Chocolate and Wine Pairing at Glen Cove Mansion

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January 30, 2016 – The Mansion at Glen Cove was a delicious destination for discovering the exotic pleasures of pairing chocolates and wines from around the world. The event was hosted by Chocolate Sommelier, Roxanne Browning.

Guests arrived before the tasting to sample some delicious dishes that were prepared by Executive Chef Andy Helliwell, including Beef Flanken braised in mole to compliment the variety of wines and chocolates that were going to be paired.

Chocolate and Wine.

The Fabulous Roxanne Browning, New York’s Chocolate Sommelier not only was the host but a fascinating guide for this “Soiree for the Senses.” The event was truly a one-of-a-kind exotic tasting experience.

This special adventure began at 7PM with a leisurely cocktail reception, followed by the luscious pairings of wine with chocolate.

Roxanne Browning, Chocolate Sommelier, from New York had all intentions as a child to save the world. She earned a BFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York City that led to a career in the ad world on Madison Avenue, far from the ideal of joining the Peace Corp. One day she woke up in 1990 in the small town of Northport, where she wanted to bring positive changes to her community, and so she decided to run for office. As a two-term elected official she was allowed to serve the people, which was both a rewarding and a humbling experience.

Glen Cove Mansion Chef Andy Helliwell with Cognac. Glen Cove Mansion Chef Andy Helliwell with Cognac.

As the Mayor she was concerned about the local environment and infrastructure of her town. After two high energy careers, she retired the gavel in search of a sweeter life. That brought her back to the question she had as a child, “How can I help others?”

As an entrepreneur she merged two passions: chocolate and wine. Ultimately, a trip to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, where she harvested cacao and witnessed firsthand how the noble cacao pod transforms into a chocolate bar motivated her to create this unusual career. By empowering cacao farmers to lift themselves out of poverty, they reinvest back into their land and communities, and can feed and educate their children.

Founded in 2010, Exotic Chocolate Tasting, Inc. is a Certified New York State Women-owned business. This original idea of terroir-driven chocolate paired with wine showcases her knowledge and experience with guests while they enjoy their two favorite pleasures. Uniquely entertaining and enlightening, you can host your event at a restaurant, wine bar, conference room or your family room. The event concept is ideal for public, private soirees, professional functions, and fundraisers. A list of distinctive settings can be sent on request to Roxanne and she will customize and tailor it to your specifications.

Her “Green” mission and higher purpose is to bring awareness of the indigenous people that create sustainable chocolate from bean-to-bar, how cacao harvesting helps the rainforest, the health benefits of chocolate, and to demonstrate how to mindfully savor every morsel for your well-being.


During the event I sat down with Roxanne as she explained her passion for exotic chocolate and fine wine parings.

Chocolate Sommelier Roxanne Browning with Cognac.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Glen Cove Mansion and I am here with Roxanne and she is going to talk about a very special event that is taking place right here at this wonderful hotel and inn. It is all about chocolate and wine pairing. It is a wonderful tasting. Roxanne tell my audience about this event tonight. Tell us how you coordinated it.

Roxanne: Well I am a chocolate sommelier and my company is Exotic Chocolate Tasting. I have a methodology of creating pairings from arisen exotic chocolates and wine. This is one of the very few public events that I do. I mostly do corporate events or non for profits and private events. This is a lovely venue.

Oh, it’s gorgeous.

Roxanne: There are about thirty five people that will be attending. It’s sort of like a pre-Valentines Day pairing. So when I had that in mind I thought about floral notes and fruit notes that will be in two of the chocolates. The chocolate comes from–one of the chocolates comes from Tuscany, infused with red berries. Another one I brought back from Australia. The beans are from the Samoa Islands and there is another one from London and those beans are from Madagascar, and the very special one–because it is close to Valentines Day–is a chocolate infused with candied violets.

Wow, candied violets.

Roxanne: Yes that is paired with prosecco so that will be our opener. We are going from a prosecco and then we are going to go to the chocolate from Madagascar that’s paired with a wine that is a zinfandel that is California, and then we are going to Tuscany with the wine and the chocolate. We are going to end with a wine and chocolate from Australia.

Oh my goodness.

Roxanne: We are going around the world sitting in your seats.

It sounds truly amazing and quite fascinating. This is a new trend, am I right about that? Pairing wine and chocolates together.

Roxanne: I started this trend six years ago and I am still the only one that is doing it at least to this level of perfection and passion.

Glen Cove Mansion Director of Operations Gus Montesantos with Cognac.

Chocolate and wine pairings are the perfect sensory experience! Roxanne’s original idea pairs terroir-driven chocolate with wine to enhance their flavors and nuances. Sip the wine with the chocolate, and an “aha!” moment follows. Roxanne’s events are an infusion of flavors using all your senses that will certainly reveal a fun new way to enjoy your beloved treasures.

For more information please visit ExoticChocolateTasting.com and for more information about the Mansion at Glen Cove please go to GlencoveMansion.com.

Spotlight Interview: Manna Restaurant in Watermill; A European Restaurant With A Sicilian Twist

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LONG ISLAND, NY – Are you are wondering where to dine on Long Island or, more specifically, in the Hamptons in the new year? You could try newly opened Manna Restaurant located at 670 Montauk Highway in Watermill (behind the post office). Enjoy a nice cozy evening by a fireplace in the dining room. Walls are adorned with organic art of 3 dimensional Hampton’s landscapes.

For the menu, celebrated Chef Marco Barrila features a multi-regional array of traditional, rustic dishes that change seasonally and focus on local farm-to-table ingredients as well as imported Italian products. This little eatery was formerly Mirkos Restaurant before Celebrity Chef Marco Barrila took over the establishment.

Eggplant at Manna Restaurant.Eggplant at Manna Restaurant.

Marco Barrila, born and bred in Messina, Sicily was impressed at an early age by the vast range of regional food dishes. He found his love of cooking at age 13 working in his grandmother’s trattoria “La Caraffa” that dates back to the 1800’s. Before the age of 18, he apprenticed at local butchers and bakeries. Later he enrolled at the Escuola Alberghiera to broaden his experience of international cuisine and to the technical methods of cooking. He remained in Italy until age 24 and then moved to New York City to work in various culinary outlets such as the Paramount Hotel and Carmines before taking over as Executive Chef at Fiorello’s Lincoln Center. Here Marco made a name for himself. In his second year, he was nominated as one of New York City’s Top 40 Chefs alongside chefs Danielle Boulud and Marcus Samuelsson.

Abandoning the city for a weekend holiday trip to the Hamptons, Marco fell in love with the landscape that was similar to his native Sicily. He was quickly offered a new haven with a hotel group and began discovering the astonishing new world of catering and events. He soon began sharing his delicious dishes with the Hamptons elite covering countless charity and multi-media events. Later recruited by Robbins Wolffe Eventeurs as their star executive chef, Barrila cooked for thousands of people during a season of twenty four-carat gold caliber events, including the Ross School Concert Series.

