Ira's Everything Bagel

Noshing With Ed McDonald – October 15, 2026 Author, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies What happens when a federal prosecutor takes on the mob—and winds up playing himself in an Oscar-winning movie? Former federal strike force chief and “Goodfellas” actor Edward McDonald joins Ira to discuss his extraordinary career and his book, Chasing Goodfellas: Lufthansa, Henry Hill, Point Shaving, and Making Movies. From the infamous Lufthansa robbery and encounters with Henry Hill and Jimmy “The Gent” Burke to the Boston College point-shaving scandal and his experience working with Martin Scorsese, Edward shares remarkable stories that prove truth can be stranger than fiction. Watch Full Podcast Video ABOUT EDWARD: Edward McDonald headed the Justice Department’s largest and most successful Organized Crime Strike Force in Brooklyn throughout the 1980s. He was responsible for the convictions of the leaders of four of the five Mafia families in New York, over sixty La Cosa Nostra capos and soldiers, more than seventy corrupt labor union officials, and countless others associated with the LCN. He also successfully tried New Jersey Senator Harrison Williams and successfully prosecuted five US congressmen.  A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Ed played himself in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film Goodfellas and appeared in three other films. He has been a fixture on television, with appearances on news shows including Good Morning America and Today, and countless organized crime documentaries, including GOTTI: Godfather & Son on History/A&E/Bio and The 5 Families on Netflix. In private law practice in New York since 1990, he has been praised by the Legal 500, which said, “the ‘excellent Edward McDonald’ lives up to his reputation as ‘one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York.’” A graduate of Boston College and Georgetown Law School, he lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Mary, a short walk from his three sons and five grandchildren. Watch the full Podcast Video <a href="https://www.chasinggoodfellasbook.com/">Chasing Goodfellas Book        Website        </a></p>

Noshing With David Watson – October 8, 2026 Author, Forward Only: A Memoir What happens when a troubled life of rebellion, crime, and consequences finally leads to accountability? On this episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” I talk with David Watson, author of Forward Only: A Memoir, about an extraordinary and deeply personal journey from childhood upheaval and grief to crime, prison, self-reflection, and ultimately, redemption. Watch Full Podcast Video David was raised by his grandparents after his mother gave him to them to raise. He was a good kid and a good student—until the death of his grandfather when David was just 12 years old sent his life in a very different direction. What followed was decades of what David describes as a “catch me if you can” mentality. He was arrested more than 30 times, repeatedly managed to escape serious consequences, and eventually found himself facing federal charges for credit card fraud. In 2018, David was arrested by the Secret Service and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Then, during his first year behind bars, he learned that his mother had died. That moment—and how he initially responded to it—became part of a much larger reckoning. David began examining the choices, behaviors, and patterns that had shaped his life. He started writing down what he had done wrong and researching what it would take to become an “upstanding citizen.” We talk about the moment when the light bulb finally came on, why he decided to write Forward Only: A Memoir, what he learned from a business management class in prison—including the true value of a dollar—and why he says, “You can’t buy time.” David also discusses the importance of his family today and why he founded the Redemption Foundation this year to help others find a different path. He wrote Forward Only in just six months, but he says he never wanted the book to glorify his crimes. Instead, he wanted readers to connect with the person behind the mistakes—and to understand that change is possible. This is a raw and remarkably personal conversation about grief, rebellion, crime, prison, accountability, second chances, family, and redemption. <b>(Also Watch Full Podcast Video)</b> ABOUT DAVID: David Watson is a Texas author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Redemption Foundation. Raised by his grandparents in North Texas, his life changed forever at twelve when he lost his grandfather—the man who raised him. What followed was a turbulent journey across the United States and beyond, through arrests, foreign jail cells, devastating loss, and ultimately more than seven years in federal prison. Rather than hide from his past, David chose to confront it. His memoir, is an unfiltered account of consequences, accountability, family, loss, second chances, and redemption. Today, David uses the lessons of his past through writing and community work to encourage others—especially young people—to understand that their worst decisions do not have to define their future. David Watson             Website Watch the full Podcast Video

