Chuck Shute Podcast

Michael Lombardi (The Retaliators, Rescue Me)

October 03, 2022 Michael Lombardi Season 4 Episode 284
Chuck Shute Podcast
Michael Lombardi (The Retaliators, Rescue Me)
Show Notes Transcript

Michael Lombardi is and actor, director and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of the Probationary (Probie) firefighter Mike Silletti in the critically acclaimed hit television show Rescue Me. He has a fun new horror movie out now (in select cities) called The Retaliators that features a lot of really cool cameos. The soundtrack features Motley Crue, Papa Roach, and Five Finger Death Punch. We discuss the true story that inspired this film, working & learning from Denis Leary, future projects and more!

00:00 - Intro
00:41 - Retaliators Cameos & References
06:17 - Retaliators Plot & True Story
12:41 - Rescue Me & Retaliators Tie In
15:28 - Justice & Morality in Film
17:34 - Production of Film & Script 
18:53 - Working & Learning From Denis Leary
23:05 - Retaliators Sequel & Other Projects
25:45 - The Other Michael Lombardi
25:10 - Last Knights with Morgan Freeman
29:50 - Leary Firefighters Foundation
31:43 - Outro

The Retaliators Movie website:
https://www.retaliatorsmovie.com/

Leary Firefighters Foundation website:
https://learyfirefighters.org/

Chuck Shute website:
http://chuckshute.com/

Support the show

Thanks for Listening & Shute for the Moon!

Chuck Shute:

Hey guys stick around because today we have Michael Lombardi he's the star of the new movie retaliate errs, you know him from rescue me and lots of other stuff. And he's here to talk today about the new movie, the true story that inspired the idea for the movie. Plus working with Dennis Leary and his future projects coming right up. Before we get to the interview if you could real quick make sure to like and subscribe to this video if you're watching on YouTube that will help get the word out about this interview and helps promote my channel and the movie. Thank you so much just watched your movie last night actually. Thankfully, I you know I loved it. It's right up my alley. With even with a down to the music and the cameos and stuff like I love 80s horror. The throwbacks I totally got it it made sense to me.

Michael Lombardi:

I'm so happy yeah, you know it's now for everyone but to me no good movie is you know what I mean? Like it's it's definitely you have to get it all those little wings at the at the throwback feel like you said the little easter eggs in there and a jump genres and all that kind of stuff. But it's cool that you you went on a trip with it cool, man.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, I love like, it was fun to just count the cameos and like, you know, what's his name? Brian. Whole. How do you say the guy from clerks? Oh, Howler. Yeah, yeah, that was cool. It's like, oh, that's a guy from clerks. I was like, wow, that was like an awesome cameo. And then I think I saw I didn't even see this listed on the credits, but I thought I saw doc coil from bad wolves that like the therapy meeting or whatever. Yes, bro. Yeah, because I was like, That guy was the the guy did my show. But he didn't have any lines. He was kind of like an extra.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, he had a couple lines. But But he had a good look to him. I thought he staff performance under his eyes, which was huge.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah. And then Tommy Lee plays a strip club DJ, how does it How does he prepare for that role? I wonder?

Michael Lombardi:

Well, it's funny. Part of what we were trying to do was cast each musician in their cameo. So it was seamless as well. Like I wanted to make it a film first. Because to me, if you go if you see a movie, and there's eight rock stars in it, or musicians, you're kind of like, oh, man, I think for me, it could be hard to take seriously right? And be well respected as a film in the genre. However, I think actors, musicians can make wonderful actors because they're storytellers. But that being said, we put a lot of thought into casting each person in wanting to make sure they were comfortable with it. And obviously Tommy Lee being the DJ at the strip club, you should hear him talk about it. It's pretty funny. Not a big stretch.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, no, I just saw them on the stadium tour. And he gets out there and now he just announced he has an only fans like it guys. Hilarious. Yeah, totally. It reminds me of like the CAMEO though. Like, did you use the I'm sure you saw Jerry Maguire. Do you remember like Jerry Cantrell's cameo in that movie? Yeah, like he just had like one line, but he killed it. He's like, That's how you get great, man. You put your balls out there. He's just like this guy in the coffee shop. And I don't even know if I put two and two together until later. And then I was like, Wait, that's the guy from Allison chains like, and he killed it. It's like, so I get what you're saying. Like you cast them in the right role. It totally fits. And because I don't know, watching them like I think this is a guy from a band. But I don't know every band but I couldn't tell who was a rock musician and who was an actor.