Lobster Risotto at Manna Restaurant.

After a ritual change of seasons in the Hamptons, Barrila launched Insatiable EATS, a niche catering company serving sought after international cuisine. Now after five years of success and with a coveted client list, Insatiable EATS has become known as one of the most distinguished and exclusive catering and event companies in the Hamptons. Marco and his creative kitchen team perform for some of the most high profile private parties and annual events on the East End, each distinctly itself, yet happily unified in a highly recognized atmosphere. Insatiable EATS continues to evolve and has expanded with new branches in New York City. Now Chef Marco has decided to make the former Mirko restaurant his home and established Manna to satisfy the appetites of Hamptonites.

Before dinner I sat down with Chef Marco and we talked about his Italian cuisine at Manna Restaurant.

Cognac: Hello darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with Executive Celebrity Chef Marco Barrila and we are here at Manna Restaurant located at 670 Montauk Highway in Water Mill, New York…right here in the beautiful Hamptons. I am here with this fabulous chef that has created such fantastic meals for many, many celebrities including Robert DeNiro, Paris Hilton, Kelsey Grammer and a whole load of others that I can’t even begin to finish because there too many to list. We are dining here at his newly opened restaurant. He has prepared a feast for us to dine on. Chef Marco tell my audience what we are looking at right here. Explain these different dishes to us.

Cognac Wellerlane with Chef Marco Barrila.

Chef Marco: Starting with this one is the eggplant. I reminded me of my grandmother because I use sheep ricotta imported from Sicily. I use basil and fresh herbs. I use special goat mozzarella. The next on the right is our signature lobster risotto.

Cognac: Yes that looks amazing. I love lobster

Chef Marco: I use Maine lobsters and fresh zucchini like yellow and green zucchini and it is made with lobster broth.

Cognac: No shrimp in that?

Chef Marco: No shrimp just lobster.

Cognac: Only because I am allergic to shrimp actually.

Chef Marco: We only use local lobster that’s why. We buy most of our fish locally. That’s why I moved to Long Island for the beautiful ocean and for the beautiful fish.

Cognac: You fell in love with the Hamptons, didn’t you?

Chef Marco: Yes because it reminded me of Sicily. The North Fork for the wine and the South Fork for the fish. It is a beautiful combination. I use organic ingredients and I like local farms and if it’s not organic I like natural farms. They produce phenomenal stuff like this with the truffle chop. This is crust-fed veal. It is punched with truffles inside and on the sides.

Cognac: Really truffles inside of the veal chop.

Chef Marco: And then black truffles all around and then we have baby mushrooms served with garlic and rosemary. I like simple. I like simple food. I like simple ingredients. I like to qualify myself as an owner of a European restaurant with a Sicilian twist.

Truffled Veal Chops at Manna Restaurant.

Manna Restaurant is located in the heart of Water Mill. The menu features the best of local farms and seafood as well as exotic imported ingredients. Dining at Manna Restaurant patrons will enjoy a quieter and stylish atmosphere, Manna is the perfect place for business or family dinners and romantic date nights. Manna is the perfect summer spot for cocktail hour and dining alfresco.

Celebrity Chef Marco Barrila offers a multi-regional array of traditional, rustic dishes that change seasonally and focuses on local farm to table as well as imported Italian products. The menu includes signature dishes like grilled octopus, lobster risotto and truffled veal chops. Walls are adorned with organic 3 dimensional Hampton landscape paintings and artwork by local artist Gil Ferrar. Enjoy dining by fireplace in the winter and the outdoor seating for the summer months in the courtyard seating. The restaurant is open year round for private events.

For more information please visit Manna on Facebook and for more information about Chef Marco Barrila’s catering services please visit InsatiableEats.com

Macabre Faire Film Festival Premiers 146 Film Titles

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This past weekend The Macabre Faire Film Festival returned again to celebrate excellence in independent Horror films from around the world on Long Island at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge.

Macabre Faire events and Film Festival has a reputation for being a very friendly environment with a wonderful celebratory ambiance within an intimately sized space. If you are a person who needs to be at an event with 1000’s of people in a large space where you may need to attach a GPS on your friends & family so that you can find each other quickly and easily… then the Macabre Faire Film Festival may not be the event for you. However, if you prefer an atmosphere that runs steady; you enjoy costumes; you love movies, music, Halloween and fun non-pressuring vendors; you genuinely enjoy making new friends; you appreciate everything being within close proximity; and are comfortable around a few hundred macabre-loving fans like yourself, then it is most certainly the event for you.

Actors Thomas Ryan and Edward X Young from FACES poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane

For starters the word “Macabre” is pronounced “ma-cob.” The “re” is hardly ever heard. What does it mean?

Although it is an adjective meaning “disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury,” you should approach the Macabre Faire Film Festival with a lighter touch in so far as not all of the films screened are a gore-fest. Of course there isn’t anything wrong with adding some gore to your film but, when we hear the word “Macabre” we remember those hauntingly fascinating films that starred legendary greats such as: Vincent Price & Peter Cushing. Or those fantastic Gothic Horrors like those from “Hammer” films. These names in themselves represent what “macabre” means to the Macabre Fair Film Festival.

Their mission is to provide a venue for showcasing films within a celebratory & respectful environment, where fans can enjoy the independent films entered by those who passionately craft their Strange, Weird, Horrifying, Sci-Fi-tastic, Fantastical and Macabre-laden films. The opportunity to win awards, increase film visibility via press and possibly obtain distribution is always part of the equation with the Macabre Faire Film Festival.

In between my interviews with the filmmakers I sat down with Elsie Ginsberg, Co-founder of the Macabre Film Festival.

Macabre Faire Film Festival Co-founder Elsie Ginsberg and Cognac Wellerlane.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am here with the Co-founder Elsie Ginsberg. Elsie how many years have you been doing this?

Elsie: Only three years.

Only three years. Every year it gets bigger and better. Every year it becomes more spectacular.

Elsie: Well, thank you. That’s right you were here last January. We actually doubled the attendance. I am trying to whisper because Father Evil just won Best Villain Competition and he is accepting right now but we are really excited about the Macabre Film Festival this year and we are really gearing up for 2017 already.

Tell my audience how many films were shown this year at the Macabre Faire Film Festival?

Elsie: Well this is the first time that we are screening four days for a total of 146 film titles.

Wow… now best in category for how many films total?

Elsie: I would say there are twenty different categories. Remember we are talking about features and shorts so that’s a lot.

Do you have a favorite category?

Elsie: They’re all here and I have seen every single one of them. For me my favorite part is them just enjoying the stage we fill for them which is exactly what’s happening. Look at the place–this is… I mean, this is what you would see in Hollywood.