Noshing With Lee Woodman – October 1, 2026 Author, Heartscapes Award-winning poet Lee Woodman joins Ira for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of poetry — and why poetry is far more than words on a page. The author of Heartscapes (published by Shanti Arts Publishing and the seventh book in her acclaimed “Scapes” series), Lee talks about the growing connection between poetry, rap and hip-hop, and why she believes today’s performers can be remarkably sophisticated with language and lyrics. Watch Full Podcast Video Lee explains why performing poetry can create a different experience than simply reading it, the phenomenon of the crowd, and her lifelong fascination with sound and what she calls “tongue language.” She also gets into the technical side of poetry — rhythm, language, sound and structure — and even discusses the influence of performers such as LL Cool J. Her own story is equally fascinating. Lee grew up in France and India before moving to the United States at 14. She discusses why she considers herself a “global citizen,” her work at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, and the transition from nearly 50 years in Washington to becoming a full-time poet. Lee also explains how her “Scapes” series began, reads a moving poem about her mother, and explores the themes at the heart of Heartscapes: love, family, nature, loss, renewal and the unexpected moments that give life meaning. It’s a conversation about where poetry is going, where it comes from — and why it continues to make us think. Lee Woodman, author of the “Scapes” poetry series, is winner of the 2026 Indie Reader Gold Discovery Award, the 2025 Independent Press Gold Award for Poetry, the 2025 Nautilus Gold Award for Poetry, and the 2020 William Meredith Prize. Her six published collections include Heartscapes, Colorscapes, Soulscapes, Artscapes, Lifescapes, Mindscapes, and Homescapes. All these books that treat inner and outer landscapes—literal, emotional, cultural, spiritual. Her essays and poems have been published in Poet Lore, Tiferet Journal, Zócalo Public Square, Grey Sparrow Press, The Ekphrastic Review, vox poetica, The New Guard Review, The Concord Monitor, The Hill Rag, Naugatuck River Review, Tulip Tree Publishing, and The Broadkill Review. Lee has been profiled on the following radio shows and podcasts: KJAG-FM, WSIU-FM, KMA, KORE-AM, Goodnews Broadcasting, Ron Van Dam, KLTF, WAMV-AM, WMST-AM, Steve Maggi, Cyrus Webb, Cover to Cover Book Beat, with RodgerNichols, Grace Cavalieri’s “Poet and the Poem” at the Library of Congress, “The Packaged Tourist Show” at The National Archives with Andrew Dibiase, “The Authors Show” with Don McCauley, and “Gab Talks” with Gabby Olczak. She believes poetry is a reflection of all creative expression: dance, music, drama, visual arts, and language. Lee Woodman            Website Lee Woodman            Facebook Watch the full Podcast Video

Noshing With Mark Kawar – September 24, 2026 Author, America, but Bigger: Near-Annexations, from Greenland to the Galapagos What if Greenland, Mexico, the Galápagos Islands — or even parts of Indonesia, Syria, or Russia — had become part of the United States? Those may sound like alternate-history fantasies, but according to Mark Kawar, they were real possibilities at various points in American history. Watch Full Podcast Video In this episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Mark, author of America, but Bigger: Near-Annexations, from Greenland to the Galapagos, talks about the fascinating history of America’s attempts, interests and ambitions to expand its territory. Mark explains why he began writing the book in 2019, why Greenland provides such a timely bookend to the story, and how America has continued to expand its influence without necessarily adding new territory. We talk about the difference between annexation and influence, the surprising story of Rio Rico, tiny potential acquisitions in the Caribbean, the United States’ interest in the Galápagos Islands, and the concept of Manifest Destiny in the 21st century. We also explore countries and territories that at various points might have preferred U.S. annexation or statehood, the unique position of the Marshall Islands, and what American history might look like if some of those possibilities had actually happened. Would the United States have looked very different if Greenland — or all of Mexico — had become part of America? Mark Kawar takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of near-annexations, American expansion, territorial ambitions and global influence. <b>(Also Watch Full Podcast Video)</b> ABOUT MARK: Mark Kawar is the author of America, but Bigger, a narrative history of the many times the United States could have expanded beyond its current borders. The book examines failed attempts to annex places from Canada, to Cuba, to Greenland, and beyond, and what those moments reveal about how Americans once debated power, borders, and empire. His writing has appeared in The New Republic, American Heritage, Law & Liberty, and The Hill. He lives in Falls Church, Virginia. America But Bigger                Website Mark Kawar                            X Watch the full Podcast Video

Noshing With Marilyn S. Greenwald – September 17, 2026 Author, Jane Fonda: There’s a Great Deal to Say What happens when an acclaimed actress becomes one of America’s most controversial activists? This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” I talk with Marilyn S. Greenwald, author of Jane Fonda: There’s a Great Deal to Say (published by Rutgers University Press) about the complicated, fascinating and often misunderstood life of Jane Fonda. Watch Full Podcast Video Marilyn takes us behind the scenes of her research, including her journey to Fonda’s personal papers at Smith College, where a significant portion of the archive includes her FBI file. Interestingly, Marilyn initially had no intention of writing another Jane Fonda biography. We talk about the origins of the “Hanoi Jane” label, Fonda’s activism and why that controversy has remained part of her public identity for decades. Marilyn explains how activism became such a central part of Fonda’s life—what she describes as roughly 95% of her life—and how Fonda’s experiences in France, the cultural “new wave,” her marriage to Roger Vadim, and her return to the United States helped shape her activism. We also explore Fonda’s marriage to activist Tom Hayden and what she learned from him about being strategic; celebrity activists; the balancing act between Hollywood and political activism; and Fonda’s trip to North Vietnam. Marilyn discusses Fonda’s continuing regret about posing with an anti-aircraft gun, while noting that Fonda has said she does not regret going to North Vietnam. And there are some surprises. Marilyn shares what she discovered about Fonda’s relationship with veterans and the letters she received, along with an important detail about Fonda’s memoir: she really did write it herself, without a ghostwriter, and personally fact-checked it. It’s a conversation about celebrity, activism, Vietnam, controversy, personal history and the woman behind one of the most recognizable names in American culture. ABOUT MARILYN: Marilyn Greenwald is a professor emerita of journalism at Ohio University and the author of five biographies, including those of Leslie McFarlane, the first author of the Hardy Boys series of books;  of social justice activist Eunice Hunton Carter; and of New York Times columnist Charlotte Curtis, “A Woman of the Times: Journalism, Feminism and the Career of Charlotte Curtis,” which was named a Notable Book of the New York Times.  Marilyn Greenwald     Website Marilyn Greenwald     Facebook Marilyn Greenwald     LinkedIn