Known as Miami’s first Neapolitan Pizzeria, Fratelli La Bufala has been serving up its authentic Italian traditions in Miami Beach since 2005. Adding to its expansive selection of wood fired pizza and traditional dishes, the local hotspot has revamped its menu with a variety of mouthwatering pastas, pizzas, risottos, and more. Some of the new items include Seafood linguine ($24) with shrimps, calamari and mussels served in a fresh tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes, Porcini and Truffle Risotto ($28) topped with truffle carpaccio slice and thyme, Spaghetti Clams ($24) tossed in a garlic and extra virgin olive oil white white sauce and Gnocchi Pesto and Shrimps ($24) served with fresh basil pesto shrimps and sliced almonds. Feeling pizza? Opt for a classic like the Alla Craprese ($20) with tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, fresh Bufala mozzarella and basil, Marinara ($11) topped with fresh oregano and basil, Reale ($17) with smoked mozzarella, ricotta and parma prosciutto, among others. Guests looking to amp up their pizza game can choose from 10 “Pizze Gourmet” options including their new Salmon Pizza ($24) with smoked salmon, stracciatella, mozzarella and arugula, the revamped Suprema (Meat Lover) with Italian bacon, sausage and mini meatballs or the mouthwatering Super Zola & Speck ($22) with smoked prosciutto, gorgonzola cheese, tomato sauce and mozzarella with fresh basil. After the hearty meal, guests can lean into their Italian side with a freshly brewed espresso and then pair with one of their new six desserts to complete the perfect dine out. Some of the sweet dishes include Profiteroles ($10), sweet cream puffs filled with vanilla cream topped with chocolate cream, Cannoli ($10), filled with fresh ricotta cheese and Tartufo by Martinucci ($10) two delectable ice cream options (pistachio or chocolate) topped with pistachio grains and almonds or cocoa and hazelnuts. Take a look at the rest of their menu by visiting https://www.flbmiami.com/. Fratelli La Bufala is open Monday through Thursday from 12-11:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. By ML Staff. Images courtesy of FLB Miami

Did you know that Miami was an important military site during World War II? Miami Army Airfield, was a World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located at the 36th Street Airport in Miami, Florida. The military airfield closed in 1946 and the airport was returned to civil use. In 1949, the airport became a United States Air Force Reserve base until 1960. Miami Army Airfield located on 36th Street The former Air Force Reserve station and the World War II Air Transport Command facilities are found on the northeast corner of the airport, now just east of the end of the 26R runway of Miami International Airport. Images courtesy of Miami News Collection, History Miami Museum History The Army Air Corps began using the airport in the 1930s, assigning the 21st Reconnaissance Squadron to the airfield from Langley Field, Virginia to fly search and rescue missions along with weather reconnaissance patrols. Antisubmarine mission After the Pearl Harbor Attack and the United States entry into World War II, the Air Force's use of the airport changed to being a base for antisubmarine patrols, with the airport becoming the Headquarters, for the 26th Antisubmarine Wing of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFAC) from 20 November 1942 – 15 October 1943. The AAFAC flew antisubmarine patrols, searching for and attacking German U-Boats from the airport using B-18 Bolo and B-24 Liberator bombers specially equipped with radar. Technical Training Command On 16 July 1942, Army Air Forces Technical Training Command, First District, initiated a contract with Eastern Airlines for training of pilots in long distance transports at the airport. Air Transport Command Beginning in June 1941, the Miami 36th Street Airport had been established as a lend-lease supply line to British forces fighting in the Near East. Ferrying of aircraft from the airport started as early as June of that year, when a Pan American Airways subsidiary (Pan American Air Ferries, Inc) (PAAF) undertook the delivery of twenty lend-lease transport planes to Lagos on the Nigerian coast of western Africa, where the British had developed a trans-African air route to Khartoum in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The success of this first operation led to contracts between the War Department and Pan American organization for more permanent ferrying and transport services all the way into Khartoum. Just before the Pearl Harbor Attack in December similar services under military control were opened into Cairo. Through most of 1942, lend-lease planes, with few exceptions, were delivered from the airport over the South Atlantic Ferrying Route by civilian crews of PAAF. Aircraft deliveries by Pan American had not exceeded ten a month before February 1942, and nearly all of these had gone to the British. But the flow of aircraft picked up in March, and by early summer a steady flow of planes was moving out to British forces in Egypt, to the Russians through Iran, and, in lesser number, across India and over the Himalayas to the Chinese. Air Transport Command (ATC) had actual command over only one of the bases, the staging base for ferried aircraft at Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida beginning in January 1942. The two other Florida bases, the Miami 36th Street Airport and Homestead Army Airfield would come under ATC control by the end of the year. Most ferried aircraft on the way overseas were given a final checking and