There is nothing else like it. I go to many, many film festivals including the Hamptons International Film Festival and they don’t do this.

Elsie: They don’t?

They do not do this. They have sought of like an award event but it’s not the same and people do not look as glamorous and they are movie stars.

Elsie: But remember what I told you all along for us the goal is to raise the bar where it comes to the Horror or the Macabre Genre and we are sticking to it. I know we may be ruffling a lot of feathers in the process but at the end of the day that is the vision, and if I don’t stay true to that vision we will never elevate the bar and dammit I will die trying.

Don’t say that word tonight.

Elsie: No, no, no it is my passion…you have to understand for me this is what I am living for right now to make this happen.

I think that’s what keeps you going too.

Elsie: Plus all the filmmakers that I deal with and how difficult it can be. My stress levels are high.

Your stress levels may be high but you do a fantastic job every single year. Every year you get top notch films and top celebrities that come to this event.

Elsie: From the independent world, yes.

But now a lot these movies are being shown on Netflix, and Edward X Young told me his film you can buy at Best Buy.

Elsie: Edward X Young is on everything–even my interview. You know what, we love him. What’s great is that the different outlets are making it easier for these wonderful filmmakers to be able to showcase what they love so much. Their craft, their skill of film-making. So I am happy that they got that outlet. We are simply building a stage to be noticed for them, to get their work out there so with that said I am going to run off.

Tell my audience one more thing where can they go to find out more information about the Macabre Fair Film Festival?

Elsie: You just said it. Go to our website, MacabreFaireFilmFest.com, and “Faire” is with the “e” at the end. You will see how much time and love we have put into that website for the filmmakers.

You’re gorgeous.

Elsie: Thank you.

Exorcist Star Eileen Dietz poses for a photo-op with Cognac Wellerlane at the Macabre Faire Film Festival.

Congratulations to the Winners:
Best Actor Joseph Halsey for Junkie Heaven
The Boatman‬ directed by Greg Morgan wins ‪‎Best Feature‬
Jack Is Pretty‬ directed by Jarek Zabczynski wins ‪‎Audience Choice‬
‪El Gigante‬ directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero wins ‪‎Best SFX‬
Summit‬ directed by Christina Raia wins ‪‎Best Sound‬
The Red Man Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Faraldo
‪Gfest14‬ Alum Director Javier Arcelus Cano and SUPERMISIL in winning ‪‎Best Foreign Short‬
The Smiling Man‬ directed by A.J. Briones receives ‪‎Honorable Mention‬ in the ‎Best Horror Short‬ category
‪‎Hush‬ directed by Michael G. Kehoe wins ‪Best Horror Short‬
Director Brian Cottington’s Film House of Oddities Best Costumes
Helio‬ directed by Teddy Cecil wins ‪Best Director
The Vulture‬ directed by Amin Haghshenas wins ‪Best Music Video‬
Who Lives There‬ directed by Luc Sirois wins ‪Best Super Short

Long Islanders Create New Memories at The Savoy Night Club on New Years Eve in The Hilton Hotel

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Huntington, NY – Long Islanders made the Hilton Hotel their choice for celebrating the New Year. There was a multiple parties to pick from, including The New Year’s Eve bash at the Grand Ballroom–which featured a 5-course gourmet dinner, open bar, live band, and an overnight stay in a Deluxe Guest Room–and The Savory Club New Year’s Eve bash–which included dancing to a live DJ performance, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres served by white gloves on elegant silver platters, and an open bar with premium liquors.

I enjoyed the evening and was happy to chat with the staff including Director of Sales and Marketing Dorothy Roberts and Sales Manager Gino Veneroso who invited me to the elegant gala.

Before the evening got underway I sat down with the Director of Sales and Marketing, Dorothy Roberts, who explained the details of the evening’s agenda.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Savoy night Club; it’s New Year’s Eve and I am here with Dorothy Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing. This is a fabulous evening tonight. It’s a very special evening. Tell my audience what we can expect tonight here at the Savoy.

Dorothy: Well we are very excited because it is a special night for us. We decided to bring back the Savoy Night Club for one night only–New Years Eve–so for us this is kind of like a once in a lifetime thing for everybody that works here and everybody that lives in this area that can come here tonight. We are also thinking about doing something in the future if this goes well tonight. We would like to bring it back from time to time.

I would love that.

Dorothy: Well when I just started working here I heard so many people talk about the Long Island Exchange that used to be the nightclub. I heard so many stories from people that really had great memories.

This is so weird because that’s the name of the online newspaper, LongIslandExchange.com, that I write for. That is so uncanny and so surreal that I would be doing this interview with you about a nightclub with the same name as the online newspaper that I write for.

Dorothy: Well, tonight we have a lot of different things planned. We have an open bar for five hours, we have white glove service for hors d’oeuvres, we are doing a balloon drop at 12:00 midnight, we have a big screen behind the DJ for the live telecast from Times Square. So tonight we really are all about the vibe and the feel of New Year’s Eve, and celebrating all together here. The Huntington Hilton has been around for a long time and there are so many people that came back tonight that haven’t been here for a while. They wanted to come back just because we opened the Savoy here tonight.

When was the hotel built?

Dorothy: I believe it was built back in the 80’s.

That’s what Meredith said, the Director of Human Resources.

Dorothy: It was built back in the 80’s and this used to be the club called the Long Island Exchange and I just read something yesterday that back in 1989 The New York Times wrote a lot of articles that it was the in place to be in the New York Metro area.

In all of the metropolitan area?

Dorothy: They said there used to be a thousand people here in one night and there used to be a line at the door that used to go all the way out to the parking lot.

This was in the 1980’s?

Dorothy: Yes around 1989.

Oh my God.

Dorothy: Yes and a lot of people remember this place from that time.

Well Let’s hope that we can bring back old memories and maybe create some new memories here on New Year’s Eve.

Dorothy: By popular demand we had so many people that called us today and said “We want to come down today and pay at the door.” We weren’t going to do that but we got so many calls so we said “Absolutely come on down we are open until 1:00 AM in the morning if you want to come down tonight you can pay at the door.”

What’s the website?

Dorothy: It’s HiltonLongIsland.com.

Cognac with Gino Veneroso and Dorothy Roberts.

The Hilton Long Island Huntington is the ideal hotel centrally located on Long Island, New York for business, groups, weekend getaways, family and leisure travel. This newly renovated Hilton hotel offers 305 deluxe guest rooms with all the amenities of a full service hotel. Spacious guest rooms feature plush bedding, coffee makers, refrigerators, in-room safes, and flat screen TV’s.