Michael Lombardi:

Well, thanks, man. Then Then, literally my job and my goal and sort of my dream when I got the project and having access to these all these incredible musicians. And then of course, there's built in core audience right and this amazing music. I think the film gives a great wink to those great films of the 80s and 90s. Like the Lost Boys the crow judgment night. So that musical aspect just jumped off the page from the beginning but to have access to them through better noise. Alan Kovacs, the CEO and founder of better noise music that represents Motley Crue Five Finger Death Punch, ice Nine kills Papa Roach on and on, he had the he had meatloaf and the Beegees in the day, he's got Debbie Harry now. So anyway to have access to them. And in a way where we're not like independent filmmakers paying Tommy Lee, like half of our budget to get him for the day. It's like app calls him and goes, Look, you know, I want you to be part of this film that I'm doing. And the goal was for it to be a symbiotic relationship. And what I mean by that is for film lovers and people of this genre to go and see the movie, go on a crazy journey with the movie and enjoy the music and then look it up afterward precisely like you were saying and be like, wait a minute, the bad guy coin Brady. Jacoby Shaddix. He's the lead singer of Papa Roach, but I think he's so good in the park, that you might think he's an actor. And of course, like the five fingered guys who played the motorcycle gang, or all these burly tattooed guys with dreaded beards. I mean, you couldn't, you couldn't cast better I think if you if you if you ask me, but then we have this access to this incredible built in core audience for the film who likes this genre, but then bringing new viewers and audience members to the music, which I think really obviously there's a lot of it in the film, but point is I didn't want any of it to be too gratuitous, you know, and there is a lot of music but I think the important thing is that it supports the scene well and the actors and the objectives and sort of the ride that the audience should be taking emotionally.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, it's just fun you know, it doesn't it doesn't I don't think it takes itself too seriously like some like down to the some of the gore and stuff like I don't want to spoil it, but like some of the gory stuff, I'm just like, Oh, that was cool. Like, that's like, do you ever see that movie dead alive in the 80s? I think it's called brain dead in Europe, but it's like it's Peter Jackson, the you know, the guy that did Lord of the Rings. It's like the zombie movie.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah. Yeah, obviously, it has that Evil Dead field too.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, a little bit. It's not like over the top like those ones. But yeah, there's a little bit of a well, what I love thanks,

Michael Lombardi:

is that you have this great story and that's what attracted me first and it's crazy like the acting it's a slow burn to between the IV and the pastor. And this story in this fundamental like, I think core foundation of the film is this provocative question. If you had a minute alone with a person who hurt or killed your loved one, would you take it? And I think it's about you know, revenge which is the oldest story in the book, right? It's that primal, primal instinct of it's, you know, like a saber toothed tiger attacks, caveman's kids that clan goes and hunts the saber tooth tiger, right. It's been a lot. It's been around since the beginning of time. But I like that in this story. It's through like the man of a cloth of the cloth and, and the religious aspects. So that's what really drew me in. But then it doesn't take itself too seriously. Like you said, the third act gets crazy in this, you know, tearing ish kind of way and some of its over the top. But it's, I love that that sort of balance.

Chuck Shute:

That's perfect. So explain the story because it's kind of interesting. You know, the screenwriters, you wrote music with them, but then also there's a rescue me tyin because the film was inspired by a true story based on their sister, who's now a female firefighter.