servicing at Morrison Field, the major continental ferrying base, and here the ferrying crews had their papers put in order, were issued overseas equipment, inoculated, and briefed on route conditions. Homestead Field was assigned to the ATC Caribbean Wing in order to insure adequate staging facilities for the heavy flow of ferried aircraft were available after the invasion of North Africa. South Atlantic Route Map Passengers and a small amount of freight were carried on ferried aircraft when there was extra space, but, for the most part, passengers, cargo, and mail moved out of the 36th Street Airport in Miami. On 7 July 1942 the Air Intransit Depot No. 6, staffed by experienced freight handlers of the Air Service Command was set up at the airport. The depot saved much cargo space by repackaging. A large proportion of the freight arriving at Miami at that time was packed in heavy wooden crates or other materials suitably designed for rail or water shipment but excessively heavy for air shipment. At one period during 1942, repacking was required on an estimated 40 per cent of the cargo arriving at Miami, with results calculated at a 30 per cent reduction in weight. The weight saved on some items was almost fantastic. A shipment of P-39 air scoops arriving at Miami weighed 128 pounds per unit, a figure reduced by repacking to 17 pounds. On another occasion, the depot received a package of four elevator assemblies having a total weight in excess of 1,000 pounds. When repacked in packages, each package weighed 108 pounds for a total saving of 588 pounds. In May 1944, Pan American Airways began flying the middle Atlantic route, going from Miami Airport through Bermuda and the Azores to Casablanca, French Morocco. Pan American began with one round trip daily between Miami and Casablanca. This was stepped up to two round trips in June, and to four in August, when Pan American's Douglas C-54 Skymasters were withdrawn from the South Atlantic route and the whole fleet of aircraft, amounting to twenty-seven transports (C-54A's and C-54B's), was concentrated on the middle Atlantic route to Casablanca. After the end of hostilities in Europe, the airport was one of three terminus in Florida for the "Green Project", the transport of overseas aircraft and personnel from Europe, Africa and the Middle East to the United States. Like much of the other planning in the spring of 1945, the Green Project predicated on the belief that the war against Japan might not be concluded before the following spring. But early in August, as the Japanese surrender became imminent, new commitments to the Pacific forced ATC to transfer to its Pacific routes eighty-two C-54's, most of which were then in use on the Green Project. As a result, by 10 August Green Project goals had been cut from transporting 50,000 to 35,000 personnel a month from overseas combat theaters to Florida. Later, this was reduced to 10,000 personnel a month, the remainder being transported home by Naval sealift units. By the end of 1945, the existing military fields at Homestead and West Palm Beach were capable of receiving the returning aircraft and personnel, and the civilian 36th Street Airport in Miami was returned to civil control. Air Force Reserve Use In 1949, Miami Airport became the home to the United States Air Force Reserve 2585th Air Force Reserve Training Center. Two years earlier, Continental Air Command had assigned the Reserve 100th Bombardment Group to the airport with two squadrons of B-29 Superfortresses. However, ConAC did not have the funding nor personnel to stand up the organization and it remained an administrative organization until inactivated in June 1949. The Tactical Air Command gained 435th Troop Carrier Wing, equipped with C-46 Commandos, became the main Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the Miami Airport throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Later upgraded to C-119 Flying Boxcars, the Wing was activated on 1 December 1952 and all personnel and aircraft were reassigned to active-duty units as replacement personnel. Although reactivated the same day, the administrative unit was not returned to strength until July 1953 when the 456th Troop Carrier Wing transferred its personnel and equipment to the 435th. In 1956, Military Air Transport Service, returned to Miami Airport when it activated several reserve air rescue squadrons as part of its Air Rescue Service. The 301st Rescue Squadron was the Air Force Reserve's first and only rescue squadron. The unit made its first rescue in January 1957. Earlier, the active-duty MATS 6th Weather Squadron (Air Weather Service) had moved its aircraft and personnel to Miami Airport from its Lend-Lease bases in the Caribbean after they were ordered closed by the Truman Administration in 1949 as a cost-savings measure. After a short stay in Miami, the Hurricane Hunter aircraft of the squadron were reassigned to Patrick AFB where they operated as a support for the various space and atmospheric missile tests over the Atlantic Missile Range. The increasing growth of the Miami Airport and the large volume of aircraft traffic led the Air Force to inactivate the Troop Carrier units in 1959. MATS moved the Air Rescue Service units in 1960 to Patrick AFB where the units began a long relationship with NASA and the U.S. space program, providing rescue-contingency operations for the first Mercury launch. Air Defense Command, however, sent a flight of F-104 Starfighter interceptor aircraft to the Miami Airport in 1961 as a defensive measure to monitor any Soviet Aircraft which might intrude on United States airspace from Cuba during the 1961 Berlin Crisis. With their return to Seymour Johnson AFB at the end of December 1961, the military use of Miami International Airport came to a close. 