Some of the amenities include:

  • 305 Deluxe Guest Rooms
  • Digital Check In
  • Hilton Honors
  • Outdoor Seating with Fire Pit
  • Basil’s Cafe & Lobby Bar
  • Complimentary Parking
  • Materson’s Steak House
  • Starbucks
  • Avis Rental Car
  • Fitness Center
  • Indoor Heated Pool with Hot Tub
  • Outdoor Pool
  • Tennis Courts
  • Volleyball Court
  • Walking Path
  • Concierge Lounge
  • 24 Hour Room Service

The Hilton Long Island Huntington is an upscale hotel and is perfect for hosting events or meetings with their 26,000 sq. ft. of banquet space. The hotel can accommodate up to 1,200 guests in their Grand Ballroom, and has over 20 rooms to use for banquets, meetings, events, conventions, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens and political events.

Their expert planning professionals and 26,000 square feet of flexible function space ensures your occasion is simply unforgettable. The Hilton Long Island Huntington is truly the ideal destination among hotels on Long Island, whether it be for a family vacation, business meeting, or simply a weekend getaway, enjoy superior service and amenities at this Long Island hotel!

Cognac with Gino Veneroso.

The 12th Annual Christmas in Italy at the Skirball Performing Arts Center, Starring Cristina Fomtanelli

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New York, NY – It was a Merry Christmas Italian-style at the 12th Annual “Christmas In Italy” showcasing at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts in Greenwich Village in New York City on December 19, 2015.

Audiences started new traditions and created lovely family memories as they were transported to La Bella Italia! All that attended enjoyed the strains of the mandolins, the beautiful Children singing (the Little Language Studio of Brooklyn) and dancing (Dance Electra of Staten Island), plus the Richmond Choral Society of Staten Island with the Arcadian Chorale of NJ performing during this special concert. Opera Star Cristina Fonantelli and her wonderful PBS-TV co-hosts, Denise Richardson and Jim Masters, were happily joined together on this Vocal Journey through Italy’s best-loved songs and the World’s best-loved Christmas classics.

After the concert I sat down with Cristina as she explained the history of “Christmas in Italy.”

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the Skirball Center. It’s “Christmas In Italy” and I am here with Opera Star Cristina Fomtanelli. Cristina this was such a spectacular event.

Cristina: Thank you Cognac, should I say Gracia.

Graci…

Cristina: It’s “Christmas In Italy.”

Yes.

Cristina: It’s twelve years.

Twelve years. I was just about to ask you. This was established twelve years ago. Can you tell my audience a little about the story–how it happened?

Cristina: Sure, I would be happy to. I had a vision for “Christmas In Italy” because I sang at an event where there was a New York Times reporter and I thought I was famous. I sang “Torna a Surriento.” (serenading) So I thought it was a famous song until the Times reporter came up to me and said “What is that? It’s beautiful… what is that?” I had to explain to him that it is a Neapolitan Folk song and he wrote about it in the New York Times the next day and I had this idea. I said “We can’t lose these beautiful songs…”

Christmas in Italy: Cognac and Cristina

That’s a pretty old song. How old is that song? Do you know the origin of that song? Do you know how old that song is?

Cristina: Turn of the century around the 1890’s or something like that. I decided… a light bulb went off I said, “You know I am going to have a concert, a show once a year—what better time but Christmas? Because it should be for families so that older generations can pass the music down… can pass the joy down.” So that’s what I did. I started it twelve years ago and as you can see today we have lights and sets…

It was so beautiful. It was just the most beautiful thing. It reminded me of “White Christmas” you know when Bing Crosby sings at the end of the movie. You remember with all the ballerinas and the children and the Christmas Tree…everybody is in red. It was just so gorgeous!

Cristina: Well, thank you. You know it’s really old fashioned. To me “Christmas In Italy” is going back in time. It’s like a time capsule of when families were happy and joyful with each other and felt safe with each other and all the relatives came over that is the thing that I want to keep.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was such a beautiful concert. Can you tell my audience how many songs you sang throughout the evening?

Cristina: Oh I don’t count, but it is a a marathon.

Was it something like twenty songs?

Cristina: Something like that. We also had kids dancing, Weren’t they great?

They were terrific. The kids dancing, singing… it was just a beautiful, absolutely adorable show.

Cristina: And Santa Claus…

Of course Santa Claus at the end. Tell my audience, Cristina you work on so many wonderful things. What is next for you? What can we expect in the new year 2016?

Cristina: Well you know this show twelve years later is really headed for some big things. I have been pointing it towards television and it looks like it is definitely going there—major television—I can’t say where exactly. Also in the Spring I am going to do The Great International Song Book at Baruch College in New York, and I sing in eight languages so that is not only going to be Italian songs so to speak, but the songs of the world. I go down to Florida in January with orchestras—every year brings new and wonderful thing you know. So let’s see what happens in 2016,

I can’t wait darling, I can’t wait. I want you to tell my audience where we can go to find information. What is the website?

Cristina: It’s an Italian name, ladies and gentleman, CristinaFontanelli.com I took the “h” out of “Cristina” and “Fontanelli” means “little fountains” in Italian.

Christmas in Italy PBS Emcee, Jim Masters.

Cristina has become a well-known personality through her recordings, her appearances on TV, radio, in concert, nightclubs, opera and through her acting debut on network television. She has appeared as PBS-TV/NY affiliates host for Andrea Bocelli’s Live From Central Park, also starring Celine Dion and Tony Bennett; for the Il Volo Takes Flight special; Vienna Boys Choir and Qi Gong PBS-TV Specials. In November of 2014 Cristina was chosen by the Italian government as a world-wide representative of the Puglia region to sing in Bari, Italy. She is the “Voice of Domino’s Pizza” on their national radio commercial, the voice of “Nonna” on PBS-TV Chef Lidia Bastianich’s Christmas special (in over 300 PBS outlets across the U.S.) and has appeared on CBS Weekend NY in interview/performance/co-hosting roles for the past 2 years. Cristina’s beautiful soprano voice has taken her to the White House as part of President Clinton’s holiday celebration and Cristina was invited to open the ceremonies at the Stars and Stripes Inaugural Ball for President George W. Bush. This following her “Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts” from the Order Sons of Italy in America (previous honorees include Luciano Pavarotti).

She has appeared with many famous recording artists and big talents including Tony Bennett and Joel Grey. Ms. Fontanelli is a guest artist with many prestigious orchestras including the Boston Pops and the St. Louis Symphony performing in major concert halls throughout the U.S. and the world, including the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers and major concert halls throughout the Far East and Canada.

 

Beth Stern Hosts Friends for “Bash for the Bulldogs” Charity Event; Benefits Bulldogs in Need of Homes

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New York, NY – Animal advocates, supporters, and press attended a holiday bash with Beth Stern & Friends for “Bash for the Bulldogs!” on December 14, 2015 at Rosenthal Pavilion, New York University Kimmel Center.

It was a fun evening to help raise much-needed funds for LIBR, including drinks, hors d’oeuvres, an Italian dinner buffet, coffee, dessert, and music. Supporters participated in a silent auction and raffle as well as meeting and mingling with friends and to find unique items for holiday gift giving.