Michael Lombardi:

This is crazy. Okay, so get this. It's so serendipitous, and it's a tremendous story and horrifying. So I'm going to take you through the details. Okay. So basically, when they were so that the gear brothers wrote the story, and their little sister Jodi, they said when they were kids growing up, you know, she was the kind of kid they were 12 she was eight years old, always a tough kid. Like, if you started a fight with her, she'd hold on to your leg and keep fighting. She was just this spirited, young girl. So cut to about maybe around 18 years ago, now she's 18 years old. And she's walking home from a party in Northern California. And it was just her and her girlfriends, and they were all walking to another house. And she took her own route. She lived there. So she knew it. And she sort of went by the freeway. So she's walking. And she said she it's about midnight. And she felt like a jogger coming up behind her. And she's like, wait a minute, this is a weird time to be jogging. And all of a sudden, tackled down the side of a ravine. That guy ran up behind her tackle. And she said, the way she explains it, it's just it's, it's so surreal and unbelievable. Like in that moment. It's like looking out your window right now and seeing a dragon like that this was happening to her. She gets tackled down this ravine, a guy beats her beats or she's fighting in her spirit doesn't she's fighting and fighting and he's like pulverizing her and he puts a belt around her neck and starts to strangle her and she goes out brutal attack, rape, she starts to come to and she hears him walking away. And she you know, she she takes the belt off and she climbs up the ravine and she said that she ran into the middle of the freeway. So So cars can see her coming from both ways. She's like barely dry. She gets in the car. She goes to the hospital. She does the rape kit, the whole thing and she's very outspoken about this now and she wants her story told and she did then. So she said that when she went into the bathroom to do the rape kit and she looked in the mirror and she she saw her face, and it was the first time she saw her she couldn't even recognize her up, she was so beaten. And she had to call her. She called her mom to tell her what was going on. And she said, Don't Tell dad. You know, like that's and and now of course, her dad's gonna know and come but this is how she felt in the moment and to hear her say it will give you you know, goosebumps and anyway so does the rape kit. So several years go by, they never catch the guy, okay. And she's dealing with a lot of course and their family is so cut to about five years ago, this is approximately 12 years after this happened. Oh my god, there's a woman in a taxicab in Northern California and the guy pulls to this desolate area and tries to rape the woman she escapes, brings the cops back to the area they scour this area and they find a used condom they take it do a test on it matches Jodi gears from 12 years earlier. So they get the guy right DNA match now they're their families going through these traits all brought up again of course enabled there's a lot of kids in the family brothers and sisters. So now their dad has to go through this all like every day of trial and of course God and there was one guy on the jury who didn't go for the belt around the neck being you know attempted murder so there's a certain amount of sentence you'd get with that without that anyway they ended up getting the guy for full he's a put away for basically life at the end of all this and but during this trial the crazy thing was they the one brother in trying to there's so many crazy things so this isn't the crazy thing but this is what they came up with in trying to a way to heal. They started writing either retaliate errs and they said if there were the one brother said to the other Darren to his brother Jeff and said, you know, what, if there were a service where we could they could get this guy and we could have a minute alone with them. And they started as a creative outlet writing the retaliate errs. So the film is not about her brutal attack and rate but it's about this concept, religious to in their family, and, you know, but here's the other the crazy serendipitous part is that when this happened to her when she was 18 years old, she was in firefighter school. So she became a probie. After that, I was on a television show called rescue me post 911 New York City firefighters on the effects network with Denis Leary. And I played the proby firefighter on that show. And rescue me became her favorite television show and me her favorite character because I was the rookie in show. So was she at the time. And she talks about all this you should have Iran or I wish she was on with me, because it's, you know, I'm telling her story, but pretty well from my experience with her and then having the responsibility of playing this part. But anyway. So she was it was her favorite show, because rescue me was a very, that the guys were portrayed as real people with flaws. Ie problems, even though they were firefighters at the end of the day and running into burning buildings. When people were running out and their heroes. It showed like the old chief had a gambling problem. And yeah, you know, and he's in an apartment and he got a pan falls over like an old woman in money. It was where she hid her money and he takes it right in the moment. He ends up returning it. Yeah, Bing is human issues, human bad instincts, things that you shouldn't do things that people do and regret. All the fire fighters in my show was so respect that it had all these elements and some of the firefighters had PTSD. So her dealing with this real life situation and feeling all these emotions and things she was for years after she loved rescue me because she said oh my god, you know, I'm a firefighter. These things have happened to these characters. And she knew it was a TV show. But that was one of the goals of Dennis Leary who produced this and starred in a created it was to make it as real as possible. So to put these guys as I said, shine a real light on their humanity. Anyway, it was one of her favorite shows and it also had a lot of comedy so she'd laugh and then here I am, be the lead in the film that's inspired by her story. And now get this. She is one of the few female firefighter kept Since in America, she's so it's so it's a it's a superhero story at the end of the day.