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After a successful launch in 2021, Feeding South Florida® is pleased to announce the dates for its 2022 Culinary Training Program and Warehouse Training Program, and is accepting applications. Feeding South Florida, the leading domestic hunger-relief organization in South Florida, is dedicated to breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty not only by providing food, but also increasing self-sufficiency through job training and workforce development programs. Feeding South Florida is Accepting Applications for Student Candidates The Culinary Training Program, a 12-week curriculum, created by James Beard-nominated Chef Lindsay Autry, provides participants with hands-on experience while learning about meats, poultry, fish, sauces, menu planning, knife skills, and more. In partnership with Feeding South Florida’s hospitality partners, the program provides job placement upon graduation. Starting Monday, February 7, 2022, the program will take place at Feeding South Florida’s state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot Community Kitchen, located at its Feeding Palm Beach County headquarters in Boynton Beach. Chef Autry has held various chef positions at prominent restaurants on the East Coast and in Mexico and made headlines as a finalist on Bravo’s ninth season of “Top Chef.” From 2018–2020, she received James Beard Foundation nominations for “Best Chef: South.” To be eligible for the program, applicants must be: Minimum 18 years of age Authorized to work in the U.S. Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent Prove reliability and interest in pursuing a culinary career Have experienced financial hardship (unemployment, underemployment, government assistance, etc.) during the last 12 months Agree to a background check and drug test Be able to attend classes Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. During Feeding South Florida’s 5-week Warehouse Training Program students will learn about food safety, material handling equipment, inventory, picking, receiving, shipping and inventory. Feeding South Florida is currently accepting applications for the cohort starting Monday, March, 7 2022. Both workforce training programs also provide life skills and soft skills training that makes students more marketable. Participants will receive resume writing support, interviewing skills, financial literacy and computer skills. “After a successful debut in 2021, we are excited to scale our workforce training programs,” said Sari Vatske, executive president of Feeding South Florida. “The hospitality and logistics industries continue to experience a high need for qualified and trained employees, so these programs provide a unique opportunity to deliver a meaningful experience for both the student and employer.” To apply to be a participant in the Culinary Training Program, visithttps://form.jotform.com/FeedingSouthFlorida/culinarytraining. To apply to be part of the Warehouse Training Program , visithttps://form.jotform.com/FeedingSouthFlorida/warehouse-training-program-applicat. To find out how you can help, learn about what Feeding South Florida is doing, safety precautions, and much more, visit https://feedingsouthflorida.org/covid19/. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Feeding South Florida. Top image courtesy of Unsplash

Join some of Miami's best chefs and your favorite tennis stars on March 21, 2022 for an extraordinary evening of food and fun! Foodies and tennis fans, get ready to party! Citi Taste of Tennis, a one-of-a-kind culinary and tennis experience, returns to Miami on March 21. Citi Taste of Tennis offers foodies and tennis fans an unforgettable evening of incredible food prepared by renowned local chefs while rubbing elbows with the world’s greatest professional tennis players. “The cuisine scene in Miami continues to be one of the best in the country,” said Penny Lerner, the event’s producer. “We are excited to showcase some of the area’s most talented chefs as we celebrate the return of tennis to the Magic City.” The Citi Taste of Tennis will take place at the JW Marriott Miami in Brickell on Monday, March 21st from 7-10pm. This year’s event will be hosted by acclaimed Michelin Star Chef David Shim (Cote Miami) and Former World No. 1 and International Tennis Hall of Famer Monica Seles. Guests will also enjoy live entertainment while sampling cuisine provided by Miami’s hottest chefs including: Adrianne Calvo (Forte, Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant & Bar), Karla Hoyos (Tacotomia), Favian Di Paolo (El Salon), Valerie Chang (Itamae, BSide), Dayanny De La Cruz (Centerplate), Karina Rivera (chefkarinarivera.com), Christian Chirino (TUR Kitchen), and Mikel Goikolea (Leku). Tickets are $250 and include unlimited food and drinks throughout the evening. Group discounts are also available. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tasteoftennis.com. Citi Taste of Tennis is produced and managed by AYS Sports Marketing and has kicked off major tennis tournaments around the world. It is among the most anticipated “off the court” events on the tennis calendar and past participants include: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, Morimoto, Aaron Sanchez, Carla Hall, Marc Murphy, Marcus Samuelsson, and many others! For more information, please visit tasteoftennis.com and be sure to follow @tasteoftennis and #CitiTasteofTennis on social media for updates.