Award Winning Journalist and Best-Selling Author Jill Rappaport with Cognac.

More importantly the event was to bring awareness and to save lives of bulldogs in urgent need of finding their forever family! I was happy to chat with the Founder, Laurette Richin.

Cognac Wellerlane interviews Laurette Richin, Founder of LIBR, Beth Stern, Animal Advocate, Actress and Wife of Radio Legend Howard Stern; Award Winning Journalist and Best-Selling Author Jill Rappaport at the Bash for the Bulldogs to benefit the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the founder of the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation, and she is going to introduce herself and tell us what this event is really all about.

Laurette: OK, I am Laurette Richin and I started Long Island Bulldog Rescue sixteen years ago when there were just very few bulldogs available and I did see that there was a need for rescue. At that time we had thirteen bulldogs. Last year we had three hundred and eighty-six bulldogs.

That’s a lot.

Laurette: It is a lot because they have become very popular… too popular, and people buy them and have no idea how to care for them. These dogs cannot be bred casually so you must not buy them from a puppy store or the internet or another place except from a good breeder and you are going to have to wait for a puppy.

You really should always buy a dog from a breeder anyway.

Laurette: If you don’t rescue a bulldog then you should… well if you want to buy a puppy because there is a place in the world where people want puppies but they have to go to a good breeder, or and of course rescue because there is always a need… because even when there are few bulldogs things happen in their lives. They die, they go into nursing homes, they get transferred overseas, they go to war. There is always something, so you come to us for help.

You are very passionate about this. The whole idea of creating this foundation was really based on the fact that there are so few bulldogs around when you first started it?

Laurette: Well that’s true but what happened is I got a bulldog puppy.

I see now we are getting to the real story.

Laurette: The real story is I traded my ex-husband for a bulldog, but anyway that’s a whole other story.

That’s funny.

Laurette: After that I became involved with the Long Island Bulldog Club and I realized I did not have the temperament to breed them, but I wanted to do something for the breed… there were few comparatively but they still need rescuing and that’s how I started. Now it’s Long Island Bulldog Rescue covering nine states.

My God that’s amazing. Not just that but you have Beth Stern on your side.

Laurette: She’s wonderful and she is a board member. She has been with us for quite a while and she is a wonderful person.

She certainly is I know her from the Hamptons. She is lovely.

Laurette: She’s the real deal.

Doesn’t she own bulldogs?

Laurette: Howard and her—that’s how I met her. They got a bulldog from someone I know.

Also I believe Ice-T and Coco have a bulldog too.

Laurette: Yes they do and they usually come to this event but since she gave birth about two weeks ago…

Yes, she gave birth.

Laurette: Next year the three of them will be here and the dogs.

And the dogs… well that’s wonderful. I am so happy to hear that your foundation has become a great success in all these states—not just Long Island where I am from and where you are from—but the reach now has expanded and it’s becoming larger and larger. That is so wonderful that we are bringing awareness. I would love for you to tell me where we can go for more information about the Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation. What is the website?

Laurette: The website is LongIslandBulldogRescue.org and you can leave us a message. We also need foster homes. Foster homes are very important, especially in Long Island

Bash for the Bulldogs Laurette Richen.

During the event I also spoke to animal advocate, actress, and wife of Radio Legend Howard Stern, Beth Stern. Beth revealed her dedication to this very important dog rescue organization.

Cognac: Tell my audience why you are such a big supporter of the bulldogs.

Beth: Oh my gosh when my husband and I had a bulldog for nine years she was the love of our lives… people so often go out and buy a bulldog without really knowing what they are in for, and I mean that in the most beautiful way, but people really have to research the breed and know that they come with a lot of health issues. They are very high maintenance. They are a very specific breed and I just want people to know and understand the breed before they go out and get one. Sadly so many go back to rescue and Laurette and her team work so hard to find families that match perfectly with the right bulldog but they really are a breed that people really need to understand before they bring them into their lives and I hope on some level that I am able to parlay that to people.

Beth Stern and Cognac.

Long Island Bulldog Rescue Foundation’s mission is to provide education, prevention, intervention, and adoption services to ensure that all English Bulldogs enjoy long, healthy lives in loving, safe, appropriate homes where they are provided the life-long care they require. LIBR is committed to each English Bulldog and adopters they serve for the life of the dog. In the event that an adoption is unsuccessful, the dog is to be returned to the LIBR.

LIBR not only spays, neuters and gives vaccines, they give each dog whatever is needed for a great new life in a LIBR 4EvrFamily. They provide expert medical care, behavioral support and guidance to ensure each rescue has every chance to be a happy, healthy member of the best LIBR 4EvrFamily .

LIBR responds 24/7/365, even during Holiday Abandonment Seasons when people abandon their puppies and sick or injured dogs to attend parties, go on vacation, etc. Abandoned as impulsively as they were purchased, or surrendered by heartbroken families in crisis, they face imminent death or a shortened life of inadequate care, chronic illness, injury, conduct problems and loneliness. As long-time members of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, and in Laurette Richin’s role as the Regional Coordinator of Bulldog Club of America Rescue Network, LIBR is the leading resource for bulldog rescue in Northeastern America.

Reality Star Dorinda Medley, Owner John Mahdessian of Madame Paulette Host Special Unveiling of Malan Breton’s Preview Spring 2016 Collection

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New York, NY – Luxury fashion designer Malan Breton proudly unveiled his never before seen couture collection in the windows of Upper East Side Dry Cleaner, Madame Paulette on December 8th, 2015. His display will be shown until February 15, 2016. The collection will range in price from $30,000 to $100,000 and will showcase six different themes: Cinema and Paris, a special partnership with Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Music, Dorinda Medley (star of The Real Housewives of New York City), “Allegiance” the musical (images of the Broadway stars wearing Malan’s collection were recently featured in Vanity Fair), and a Men’s Story. The Real Housewives of New York also filmed the evening which was hosted by Dorinda Medley.

Patented anti-counterfeiting technology, Integrity Systems was featured in all windows. Jimmy Crystal using Swarovski elements was also featured in the Cinema and Paris, a special partnership with Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Dorinda Medley and the Men’s Story windows. Of the unveiling, Malan states, “I’m thrilled to display my new collection in the windows of the legendary Madame Paulette, an establishment which has been the pinnacle of New York City luxury for over 55 years.”

A window display at Madame Paulette.

A special, invite-only cocktail reception was arranged for December 8th and 9th starting at 6pm, where Malan Breton and owner of Madame Paulette, John Mahdessian discussed the inspiration behind the collection and the passion for preserving fashion history, respectively.


During my interview with Owner John Mahdessian, he discussed the reason behind the event and why Madame Paulette is the best cleaners for couture fashions and interior design high end upholstery.