Chuck Shute:

That's yeah, that's amazing. I didn't know all the details of that of that. That's crazy.

Michael Lombardi:

You crazy man. And you know, I'm sorry for the long. It's just it's it's it's a long story, but it's so interesting. Yeah.

Chuck Shute:

Well, I think harder. Yeah, talking about the trial, and how one of the guys didn't believe it or whatever. And that reminded me of the part of the movie where one of the perpetrators gets out after six years for caging torturing and raping victims. And so I thought this is kind of a shot at the justice system right now, because I feel like our justice system, I mean, I feel like probably, it's still one of the best in the world. But there's definitely still a lot of flaws, too. So you're kind of calling that out in the movie.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, exactly. The flaws like the religion, morality, justice, all these issues. And to get back to what we're saying is what attracted me about the script without even knowing the origin of the script? Was the story. But then, again, like you said earlier, there's times it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's at the end of the day, it's a fun popcorn film, right. And it's a crazy roller coaster ride, but it's the kind of movie where maybe, if we're lucky, you can go out afterward have a drink or dinner and talk about it a little bit, you know, the issues that it does raise?

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, the revenge. I mean, because who probably hasn't at least had that thought about getting somebody alone and having that moment with, you know, a perpetrator like that, for sure.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah. And I think that's like the thing. Like, if you're watching the film, half the people are like, Yeah, good. Um, yeah, maybe the other half are on the fence with it. But is it right or wrong? Could you really hurt somebody if you were in front of them? You know, like, it's kind of crazy. If you really could like draw blood or poke their eye out or whatever, even though they're horrible. They did this. It's another and watching it from your seat, but then being in that moment.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, cuz some people will just they want justice they want they gotta go to jail. They don't want it. They can't hurt another person. Yeah, yeah. Especially in the moment. You don't know when we I don't want to spoil it. What happens with this one? Like, can the guy do it? Can he not? It's like, it's kind of like, you got to watch the movie to find out.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, you do. And I think you'll go on a heck of a ride. And it's unexpected, too, which, you know, like I said earlier, the movies, not for everybody. But I think what you will is be shocked, surprised and has some crazy twists and turns in and again, at the end of the day, it being a revenge tale, I don't think there's been one quite like this. And again, I'm talking, I'm proud of the film, because you want to know why. Because I, it's one thing to read a script and fall in love with it, and then try to get that script on the screen. There's a lot of whether it's egos whether it's pivoting, because you couldn't get a location, you know, the crew was phenomenal, but fighting COVID During this and having so being shut down through the Screen Actors Guild, because there was so much concern, rightfully so of course, but like someone who wasn't on set, got COVID, but we got shut down just to, you know, for for concerns. But, again, dealing with all those things, I think the things that I loved about the script, now that the movies out there, I'm hearing people talk about a little bit. And I'm going wow, that was one of the things that I fought for from the beginning. So that's cool, you know, and, and again, you know, not everyone's gonna like it, but I don't really want to make a movie that everyone's gonna like, I want to make a script that I like, and that I believe in, because it's all about passion, and work. And if you don't have that, you're never going to never do it. You know, I mean, you have to like it has to be like the only thing you can do at the time. That's how much you have to love it, to try to bring it across the finish line at the end of the day, you know,