Oakland Park’s beloved Pink Love Donuts & More has officially expanded and is now open in its brand new home on Miami Beach. Located at 222 67th Street right off Collins Ave, the husband and wife duo will be serving up their famous made-from-scratch gourmet donuts (with over a dozen vegan options), artisanal croissants, Argentine empanadas and custom donuts shaped into letters to spell out custom messages. At the center of their new initiatives is the launch of their brunch which features refreshing acai bowls, crafted breakfast sandwiches and over-the-top coffee creations including their new “Unicorn Latte” with colorful edible glitter. All donuts, croissants, empanadas, and other baked goods are made in-house, from scratch, daily. Similar to their Oakland Park shop, the new location boasts cheery rainbow-colored décor, the sensual aromas of melted chocolate, and the rows upon rows of mouthwatering baked goods. The best part? The space is twice as big with plenty of space for customers to sit on the colorful, picture-perfect chairs while munching on their favorite items and snapping tons of photos. For more information, visit www.pinklovedonutsandmore.com or follow @pinklovedonutsandmore on Instagram or @pinklovedonutsandmore on Facebook. By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Pink Love Donuts & More

The Betsy Hotel announces an outstanding jazz line up for Winter/Spring 2022 – with nine weekly live performances featuring regional, national, and international jazz pianists including Tal Cohen, Jim Gasior, Wilkie Ferguson III, Ryan Ellis, Allen Paul, David Attelan, Brian Murphy, Markus Gottschlich, Marc Irwin, Danny Mixon, Trenton Klaz, Beau Cornelius, and Michael Eckroth. Pianists play from 6 to 11 PM Sunday thru Thursday, and til midnight on Friday and Saturday. Book a table for dinner here. Vocalists are featured on ‘Third Thursdays’ from 7 to 9 PM in partnership with Miami Beach’s monthly Culture Crawl. Headlining is legacy vocalist Carole Anne Taylor with pianist Brian Murphy, on February 17, March 17, April 21, and May 19, from 7 to 9 PM. The Betsy Hotel is host to the longest running jazz series in Miami, with a jazz performance space situated at a Steinway grand inside the lobby. Patrons find performers that define the jazz piano genre broadly, from traditional to eclectic to multicultural and experimental. ‘The Betsy is, hands down, my favorite place to play. Sometimes when the place gets rocking, I look up from the piano and see people dancing… ,’ noted Australian-Israeli pianist Tal Cohen. Cohen is a regular in The Betsy’s line up, along with more than a dozen others who play in a curated rotation. Despite COVID, The Betsy’s jazz program has endured with precautions taken to ensure the safety of performers and guests. You'll be able to learn more about each artist from the hotel's event calendar at: https://www.thebetsyhotel.com/calendar Underscoring The Betsy’s commitment to jazz and the visual arts, guests can take in a new exhibition by Leonor Anthony entitled, SOUNDS OF FREEDOM (https://bit.ly/3rvTC6w). Born in Havana, Anthony is a Miami-based multidisciplinary artist with studios in the Hague, Netherlands and Brooklyn, New York. The exhibition features work from Anthony’s recent collaboration with photographer Roberto Pollilo called SOUNDS OF FREEDOM, which focuses on the transcendent nature of jazz and how it represents the American experience, democracy, equality, and the hope of free people. The exhibition is located in the BoardRoom Gallery in the Hohauser Wing through April 30. Betsy exhibitions are curated by Betsy Hotel co-owner Lesley Goldwasser. NATIONAL JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH 2022 The Betsy Hotel is pleased to join with jazz presenters across the country this April in celebrating National Jazz Appreciation Month. To that end, the hotel will also present The Betsy's 10th annual Overture to Overtown (OTO) Festival co-produced in 2022 with jazz vocalist Carole Anne Taylor, which will conclude on April 30th - International Jazz Day. For reference on the program’s mission and history watch The Betsy’s virtual 2020 OTO Festival (https://bit.ly/3AOV5YU), an online 4-part series of performances and policy conversation about Miami and environs as one of the important stops on the historic jazz touring highway, also featuring memorable performances. With the goal of introducing Miami Beach listeners to the best in visiting artists, and building on its success with The Betsy Writers Room (an artist residency program at The Betsy Hotel that has hosted more than 1000 visiting creatives in the last decade - https://bit.ly/3tADMKs), The Betsy’s jazz artists in residence will receive free room-and-board, and up to 2 paid bookings as part of the Hotel’s highly respected jazz program. Visiting artists already booked in (as of Jan 15, 2022) for National Jazz Appreciation Month include pianists Danny Mixon, Marc Irwin, and Charu Suri. You can check out The Betsy's Jazz program in a video featuring Wilkie Ferguson III on the keys. Wilkie is part of a rotation of 12+ pianists who perform in jazz programming 9 times a week at The Betsy Hotel. https://fb.watch/aCVoWjtqSt/ By ML Staff. Images courtesy of The Betsy Hotel

