Geraldo’s Firing Has Local Connection

Not that long ago, you'd spot one of America's most recognizable TV reporters, Geraldo Rivera, at local places like Not Your Average Joe's or other familiar venues. He had a home nearby because he was married to a local girl, C.C. (Cynthia Cruickshank) Dyer, from 1987 – 2000 and has two daughters from that marriage, Isabella Holmes, born 1992 and Simone Cruickshank, born 1994. Having been married five times and having fathered five children, Geraldo, who'll turn 72 on July 4th, is no stranger to the South Coast and has many friends around here. But his local connections made national news recently because of a local political contribution he made to a New Bedford mayoral candidate back in 1985.

I did a double-take, when Geraldo told FOX News Anchor, Megyn Kelly, that he was fired from ABC News in 1985 for not disclosing a $200 donation to a family friend running in a non-partisan mayoral campaign, in New Bedford, MA. He contends that the real reason he was fired was because of an unrelated reason - he was estranged from his boss Roone Arledge, after Arledge spiked a 20/20 story about the Kennedy brothers' private romantic meetings with Marilyn Monroe.

But, the reason given for Geraldo's firing was the undisclosed $200 donation to John Bullard's campaign! He went on to say that ABC is bending over backward to minimize and forgive George Stephanopoulos' $75,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation because he is central to the network's recent success. Here's a second local connection. George Stephanopoulos lived in Fall River for a while, when his father was pastor of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church. As they say, you learn something new everyday!