Chuck Shute:

for sure. So when you're working with guys like Dennis Leary, and Alan Kovac, I mean, these guys are at the top of their game. What do you learn from them? Because Dennis Leary, I think he does more than just act right? Didn't he produced the rescue me too, or kind of? I mean, he's, he did a lot of things with that show. So he must learn from what and you want worked with denzler and other stuff, too, right?

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah. And you know what, man? I did, like I did this little guest star in his show the job he had on ABC. And it was with Karen Parsons, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, like I was a guest star. And she was in the show as it was a funny little episode. I was a guest star. And then, you know, I met him. We became friends. He's a huge ice hockey fan and player and I am too and then about a year later, I did a show on Comedy Central with them. It was a spoof on Project Greenlight. Number that Ben Affleck mapping and it was a spoof on that it was really funny. It was called contest Searchlight, and it was on Comedy Central at the time. And so I did that and then a year later I read for rescue me so it was a lot and then rescue me. I was on for 100 episodes, actually, you know, with 98 but then we didn't many So anyway, about 100 episodes, it was a long, long run as a series regular, but, you know, I learned so many things from the guy, because as you said, he made his own path he produced, he starred, he co created, because you wait around for your agents and managers, and we all need them, but you don't, you have to go, you have to go after it. And you use them to then negotiate the deals that you're bringing in, or the work that you're bringing in. So, you know, his work ethic is tremendous. He's from, you know, in Western Mass, his dad was a mechanic like he, he's just a real guy. And his work ethic was tremendous. And I think his number one, it's all about the work and all the rest of the stuff comes but also his, he can run a crew, you know, not everybody is your friend Work is work. And you have to, obviously treat everyone with respect and admiration and you know, for doing their job, but the job needs to be done. So I think when I was putting this situation of being we had a 50 person crew and being in charge and leading the way, being truthful and upfront with people, if you're not happy about a creative decision, and always listening and learning, I don't know, I could always learn I don't think I've had a problem personally with those aspects. But I think of knowing what I want, and then being able to run through walls for exactly that no matter who gets in my way, might have been a challenge for me in the past. But I guess all these years of now experience, I was finally able to do that, I guess on this film, hopefully. And so but that is an important thing that I see in Allen, and Dennis as leaders, as people who believe in their vision, as Alan is a CEO, he's leading a major company. And when I talked about the work, getting a know is when the work starts, you know, you have to turn that no into a yes. And that means figuring out what you need to do to get it and again, all about the work and the rest comes like me being on this podcast with us. Amazing, right? Thank you for having me. And it's a privilege but that's after three years of work from this thing. You know, I can now I'm going man, I hope I can get another one I hope I get to produce and I have several other scripts I love I if I'm lucky enough to act in it, produce it co direct it, whatever. That's where my mind is now. And we're still bringing this thing to digital and streaming. So it's not even done but the work ethic and being a leader. I think it some some guys like those guys might have been born with it and had it a lot earlier than I have learned it but it sir, you can learn you know? Yeah, no,

Chuck Shute:

that's awesome. I love when you hear no, that's when the work starts. That's that's a good one. I want to remember that. You guys already have a sequel that's already planned. It sounds like the second one's kind of almost written. Well,

Michael Lombardi:

you know, the gear brothers had so much fun like through this process. And as I told you, I started with therapy. They were able to outline a lot through this and through this concept. So they have Yeah, they have a whole this can go on for a while they've gotten a lot. Okay, if the things well received and people enjoy the ride. We've got more in store as well as some other films as well.