If you missed the interactive exhibition Botero Immersed at the Nader Museum, scheduled to close on January 31st, the overwhelming public support led it to extend this visual and engaging experience through June 30 2022. The exhibition honoring the work of acclaimed Colombian Master Fernando Botero constitutes a visual passage accompanied by the music composed by multiple- Grammy-award-winning producer Emilio Estefan. Botero Immersed, defined by Nader as "a remarkable cultural affair and multimedia experience," features Botero's iconic body of work from the 60s to the present day through interactive 360º digital projections, lights, music, and sounds. This exhibition allows guests to undergo a unique experience witnessing a selection of significant pieces representing Botero's oeuvre over the last six decades, including circus personages, bullfighting, life in Latin America and its people, and adaptations of the work of art history masters. Works exhibited are from the largest and most important collection of the master. Hours and Admission Monday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.boteroimmersed.com 62 NE 27 St. info@nadermuseum.com | www.nadermuseum.com Mon to Sat 10 am to 6 pm. T.305.576.0256 By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Nader Museum

Gulfstream Park is offering an opportunity to make a difference with its 2022 monthly blood drives in association with OneBlood, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community asset responsible for providing safe, available, and affordable blood to more than 200 hospital partners and their patients. All donors will receive a FREE OneBlood Long Sleeve T-Shirt and a $20 eGift Card! Plus, a wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse, and cholesterol screening! Appointments are encouraged, please visit www.oneblood.org/donate-now and use code #4940 By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Unsplash

Modloft’s Miami showroom opened in 2016 to encourage its digital customers to discover and interact with the brand and its products in the physical world. It is the natural evolution of Direct-to-Consumer brands to leverage their online strengths, and Modloft set out to re-imagine the future of furniture retail. Its first objective — find a location that sits centered to its target audience. Enter North Miami Beach, short drive to the Beaches, Aventura, and Midtown. Modloft could not represent the brand with just any building. They found an industrial building and converted the space to what can only be described as “warehouse chic.” The space spans 7500 square feet and was designed by renowned architect, Ricardo de Castro. A warm and inviting atmosphere indulges all the senses, from its Brazilian Bossa Nova soundtrack to its Four Seasons aroma — a real effort was placed to seamlessly transition the online customer to the store with matching perspectives. Unique partitions elegantly define areas within the showroom, creating dramatic living spaces that encourage visitors to imagine the future of their home. To complement the experience, its staff of professional Design Associates are equipped with the latest technology to assist customers in discovering products and designing spaces. The showroom serves as a launch pad to future retail locations in key markets. Modloft believes premium online brands can resist conventional retail wisdom. Modloft’s Founder, Ted Toledano, says “Our destination showroom, outside traditional shopping districts, provides an accurate taste of the brand. Our intention was to bridge the gap between digital and traditional shoppers and inspire both profiles to trust Modloft as a leader and authority in design.” The showroom, located at 1810 NE 144 Street in North Miami Beach, near Miami's luxury real estate and shopping districts, is situated between Bal Harbour Shops and Aventura Mall. Store hours are currently 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday. For more info, visit Modloft’s Miami showroom located at 1810 NE 144 Street in North Miami Beach. Connect with Modloft Website: www.modloft.com Social media sites — IG @modloft / Facebook @modloft By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Modloft

After being introduced to fans as Charlotte York’s quick witted wedding planner on Sex and the City for four seasons, Mario Cantone brilliantly reprised his role as Anthony Marentino on the HBO Max reboot And Just Like That… And just like that… Cantone’s clever scene stealing moments seamlessly re-captivated the show’s fans. Cantone’s character, Anthony, evolved to become Carrie Bradshaw’s close male confidant in the wake of Stanford’s (played by the late Willie Garson) absence as both characters bonded over losing love and a shared journey through later-life singledom. In this incredibly honest sit down interview, Mario Cantone pulls no punches as he shares his experiences with being a gay man in Hollywood over four decades, his close friend Whoopi Goldberg, his many guest hosting stints on The View, working alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, the perils of woke and cancel cultures, and the famous world events he would change if he could. Allison Kugel: You’re the quintessential New Yorker? How is the city doing lately. There’s been a lot of stuff in the news. Mario Cantone: I think they’re exaggerating. I just got off the subway and I take it all the time. Look, if something happens to me, I’ll say they’re not exaggerating. I live across the street from the Chelsea-Elliot Projects, which is where Whoopi Goldberg grew up, where the Wayans Brothers grew up, and Tony Orlando. I have been living in this building since I was 23. I don’t like change. We’ve heard some gun shots around here during COVID, but it’s always kids on kids. It’s never someone being robbed or something like that. We had one incident during COVID where there was a protest up the street, and at 1 in the morning some kids came down and smashed windows and broke into a couple of liquor stores. I thought, “Go