John Mahdessian with Cognac Wellerlane.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with the Owner John himself who is hosting the event with Dorinda. Tell my audience about this event.

John: As you know we have been in the fashion business preserving, restoring and maintaining fashion collections for many years now—for fixty-six years. Collections from the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and we have been supporting designers throughout the course of our years in business and with that said Malan Breton is a very special person. He is not only a dear friend but he is also a very special designer that I am so happy to support on this very special occasion.

Well I am thrilled to be here and as you know I consider him a good friend of mine, I absolutely adore him. I have been covering him and his events since he started from Project Runway.

John: Then it is self explanatory. It’s an honor and a pleasure. He does the most amazing work. I am sure you saw the windows.

How many pieces are being shown from the collection in the windows outside?

John: There are approximately seven or eight couture garments that range anywhere from $35,000 to over $100,000.

And of course you do everything from couture fashions to high end upholstery.

John: Yes, I do drapes, rugs and anything that’s of value whether its intrinsic value or monetary value. I maintain and preserve the integrity of people’s personal possessions.

Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information. What is the website?

John: MadamePaulette.com

Malan Breton with Cognac.

After the unveiling I spoke to Designer Malan Breton about this special event and what it meant to him.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here with Malan Breton. Malan, darling tell my audience about the collection. I understand that it’s a preempt to your collection for fashion week.

Malan: It is a preview to fashion week actually. We are getting ready for a couple of really big events in America and in London. We were just featured in British Vogue which actually came out today. We are getting ready to not only for New York Fashion Week but also for London Fashion Week.

That is so exciting.

Malan: Yes, I am so excited

You did study in London didn’t you?

Malan: I worked with Turnbull & Asser in London and had the opportunity to work with amazing people like Paul Cuss. I did all the Bonds—all the James Bonds—when Katherine wanted to have her wedding gown designed she considered me for that as well. There are seven pieces being show today. It’s just a preview to entice people.

Just to entice people for fashion week… I love it. Tell my audience where we can go to find out more information about you and the collection.

Malan: MalanBreton.com

Madame Paulette 2 A window display at Madame Paulette.

Designer Malan Breton is a New York-based womenswear, menswear, bridal, and accessories designer. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Breton has been designing since the age of 11 and is known for his signature detailing and fabrics. Malan Breton is noticed as one of the top three hundred luxury brands in the world and received the Taiwan Tourism Award, an honor given by the President and Government of Taiwan in 2015. The same year, Malan Breton – A Journey to Taiwan won Best Documentary Short at the 2015 NYIFF. Malan also starred in, wrote, sang in and directed the documentary. He is the winner of the 2014 European Fashion Council “Eirene” Fashion Award, the 2014 Fashion Icon of the Year award from UCOF, and was nominated for a 2011 WGSN Global Fashion Award.

He is known for designing the look of NBC’s number one rated game show Minute to Win It. Breton has also lent his expertise in the industry to OK! Magazine, Cosmetic Executive Women, Australia’s Next Top Model, The Today Show, Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt, Princeton University, Dallas Morning News, Bravo TV, MTV’s Music Awards, Project Runway, CBS News and countless other press, media, and educational outlets. Malan Breton has been featured in thousands of media outlets around the world, including being featured on the hit AMC show Breaking Bad. He has also been featured on his own Bravo show The Malan Show.

Left to right: John Mahdessian, Dorinda Medley, & Malan Breton.

Malan Breton has dressed celebrities like Ariana Grande, Keith Carradine, Scarlett Johansson, Kerry Washington, George Takei, Michael Buble, Martha Plimpton, Frankie Grande, Minnie Driver, Kylie Minogue, Lea Salonga, Ricki Lake, Daniel Craig, Katrina Bowden, Desmond Child, Sam Witwer, Omar Sharif, Telly Leung, Paul Wesley, and Nolan Gerard-Funk, to name a few. Malan Breton has noted mentions on the Oscar, Grammy, Cannes, Golden Horse, Met Gala 2015, and numerous other A-list red carpets around the world, also dressing 2013 TONY award winner Jerry Mitchell on his winning night, and 2014 TONY Award winner for “Best Musical” Bryce Pinkham. He was also considered to dress HRH Katherine Middleton for the Royal Wedding.

Quogue Residents Participate In Special Holiday House Tour, Cocktail Reception, December 12, 2015

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Quogue, NY – It was a happy holiday event as guests and Quogue residents participated in a special Holiday House Tour which included Quogue houses festively decorated for the holidays. The tour was followed in the evening by a cocktail reception from 6 to 8pm, at one of the residences on December 12, 2015.

I was happy to speak to Benefit Co-chairs Melissa Cook and Maureen Leness about the Holiday House Tour Event and the history of Quogue.

Cognac Wellerlane interviews Melissa Cook, Maureen Leness and Quogue Historical Society President, Chester Murray at the Quogue Historical House Tour Cocktail Reception on December 12, 2015.

Cognac: Welcome back darlings I am Cognac Wellerlane and we are here at the fabulous event tonight. It’s all about the Holiday House Tours that were presented by the Quogue Historical Society, and I am talking to the two co-chairs that coordinated this event for the Quogue Historical Society, Melissa and Maureen. They are going to talk about how spectacular this event really is and this beautiful cocktail party at this wonderful home. Introduce yourselves ladies.

Melissa: I am Melissa Cook.

Maureen: And I am Maureen Leness.

Melissa: We are both board members as well as co-chairs of the house tour.

Cognac Wellerlane chatting with Melissa Cook and Maureen Leness.

Explain to my audience what this event is about, the Holiday House Tours, how many houses were involved and how you picked each house to be in the house tour?

Melissa: We have five houses and one of the houses is the venue for the cocktail party.

Which I might add I think is my favorite house. Right now I think Bing Crosby is going to be singing right at that piano.

Maureen: It is an early 1900’s….It was a farmhouse. I am sure Jeff told you about everything. They have restored it and it’s absolutely fabulous. This is the fourth house tour that Melissa and I have co-chaired, if you can believe it. She reminded me this week that it is our fourth and we have five houses and a cocktail party and everybody really loves it.

Melissa: It has been great. In fact the first two were back to back. We did it one year and then we skipped a year and people asked us why we weren’t doing the house tour. So we do it every other year now. It just takes a lot of time and effort.

I can imagine. What determines to have a house on a tour like this? How do you pick a house? Because there are so many beautiful houses here in Quogue.

Maureen: They have to be a unique property and look beautifully decorated.

Melissa: Also, It has to be available. This is somewhat of a seasonal community so some of the houses may not be available for the holiday season. The owners go away or they don’t open up their houses in the winter time. Some of it is just luck. Some of it is just a board member talking to somebody and somebody talking to them. We already have three houses lined up for two years from now.

Oh my goodness.