Charles Shute:

Oh, okay. Very cool. And then yeah, I know you also have some other movies coming out the plan B romantic comedy with Tom Behringer and John hater from Napoleon Dynamite basically.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, brother was so fun. It was funny because after doing this one, which was so intense, exhausting, like, you know, I, I didn't sleep for a long time because as I said, at the end of the day, when you're playing this character is going through all this stuff and all the stunts and you get home you're in the shower or back at the hotel for an hour getting the blood off, and it's about putting the fake blood. There's a lot of fake sticky blood in this movie too. So dealing with that, then you're then you're putting out fires and doing stuff for the next day. So anyway, after all that was so fun to jump on that film Plan B, because it's all like it's a romantic comedy, and it was just so ridiculous and fun improving with the actors and it's light, and Tom Berenger is the man. He played my dad in it. And that guy's got some stories, man, holy cow. 86 or 89 feature films. I mean, we all have our own jobs

Chuck Shute:

in major league like, Oh, he's

Michael Lombardi:

my favorite. Well, yeah, he's something so that was cool.

Charles Shute:

And then are you doing a movie with Did you do a movie with Nicolas Cage called the old way?

Michael Lombardi:

Now, but you know, I did do a movie with Clive I'd love to do something with Nick Cage that guy sick. Did you see Mandy by the way?

Chuck Shute:

Which one is that? Is that the new? It's a horror but

Michael Lombardi:

it's in the vein of like the style like he's Yeah. retaliate. It's a great like I saw that

Chuck Shute:

the one in the one where he plays himself. That was really fun.

Michael Lombardi:

Dude, I haven't seen that yet, but it's really good. He's great man. You gotta love the cage. But what the movie what were we just talking about before that the plan B? No plan B on Behringer top

Chuck Shute:

retaliate errs.

Michael Lombardi:

No you said Were you in Are you

Chuck Shute:

there was some movie called The old way that I thought it said you had you listed as you are as a credit. She was Nicolas Cage way.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, I don't know. Maybe I'll take

Chuck Shute:

maybe. Did you ever get confused with the other Michael Lombardi like the NFL guy?

Michael Lombardi:

Yes.

Chuck Shute:

Because it was trying to find interviews with you. I kept I kept finding his name. I couldn't find your interviewer that to scroll like through stuff. It was weird,

Michael Lombardi:

dude because it's he's got to be related to Vince Lombardi to get that so much pole. You know, that's it has to be probably it is. You know what I was gonna tell you though. That's what it is. I did a movie. This is another great homage with Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman. Engel. Last night's where I was in product for over like four months it's like to fun movie it's like nights of no specific age like or time period it's really crazy gear, costumes and wardrobe. And it's castles all throughout Czechoslovakia. And there's another guy man I can put him in a category speaking a Clive of like a dentists are now like that guys about the work the projects he picks, like, you know, if you're at the bar grabbing a couple pops with him after a day shooting. He sits with the stuntman. You know what I mean? Like he's like, he's the guy. He's a guy's guy. He's a phenomenal actor. And you know, hell of a guy i This film on, like I said, it's about like, Morgan Freeman flew in and filmed like two days on it. And he did like a four page monologue coming from another movie. He's got like a photographic memory. So it was I came in and he was so amazing to watch in it live, because he's Morgan Freeman. You know, he

Chuck Shute:

doesn't Yeah. Does he talk like that for everything? Does he do the Morgan Freeman voice like when he's having lunch and just like you know, like, oh, take a pepperoni and sandwich or like it's gonna be a surreal to hear that voice just doing normal everyday things.