smash a Gucci window. What are you doing? What’s wrong with you? Go smash into a Chase bank. But a mom and pop liquor store?” Although I don’t think they were from this neighborhood. I love this neighborhood very much. I’ve seen all of these kids grow up. They all know me, and I know all of them. I’ve been loved. I’ve been bullied. It’s like being in Junior High again (laugh). Allison Kugel: Speaking of bullying, your career in comedy, television and film has been going on now for more than thirty years. As somebody in the LGBTQ+ community, what has the journey been like for you since you started in the 1980s? Mario Cantone: My first time doing standup, I passed at LA The Improv, which was the big club. I was in LA for nine months and I auditioned at The Comedy Store and I didn’t pass, probably because of the gayness of it all. I remember being told, “Don’t tell anyone you are gay.” My first year and a half I was killing it, and then all of a sudden, this anxiety set in and I was just terrified all the time. It was just scary; maybe because of being gay and doing mainstream comedy rooms. Once in a while I would do The Duplex or Don’t Tell Mama, which was a mix with gay cabaret rooms, but my main stuff was at The Cellar and The Improv. At the beginning I certainly didn’t say I was gay on stage, but I didn’t lie. I was doing impressions of women, so if you didn’t know, then you were an idiot! The fear of it all was of being on stage at 1 in the morning, and someone calling you a faggot from the back of the room, which did happen once in a while. It happened in Princeton one time. I’ll never forget that. And it happened at the Hyatt Regency, and they did nothing about it. In fact, they punished me. Allison Kugel: What about being a gay comic on television back then? Mario Cantone: I was booked on Johnny Carson in October of 1986 by the show’s Talent Coordinator. When he saw me, he said, “Oh my God, you’re amazing! We are going to shape six minutes for you. Then he looked at the video again, because he filmed it that night, and he said, “You know what? Your comedy has a gay edge to it and I think it’s going to make Johnny nervous, so I’m going to cancel you.” Allison Kugel: Wow! Mario Cantone: That happened a lot. I didn’t get the development deals until much later than everybody else did. Allison Kugel: It must have been such a relief to have been able to portray a gay man on Sex and the City and now on And Just Like That… you were playing a gay man in a stable, loving relationship, and you’re able to represent something that wasn’t represented on television and film, even just twenty years ago. Mario Cantone: No, it wasn’t. It’s gay history on TV. Allison Kugel: It’s history in the making. Mario Cantone: [The late] Willie Garson and I are gay history on TV. I’m gay in real life, so it’s really gay history on TV. Willie was straight and has an adopted son named Nathan, who he just loved. He was the greatest father and loved his son so much. But yeah, it’s like Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric from Modern Family. Eric is straight in real life. You know, I find it okay. Of course if I had the choice, I would like a gay man to play a gay man. But I’m not going to shut the movie down if they don’t do that. Allison Kugel: It’s interesting that you say that, because you hear about other communities getting up in arms with that. For example, when Jennifer Lopez played Mexican Tejano singer, Selena, and they said, “Why couldn’t you find a Mexican actress?” Mario Cantone: And James Caan played Sonny Corleone [in The Godfather], and he’s Jewish. Jews play Italians and Italians play Jews. Allison Kugel: I’m Jewish and you’re Italian. And yeah, we’re kind of interchangeable like that (laughs). Mario Cantone: If it’s an independent film, a television show, or a low budget film, I think a gay person could play a gay person. I think a trans person should play a trans person. I think all of that. But if it’s a major motion picture from Warner Bros or 20th Century Fox, you’re not going to get that movie done unless you have a movie star. It’s just the way it is. It has always been that way. Brokeback Mountain would have never gotten done without Jake [Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger]. Allison Kugel: And that makes sense. Sometimes you have to give something to get something. Mario Cantone: It’s Hollywood. They’re not going to do it any other way because where is the openly gay movie star, leading man? Where is he? Where is the trans movie star that will put people in seats. It doesn’t exist. Allison Kugel: That’s a good question. Mario Cantone: That’s never going to change. Not in my lifetime. There are no openly gay LGBTQ+ movie stars, leading men or leading ladies. Allison Kugel: There actually were, for decades, without people knowing it. Mario Cantone: There certainly were, and they are. Gay people play straight people all the time, and I think it’s great, but there is maybe one gay role per every five to ten TV shows or movies. Allison Kugel: Let’s back up and talk about Willie Garson, who played your husband on And Just Like That… until his recent passing. Did the cast and crew know that he was battling cancer? Did you know he was sick? Mario Cantone: I didn’t know until a month in, when he told me and told everyone. Sarah said that she knew and she kept it kind of under wraps, but he told me like a month in. Allison Kugel: Shooting schedules can be long. Did he struggle to get through the work day? Mario Cantone: No, he was great until he just wasn’t there anymore; until he just couldn’t come in, but you would never have known. His