after COVID. She was
able to overcome the cancer and everything looked great, and
you know, going back for the tests, et cetera, et cetera,
and you know, the doctors are saying she was great,
everything was good. And then come back, now three years ago,
(03:44):
she was diagnosed again with the same cancer. It came
back and it was it was a terrible battle, very
quick battle. And then I ended up losing my mom
about what was it about two and a half, three
months before my own wedding. So I don't know how,
you know, tell you like, how how horrendous that that
(04:05):
the battle of cancer is, and you know it could
affect you both financially and emotionally. And you know, my
mother's love for for going out to discos and dancing
her whole life and always getting dolled up and dressed
up is why. You know, once me and Frank sat
down and he goes, we have to create something in
honor of our parents. And you know, I know his
(04:26):
father was was a singer.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
My father was a musician all his life. I'm a musician,
so we you know, we wanted to get back in
their names because of the love for music and uh
actually this year we're honoring uh recording artists called Sea Bank.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
She's a cancer survivor.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
And every year we pick a musician that has beaten
cancer and won their battle and we honor that musician,
you know, being a single guitar player.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Last year was a gentleman called Pep. He was a
he's a singer. So we try to get back to
the as a community also show that you can't beat
the cancer, you know what I mean, and there is
life after cancer. So we're trying to help both sides
of the coin, if you.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Will, right, how long have you been doing this?
Speaker 4 (05:13):
This is our second year.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Okay, so this is this is relatively new and there's
still people can still buy tickets to attend Thursday night's
event at Bayview Catering on the Water.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Yes, you could just go to www.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Dot Music for Cancer dot com for Cancer Foundation dot com. Yeah,
and that has all the contact information for you know,
available sponsorships, ticket sales, any questions of that nature that
anybody may have.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah, and tell us again about who is going to
be the recipient their story for this year.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
His name is Logan.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter the name, just the story.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
He just got diagnosed with a brain tumor and they
just actually did the surgery for him. And so we
picked that family because the family, you know, is a
distressed needs money. He's a young boy, you know, so
(06:27):
which is trying to help the family get through what
they need to get through.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
The honorees are what's his name?
Speaker 6 (06:35):
We have We have the three honorees as well this year,
which is c Bank who's a performer recording artist, Geo
from Geo Events who beat stage four Cohen cancer and
Evan Korn from My Deco who as well just battled
cancer as well during COVID and he was able to
(06:55):
overcome that as well.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I am speaking this more with two Q one oh
four point three listeners who have formed an organization to
help local people who have been hitten with cancer and
who need financial help. You know, even if even if
you have insurance, I mean, it doesn't cover everything when
(07:21):
it comes to cancer treatment. I think people you know,
if you have not been through diagnosed. Yeah, if you
haven't been through it yourself, either personally or as a family,
you don't realize, you know, in addition to the emotional
issues that you have that are tied to the battle,
(07:43):
it's kind of comes as a surprise the financial burden,
Like I said, even if you do have covered. So
joining me this morning is Frank Montana, the owner and
operator of Montana Brothers Pizza and Restaurant in Freeport and Merrick,
and also Tommy Perniciairo. Tommy, I mean, your story just
(08:04):
really hit me. It just days before you were married,
you lost your mom and so even every year your
your anniversary is tied to that tragic anniversary as well.
How did you how did you get through it? You
did you and your fiance talk about postponing the wedding?
(08:26):
Did your mom have a conversation with you? How did
how did you handle that.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
So what we actually did was because me and my
fiance we got engaged during COVID and you know, obviously
it was in the middle of COVID, so we didn't
have a wedding date set, so we set a wedding
date for two years out. And obviously we didn't know
that my mom was going to have cancer and you know,
end up passing away. But what we did do was,
you know, knowing that it could have like any day
(08:52):
was the day that she would no longer be with us,
we actually legally went and we got married before we
actually walked down the aisle, so she was able to
know that, you know, we were we were married, and
then you know, we did have the conversation on postponing
the wedding, but again because of my mother's love for
(09:12):
going out partying and having a great time, we couldn't,
you know, in honor of her, she would have wanted
us to have that party.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
So we still continue to have.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
The party, and you know, we celebrated in her, you know,
in her honor.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
If people wanted to just donate to your organization again,
how would they do that? And you know, do need volunteers.