Michael Lombardi:

It was it was I just watched him I watched him. And then I watched the monitor. I was just watching both and like he didn't even move he was just like, just so grounded and he delivers the speech to Clive, and then and you know, like the film Morgan Freeman's like the Emperor Clive's like his right hand, man, and then there's 1000s of knights, but it's about Clive's group of like five and I'm one of them. Another sick actor. I when I think of this film, I have to bring up Cliff Curtis is his name. This guy, he's like a chameleon. He's from New Zealand. And did you see Ethan Hawke with cheeses and I'm getting old man, forgive me. I can't remember the movie. But he this guy's one is an old one. An old one. He played Pablo Escobar in the movie. He was the Ethan Hawke one. I catch the two cops, man.

Chuck Shute:

Oh, training day.

Michael Lombardi:

So I in that movie? Yes. The guy who put Ethan Hawke in the bathtub, and he's about killing the gang guy. And then he takes he sees he finds the daughter's his little sister's number. That's Cliff Curtis the gang he like he played Pablo Escobar and blow he played that gang guy. He's a comedian avatar. He's an amazing actor. So the point that I guess I'm getting at is you just learned so much from the work with you know, man, like their work ethic, their their acting chops, what they bring, what they layer into their characters before they come who they are. And all this just I guess makes you who you are at the end of the day. And if you're lucky enough to have that kind of career be around those people when you're young. I guess you get it a lot earlier. But not only do you have to be lucky enough to be around them but I guess they're and and open enough to be able to take them in as well and learn

Chuck Shute:

and have the desire to do it to make a movie to to have a really good acting job and all those kinds of things. Because some people might be in the business but take it for granted or not work as hard and you're ready for

Michael Lombardi:

different reasons, you know, just to say yes, yes. Yeah.

Charles Shute:

Very cool. Well, I want you to go on and then you got to probably million interviews. I always end each episode with a charity. Those are a charity. Want to give a shout out to her then.

Michael Lombardi:

Yeah, thank you so much. I would actually and that would be the Leary Firefighter Foundation. Uh, so Dennis Leary started this after in Worcester, there was a terrible warehouse fire, where six firefighters died. And that was the biggest loss up to date. And it's called the W six that happened in Western Massachusetts. So we started Leary Firefighter Foundation, which since then, obviously 911 really shined a light on everything, of course, and 343 firefighters died in 911. And Dennis's charity not only is given to the families, he was, I think the second charity of all charities in that year of 911, to actually hand a million dollars out to widows and families. And he's done so much. It's a it's an incredible charity. There's some amazing people on the board. And what he does since then it's been forever now. But like I said, he started it before 911. And so he'll provide ropes in tools and supplies for firefighters to go and do their job properly. Not only to save people, but to keep themselves safe as well.

Chuck Shute:

Oh, that's really cool. Yeah, it's funny. I never I'd heard of rescue me. I never watched it. But then last night, before I got your movie, I was like, Well, I can't find the movie. I'll watch rescue me. And I just watched the pilot and I was like, Oh, this is awesome. This is right up my alley. So now I'm hooked. I got to watch all 100 episodes or whatever. So

Michael Lombardi:

we'll do a show man. game today. It's very rare. Yeah, that's true. Because it's firefighters a bunch of dudes in a firehouse and girls Yeah,

Chuck Shute:

it's like manly man. I there's not a lot of shows like that. So it's right up my alley. I love it. Thank you so much. Love the movie, too. And hopefully it gets a good reception.

Michael Lombardi:

Thank you so much for your time and having me in your thoughtful questions, man. I appreciate it.

Chuck Shute:

All right. Have a good one. Michael, see you later. Bye. Okay, I don't know what a pepperoni sandwich is. So I'm not sure what I was talking about there. But I think you get the gist. That was a fun interview with Michael. Thanks again to him and his PR team. Make sure to check out the retaliate errs movie. It's on the move right now to different cities. And it'll eventually be on streaming too. And you can follow both Michael and the retaliate errs movie on social media, along with myself and the podcast if you're so inclined. I appreciate all your support with likes, comments and shares. It really means a lot to me and I'm eternally grateful for that. The guests appreciate it too because it helped promote their stuff as well. So have a great rest of your day and remember to shoot for the moon