energy, his stories; he was hilarious and brilliant, and you unfortunately never got to see what our marriage was going to be, which was going to be very interesting and funny. It was basically two people that argue, fight, and have a very turbulent relationship, yet they can’t live without each other. Allison Kugel: I like the way the absence of the Samantha character was handled, was very good. They didn’t try to replace her, but instead brought in these really amazing women with different points of view and different stories to add to the show. Mario Cantone: Yes, I think that was really smart, and I actually felt like one of them. I got to sit down with them at a table read twice, and I got to add to that voice. And now I’ve been put into Carrie’s life as her friend. The character of Stanford (played by the late Willie Garson) was Carrie’s best friend, so it’s not a big leap that I’m in her life now, more and more. We are both grieving in the show. Stanford left me and Big passed away, so now I’m in her life heavily, and I’m still in Charlotte’s life heavily. I love working with Sarah a lot more this year. Allison Kugel: Sarah Jessica Parker seems like she’s just all heart, like she has this huge, really warm heart. Is that what she is like? Mario Cantone: Oh yes. She’s a mom. She takes care of you. I remember, after one of our first scenes together, she said to (Sex and the City and And Just Like That… creator) Michael Patrick King, “You know that scene with me and Mario? I like that.” So I got her blessing and I love working with her. I remember turning to her in the scene where I have to tell her that Stanford was divorcing me, and I remember sitting there and I just looked at her and said, “You do this with such ease.” First of all, I think she is better than ever. She has always been great, but she is at the top of her game. Allison Kugel: Let’s talk about The View. You have been on The View, as a guest host, a lot over the years. From Rosie O’Donnell to Elisabeth Hasselbeck and now Whoopi Goldberg, co-hosts have stuck their foot in their mouth quite significantly, saying things they came to regret later. What does it feel like being on the panel with all those outspoken women? Is there pressure to bring strong or outrageous opinions to the table? Mario Cantone: You can’t say shit anymore. You can’t say anything. They come after you. I wouldn’t want that job. I would never do it. Joy [Behar] has stuck her foot in her mouth. Whoopi [Goldberg] is one of my closest friends. I adore her, and Joy is too. I didn’t see what Whoopi said, but I know she’s not an antisemite. Period. She has a heart of gold. She stands up for everything. I don’t understand this world anymore, and that is why I don’t really want to do standup anymore. I was never a political comedian, anyway. I wouldn’t want that job. At the time people asked me, “Were you really being considered as a permanent co-host [on The View]?” No, but it was big press for me. I ran with it at the time, but it’s a woman’s show. It’s all women. That is the way that Barbara Walters wanted it, and that is the way Whoopi wanted it. Allison Kugel: If you are going to have a forum like that, I think that it should be constructed in such a way where if somebody says something that doesn’t take historical context into consideration, that is where somebody else should say, “Hey, you know what? Let me explain this to you.” Mario Cantone: Let’s have a conversation. Allison Kugel: Let’s have a conversation. I think that is where we are missing something. Let’s explain it and turn it into a teachable moment. Mario Cantone: Yes, absolutely. This cancel culture has ruined entertainment, the world, and comedy. Allison Kugel: Do comedians talk about that? Mario Cantone: Oh yes. Judy Gold talks about that all the time. She wrote a book about it. I think it was called, Yes, I Can Say That. I just saw her do a little bit that was so true. She said, “I’m up here doing comedy. I don’t know about your childhood trauma. If I trigger you with something, sorry, I’m not psychic.” You know what I want to say to these kids? Toughen the fuck up. The world is not easy. It’s the cause and effect of having Trump in office. The piggish things that he would say have caused the opposite effect in the extreme liberal world, where they shut it down, every little thing someone says. They don’t allow a teachable moment like you said. Allison Kugel: How long have you been married now? Mario Cantone: Legally, I’ve been married for eleven years. We legally got married on October 5, 2011, when it became legal in New York, but we’ve been together for 30 years. We were married by Jay Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker’s son. I love Jay. Sundance did a documentary series on him called One Punk Under God. I just called him up and said, “I saw your documentary.” I knew he welcomed gay people into his church. I said, “Do you marry gay men?” And he said, “Yes, I just saw you on The View saying we’re getting married.” Allison Kugel: How did you know your husband Jerry was The One? Mario Cantone: I knew the night I met him. Allison Kugel: Shut up! Mario Cantone: I met him on June 20, 1990, but we were just friends for a year and a half. We were not serious. Then I went to LA in July of 1991 and when I came back in October he started coming around again. Then we spent some time together and we moved in together March 1, 1992. I knew right away. I could tell just by talking to him. He was just so handsome, but he was also so smart. He’s a stubborn son of a bitch sometimes, but he’s very fair and he pulls no punches. He’ll tell you if he