Melissa: Once people start realizing how wonderful it is they want to be involved.

There is a house that my Husband and I saw, I forget what road it was on I think it was Quogue Road…

Maureen: Quogue Street

Melissa: Quogue Street

There is a big spectacular Victorian home. That house looks amazing.

Maureen: There are a lot of those houses and interestingly enough we are just about ready to create a historical district in Quogue. A lot of those houses will be part of the historic district. We are spread out a little bit. Quogue goes back to 1659.

About four hundred years old.

Melissa: Almost four hundred years old. People that owned cattle use to bring their cattle over from Southampton and bring it to Quogue because we have these great salt marshes here and that is why we have such a wide avenue of Quogue Street, because it had to take care of these huge herds of animals… so it has an interesting history.

What made you decide to live in this community? Were you born here? When did you take residency here?

Melissa: 2002, We are newcomers. We are very much newcomers here. There are people in the community who go back generations.

Maureen: My husband’s family goes back generations. His family came in the early 1940’s and so that’s the reason why we are in Quogue. Getting back to the house tour what I find so fabulous is how involved the homeowners get, how enthusiastic and cooperative they are. I mean when you see what these people did here it’s amazing.

This by far is probably…between this and the Tudor house this is like my favorite house. It’s just so beautiful.

Maureen: Did you take pictures?

Yes, I did. I took many pictures and I will continue when the party gets underway. I will take some more pictures of people celebrating the holiday season. I am very happy to be here at this event for the Quogue Historical Society and to promote it. I want people in Long Island to know how special each village is and each history of each village….that is so important. Don’t you agree?

Melissa: Yes I do and another thing that is interesting about our house tour is it was instantaneously a new tradition. People look forward to it and it is going to continue on. We have lots of houses. Some of the houses are not necessarily historic but they are as Maureen said “Interesting in their own way.” I think a lot of that is what the homeowners have done to their houses. They start out one way…there is an addition…then there is another addition and they just keep growing in this organic way until you have a very unique building.

And we want to preserve that. It is so important

Melissa: We absolutely want to preserve that. One of the things the Society likes to talk about is instead of tearing down an old house work with that house. You can bring the inside up to the 21st century in terms of your kitchens…

You are right but make sure you keep the integrity of the house.

Melissa: We are very committed to trying to educate the community about doing that.

You are doing a marvelous job ladies and I am really happy to be here and I think this house is just spectacular.

Maureen: We are happy for you to have the opportunity to see it too.

Cognac with Quogue Historical Society President, Chester Murray.

During the end of the interview Co-chair Melissa Cook stated, “This historic district has taken a lot of time and effort and it is one of our biggest accomplishments. It is not exactly signed on the dotted line but the state has. We are giving it a couple more months. I think there is about a hundred houses in it. That I think is something that is a real achievement for the Historical Society. About five years ago we were able to open up what is called the Pond House that you visited today. It is an old building where we have a place to put our collections and we opened up the lower level last summer. We have a lot of artifacts and we want to keep rotating them so people can see them. This building has been fantastic for us. The Quogue Historical Society was founded back in 1947 as part of the Quogue Library. We have started to do a lot more charity events then we use to do. We are making a lot more efforts to expand our reach in the community.”

The Society believes that the preservation and enhancement of Quogue’s historic resources are central to maintaining the unique character and gracious charm of the Village.

The Society is committed to furthering this preservation ethic through such efforts as educational outreach; documentation of Quogue’s 18th, 19th, and early 20th century buildings and sites; and the recognition of historic structures that reflect Quogue’s rare and precious architectural past.

The majority of the Society’s total annual operating budget comes from Member donations.

Your contribution directly supports educational programs, collections care and research, and our work to further historic preservation. It’s really true, they couldn’t do it without you.

To learn more about how you can support, participate, and contribute please visit the Quogue Historical Society.

Step Back in Time For the Holiday Season at The Historical Milleridge Inn

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LONG ISLAND, NY – During the Holiday Season, it is a long time tradition that Long Islanders step back in time and experience one of Long Island’s hidden treasures at the Milleridge Inn in Jericho, New York.

Loyal patrons enjoy a truly unique ambiance of old world charm that is celebrated 364 days of the year at the Milleridge. The Murphy Family has been providing memorable celebrations to generations of Long Islanders for five decades.

The Milleridge Inn features classic American cuisine and specialty menu items offered seasonally. They are open daily for Lunch and Dinner and serve an outstanding Sunday Brunch. Additionally, the Inn is home to ten Private Dining rooms which are a perfect setting for business dinners, family gatherings, birthdays, milestone anniversaries, or special events.

Milleridge Inn Dinner On the Menu at Milleridge Inn


I had the opportunity of interviewing the Owner, Mr. Owen Smith, about the history, village and dining experience of the four hundred year old landmark.

Owen Smith and Cognac enjoy some treats off the menu. Cognac with Owen Smith

Welcome back darlings, I am Cognac Wellerlane and I am here at one of the oldest landmarks on Long Island…four hundred years old…this historic site…The Milleridge Inn. I am here with the owner, Mr. Owen Smith, and he is going to talk about this historical place and the history and why he decided to take ownership of the Milleridge Inn. Welcome to the show. Thanks for having me interview you. It is a thrill for me to be here and to talk to you about this fabulous place.

Owen Smith: Thank you very much for joining us, I look forward to telling you about the history. This building was built in 1672 from Mr. Robert Williams and we have that date because that is on his wedding license. He built this for his new bride. He had come down here from New England because Quakers were not welcomed in New England so he came here. It became a restaurant in 1932 when the Maine Maid moved here from Sea Cliff. It was the Maine Maid from 1932 to the 1950’s and Mr. Clyde Miller bought it in 1950 and made it the Milleridge Inn, and we bought it from him in 1963.

Why did you buy this place? What fascinated you about the Milleridge Inn that you decided to take ownership here?

Owen: Well my mother had been in the restaurant business since she came to America in 1932 and she came from Newfoundland. She had been in the restaurant business all her life and we lived in Oyster Bay. She had the Larraine Murphy Restaurant in Oyster Bay.

Oh really, I use to go to that restaurant with my parents all the time.

Owen: Her maiden name was Larraine Murphy.

Interesting.

Owen: It was logical to buy this when it came on the market.

You have really built it up to be the way it is today.

Owen: Yes we built the village and the cottage and the restaurant is very popular.

It certainly is here on Long Island. It is one of the highlights of the Holiday Season for the people to come and shop in the village and to have dinner at the restaurant. I see that you have very special bread here.

Owen: Yes we have been serving this bread since 1965. We make it here, of course; all our baked goods are baked here at the Milleridge and we also have the popovers. We are very famous for our popovers. We started popovers in the 30’s in Brooklyn. I was thirteen years old when my mother said “Now what do you want to do for the summer? You can look after your cousins, ‘No boy wants to do that’ or you can make popovers.” So I started making popovers when I was thirteen years old.