What else can we help you with.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
So, yes, if anybody does just want to donate outside
of the sponsorship or you know, buying a ticket and
attending again, they could go right to the website Music
for Cancer Foundation dot com and they could contact us
right through there directly and again any which way helps,
you know, whatever a donation could be.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
Or they can also walk up at the day of
the and if they want, it's going to be someone
there in front that could you know, they could come
donate there, or they could pay for a ticket and
walk in, you know, right up the street if they're
in the neighborhood and they want to stop by. You know,
we have George Lamont performing as a free star recording artists,
we have DJ Scribbles performing and all these artists are
(10:17):
help in the common cause, you know, to raise money
for the logan and to honor these these honoreies that
we're honoring. So and we have a bunch of local
talent that's performing also, So it's going to be a great,
great event.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
And again it's it's just coming Thursday at Bayview Catering
on the Water and that's in Freeport, So it's at
seven pm this coming Thursday. Yeah, you were going to say, Tommy,
And as.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
Far as volunteers and help, you know, we are this
is our second year. First year was very successful, but
we are working to expand, you know, our help. So
if anybody wants to help, volved here or help, we
definitely could use some help.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Yeah, if people are listening and they're in the community,
how would they apply to be the recipient of the
help next year? Because I assume you're going to be
doing this next year. I mean, how do you how
do you choose the family?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Well, right now we're working with a girl.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Her name is Julie and she wasn't work for into
colleges for years and years, So now we're actually going
to build some kind of kind of like, uh.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
How do you how do you explain what we're talking
about betting?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
We have a betting process and you have to be
certain rites hereiers, because as time goes on, we want
to make sure that, you know, we can help multiple families,
not just one, and but they have to fit a
certain bill, you know. And uh so we're actually in
the process talking to her because we we she knows
more about you know, the actual you know, the effects
(11:56):
of the disease to a family and how we can
actually help. So we're gonna have a betting process and
she's going to explain to us, you know, how we're
going to bet these people to come in and how
they're going to receive.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
The money, and what what is your vision? What would
you like your organization to ultimately be. I mean, you're
relatively new, you're only in your second year. What's your
an in here?
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Your goal? My goal is to uh, you know, to
have the gala.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
You know, it's Sipriani's Wall Street, you know, and that's
how ultimate goal. And to have any artists that we want,
you know, like bon Jovi for instance, right you want
a four like to be able to be able to
afford to have bon Jovie performed, you know, and get
back to not just want to a lot more people
and just bring some smiles from people's faces. Because listen,
(12:47):
cancer is not just about the chemo and the disease.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
I mean, it's your attitude about it.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
And as long as you keep on smiling and keep positive,
I think that has a little bit to do with
fighting the cancer. So if we can just help people
and you know, you let them deal with to day
to day and put a little smile on their face.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
And music brings happiness to people.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
You know, music is such a powerful tool, and I
think due to music we can help a lot of people.
And the goal would be bon Jovi, Cipriani's Downstown, Will Street.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
You here me.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Well.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
The thing is cancer touches every family. And what is
really alarming is that there are more and more young
people now that are being diagnosed with cancer. You know,
I would have thought watching my parents' generation that by
now we would be you know, turning the corner. And
instead I'm seeing more and more young people and it's
(13:49):
really kind of scary because they're not sure why, like
high colon rates of colon cancer particularly.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, prostate breast cancer, you know, and young girls.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
That's why I'm yes, I'm thirty three, and you know
I want to give a little something for everybody in
my era. You know, I go to the doctor every
six months now and full check up, blood work up, everything,
you got it.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
You gotta healthy, you gotta stay on top of everything
because golf a bit. If there is something, you got
to catch it early, treat it. And you know, I
mean a lot of it.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
In good sphere is the foods that we're eating. It's
it's like it's a lot of things. You know, people
stop smoking. You don't see nobody smoke anymore, but cancer has.
I feel like doubled in quadruple.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
You know, well, people are even getting lung cancer who
have never smoked. Unfortunately, we're out of time again. Give
out the name your website. I keep trying to write
it down and I don't want to screw it up,
so it'd be with it one more time.
Speaker 6 (14:54):
It's music for Cancer Foundation dot com.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Okay, thank you so much, Thank you for what you're doing.
Thank you both for being Q one O four point
three listeners. Frank Montana and Tommy perniciiro
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You've been listening to Sunstein Sessions on iHeartRadio, a production
of New York's classic rock Q one o four point
three