doesn’t like you. You’ll know it. That is where he is like my father, because when my father didn’t like somebody, they knew about it. When Jerry meets someone for the first time, he’s pulled back. You kind of have to go to him. Then you see the difference once he gets to know you, and really likes you. He’s just a good guy. He’s got my back. I knew right away. Allison Kugel: What did marriage do for you as a couple? Mario Cantone: It felt different. It felt like, “Okay, this is legal now. This is it.” I’ll tell you when I was younger, like ten years into our relationship, I would not have married him. Not because I didn’t love him, but we are not having kids? Why are we getting married? Then you get older together and legally this needs to be done. We need the benefits and the whole thing. Being sick, being able to be with each other, taxes, all of that. I thought, “I’m not going anywhere. Let’s do this.” Allison Kugel: Makes sense. Mario Cantone: These kids that get married after just six months or a year [of dating], they’re crazy. It’s going to be all the same shit that straight people go through. Allison Kugel: Oh, like getting married and then getting divorced? Mario Cantone: Getting married. Getting divorced. Fighting over the kids. Kids? I don’t want kids. Gay people didn’t have kids. I like kids, I just don’t want them. We both agreed on that. We both did not want children. Allison Kugel: From day one? Mario Cantone: Yes, we knew that. I don’t even have a plant. Allison Kugel: If you could travel back in time and change a famous historical event, where would you go and what would you attempt to change? Mario Cantone: I would have changed the 2016 presidential election. It’s like that scene in the movie Carrie when Carrie becomes the prom queen and they pour the blood on her. When you asked that question, I was thinking of that Stephen King book, 11/22/63. The guy goes back in time and tries to change the Kennedy Assassination. Also, I would like to go to China three years ago, four years ago, and prevent this [virus] from escaping. That would be a nice thing to change too. It was the worst case scenario with the worst case scenario president of the time. Allison Kugel: What do you think of people on social media saying that And Just Like That… was trying too hard to be “Woke,” with a lot of its new characters and storylines? Mario Cantone: I think they have to diversify it. They absolutely had to do that. Whether you think they went overboard with it or not, you have to figure it out the first year. Then you see, hopefully if there is a second season, what you are going to do. I was really happy with all of it. I love the new women. I was thrilled with it, and I do like this iteration just as much as the old. I like the maturity of it, and selfishly, I love the maturity of Anthony (Cantone’s character). I love that he is kind of still caustic, abrupt, and honest, but he’s evolved. Allison Kugel: What do you think you came into this life as Mario Cantone to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach? Mario Cantone: I feel like I came here to just entertain, I really do. I’m not a teacher. Who the fuck am I to teach anybody anything? At this point in life, it is hard to teach anybody anything because people are very stuck in their ways. It’s all a very knee jerk reaction with canceling and all that stuff. How do you unteach that? How do you teach people, like you said, and have more teachable moments? People resist teachable moments. I came into this world to entertain and hopefully make people forget about that stuff sometimes. I don’t feel like a profit. I’m filled with rage, and I’m filled with joy. Allison Kugel: Interesting. And you made a comment before about a second season of the show. Do you know if there is going to be a second season? Mario Cantone: As my mother would say, “I’m always the last to know.” I think Michael Patrick King did a magnificent job. I think everybody in it is phenomenal, and I think the writing is gorgeous and we made a big splash. Catch the first season of And Just Like That… on HBO Max. Follow Mario Cantone on Instagram @mccantone, Twitter @macantone and visit https://www.mariocantone.com/. By Allison Kugel | Watch and listen to the extended interview with Mario Cantone on the Allison Interviews podcast at Apple Podcasts and on YouTube.

South Florida’s longest-running free outdoor jazz concert series, “Jazz at MOCA,” occurs on the last Friday of every month. On Friday, Feb. 25, MOCA welcomes Ike and Val Woods. Grammy-nominated artists Ike and Val Woods have performed throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. The Miami-based blues duo completed their most recent CD, “Movin’Up,” after returning from an 18-city European Tour where they electrified their audiences with their high energy yet soulful Blues performances. Jazz at MOCA is free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 7-10 p.m. with museum admission. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of MOCA

Register for a tour lead by MOCA docent Dr. Helen Sachs Chaset. Dr. Chaset is an educator with more than 45 years of experience in administration, professional development, and program development. She is also a board member of Miami-Dade Holocaust Survivors. Dr. Chaset is the daughter of two Holocaust Survivors and was born in a displaced persons camp in Hannover Germany. The tours will be held on Feb. 27 at 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:45 p.m., and 2:45 p.m. They are free with admission. You may register here: https://mocanomi.org/2022/02/tours-at-moca/ By ML Staff. Image courtesy of MOCA