Dinner at the Milleridge Inn Dinner at the Milleridge Inn

So you still make the popovers. Is that like your most favorite thing here at the restaurant?

Owen: I think so. Certainly our customers think so. I think if we stop making popovers, we would have to call out the police.

So tell my audience a little more about the village…the different shops that everyone can shop at.

Owen: We started the village in 1966-1968. We built all those shops. We have them all listed here on the menu. We have the Toy Store, The Bread and Jam Shop which is where all the baking is done, the Confectionary Shop (we call it the Cafe now), the Luncheonette, the General Store, The Cranberry Cottage, The Christmas Shop and the Larraine Shop. My mother’s maiden name was Larraine Murphy. Larraine’s is mostly Irish merchandise now.

Cognac at the Milleridge Inn Cognac at the Milleridge Inn

The Shops at Milleridge feature traditional shops echoing Long island’s beginnings including a full service bakery, florist, toy & gift shops.

Customers and patrons love to wander through their quaint village of specialty shops and enjoy purchasing their unique items that are available in each store.

Mr. Smith will be retiring at the end of the year and the Milleridge Inn has been sold to new owners, but he has promised me that the Inn will continue to flourish and entertain patrons 364 days out of the year. The Milleridge Inn closes on Christmas Day and has done so since Mr. Smith bought it in 1963.

For more information please visit Milleridge.com

Stars from Around Globe Attend 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala at Hilton Hotel, Manhattan

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NEW YORK, NY – Over one thousand international television professionals and TV Stars from around the globe attended the 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday November 23, 2015 at the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The star studded event was hosted by Egyptian Comedian Bassem Youssef who came all the way from Dubai in the Middle East.

Two Special Awards and 10 Emmy statues were presented by the International Academy during the evening. French programs led the night with 3 Emmys in the Arts Programming, Drama Series and TV Movie/Mini-Series categories followed by Brazilian programs with 2 Emmys in the Comedy and Telenovela categories.

Performances from Norway (Best Performance by an Actress), the Netherlands (Best Performance by an Actor) and programs from South Africa (Documentary), the United Kingdom (Non-Scripted Entertainment) and the United States (Non-English US Primetime Program) received an Emmy.

Academy Award winning Actor and Producer Michael Douglas presented the International Emmy Directorate Award to Richard Plepler, Chairman & CEO of HBO.

AMC-Walking-Dead-Star-Micha AMC Walking Dead Star Michael Cudlitz and Entertainment Journalist Cognac Wellerlane pose for a photo-op at the International Emmy Awards.

Richard Plepler is Chairman and CEO of HBO Inc. and is responsible for the overall management of the world’s most successful pay TV service, which provides the two television networks – HBO and Cinemax – to over 122 million subscribers worldwide. He was named to this position in January 2013. Renowned worldwide, the HBO and Cinemax services offer the most popular subscription video-on-demand products, HBO On Demand and Cinemax On Demand as well as HBO GO and MAX GO, HD feeds and multiplex channels. In April 2015, HBO NOWSM, the network’s highly anticipated standalone premium streaming service began providing audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries.

HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries globally. Under his leadership, HBO’s original productions continue to raise the bar with some of the most innovative, honored and critically respected programming on television including two of HBO’s newest shows, the comedy Silicon Valley and the topical talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. True Detective, which debuted in early 2014, became the most-watched freshman series in HBO’s history. Now In its fourth season, Game of Thrones is a global juggernaut, watched by nearly 18 million viewers per episode in the U.S. alone. As co-president from 2007 to 2012, Plepler, in partnership with Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, greenlit some of HBO’s most acclaimed and successful series including True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom and Game of Thrones, which rank among the top programs in the network’s history, as well as first season Emmy Awards for Girls and Veep. Additional award-winning programs included the miniseries Mildred Pierce, starring Kate Winslet, and The Pacific; HBO Films’ Behind the Candelabra, Too Big to Fail, and Game Change. Plepler and Lombardo also shepherded Cinemax’s first foray into primetime originals with the popular action series Strike Back. Plepler is a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations, where he serves on the President’s Advisory Board, and The Trilateral Commission. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Asia Society and the New York Public Library, and is on the National Advisory Board of the W.E.B. DuBois.

Richard-Plepler-Chairman-an Richard Plepler Chairman and CEO of HBO Receives the Directorate Award.

After Mr. Plepler received the International Emmy Directorate Award he spoke to me about it’s significance.

My Long Island viewers would like to know what this award means to you.

Richard Pleper: This is a proud award for HBO so this company has done such extraordinary work over the last couple of decades,,,really I think in the last seven and eight years. we are just beginning to hit our stride doing some of our best creative work across so many jhanras so this is an award that I accepted from the stage for our team. Our team is the NVP. It’s not about me it’s about our team and I am just privileged to be the CEO of auch an extraordinary company.

Well congratulations you well deserve this award.

Richard Pleper: Thank you very much

Academy Award and Emmy nominated actress Elizabeth McGovern who currently stars as Lady Cora in Downton Abbey and the show’s Emmy and BAFTA Award winning Executive Producer Gareth Neame presented the International Emmy Founders Award to Academy Award & Emmy Award Winner Julian Fellowes, Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey.

TV stars and Actors Michael Cudlitz and Tovah Feldshuh from the AMC Network Show “Walking Dead” presented the Best in the Drama Category.

Walking-Dead-Star-Tovah-FelWalking Dead Star Tovah Feldshuh and Cognac Wellerlane at the 43rd International Emmy Awards Gala on Monday November 23, 2015.

The 10 International Emmy Award Winning programs and performances are: Illustre & Inconnu: Comment Jacques Jaujard a Sauvé le Louvre (The Man Who Saved the Louvre) (Arts Programming), Maarten Heijmans (Best Performance by an Actor), Anneke von der Lippe (Best Performance by an Actress), Doce de Māe (Sweet Mother (Comedy), Miners Shot Down (Documentary), Spiral Season 5 (Engrenages) (Drama Series), Arrepentidos-El Infierno de Montoya (Non-English Language US Primetime Program), 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy (Non-Scripted Entertainment), Império (Empire) (Telenovela), and Soldat Blanc (White Soldier) (TV Movie/Mini-Series).Complete winners information follows this release.

Bruce-Paisner,-Honoree-CEO- Bruce Paisner, Honoree CEO of HBO Richard Plepler and Michael Douglas pose for a photo-op at the 43rd International Emmy Awards.

“Television is a universal art form that transcends cultures, languages and borders,” said International Academy President Bruce L. Paisner. “In light of recent terrible events, the International Academy is particularly proud to congratulate all of the winners- among which 3 from France- for shining a global spotlight on their cultural heritage with the Emmy.”

For a list of this years winners please visit www.iemmys.tv

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