He was the real Marty Supreme’s landlord. Now he’s New York’s king of talk radio

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Some of the world’s wealthiest people are funding space exploration, while others are investing in research aimed at helping people live longer.

When wealthy New York businessman John Catsimatidis decided to pursue a personal interest, he invested in WABC, an AM radio station that had seen better days.

John Catsimatidis, age 77, bought WABC radio in 2019 and has made it the leading talk radio station in the country. Nielsen ratings show it now reaches over 400,000 listeners each week.

He appears on the station’s popular evening show, “Cats & Cosby,” every day. On the show, he and experienced journalist Rita Cosby host lively discussions with both friends and prominent political leaders.

From his studio with a view of Third Avenue in Manhattan, Catsimatidis often appears lost in thought while on air, scrolling through his phone. However, he immediately focuses and offers a clear response whenever Cosby prompts him.

Radio consultant Jerry Crowley, who gave John Catsimatidis his first program at WNYM, described him as someone who may seem a bit sleepy but is actually always one step ahead in a conversation.

John Catsimatidis is a frequent commentator often consulted by President Trump. They’ve been friends and supporters of each other for 45 years, and this connection has put WABC radio at the center of national political discussions.

During a December phone call to WABC radio, Donald Trump unexpectedly told John Catsimatidis about the first U.S. military ground operation in Venezuela, catching some national security reporters off guard.

John Catsimatidis is about to gain even more attention with a small appearance in “Marty Supreme,” the Oscar-nominated movie coming to HBO Max on April 22nd. The film will be available to all 60 million HBO Max subscribers in the U.S.

Josh Safdie, the director of “Marty Supreme,” chose John Catsimatidis to play Christopher Galanis, a financial supporter of the talented table tennis player portrayed by Timothée Chalamet. Safdie explained to Vanity Fair that he was drawn to Catsimatidis’ impressive and distinctive appearance as a local businessman, which he first noticed during Catsimatidis’ 2013 campaign for New York City mayor.

Catsimatidis brought authenticity to his role because he used to rent an apartment to Marty Reisman, the real-life table tennis champion who the film is based on.

Catsimatidis explained that the man filled the space with twenty pingpong tables. He described him as a very driven person who was incredibly competitive – even if he gave his opponent a head start, he’d still win.

Filming the short scene took five days. “It was frustrating doing so many takes, but I respect Josh’s dedication to getting things just right,” Catsimatidis explained in a recent interview from his office, which always has a bowl of fresh fruit available.

Following the Christmas release of the film, Catsimatidis began receiving calls from people he hadn’t spoken to in years.

Catsimatidis admitted he didn’t realize how significant the movie would be. When Josh offered him a part, he thought, ‘Sure, why not?’ and saw it as a fresh opportunity.

Catsimatidis has had more than his share of adventures.

Hollywood Inc.

A bill with support from both Democrats and Republicans is progressing in Congress. This legislation would ensure car manufacturers continue to include AM radio in vehicles. The issue has brought together a diverse group of advocates, including conservative talk radio personalities, immigrant groups, and those who work in rural areas.

John Catsimatidis’s father spent 16 years as a solitary lighthouse keeper on the Greek island of Kandelioussa. He then entered an arranged marriage with Catsimatidis’s mother, and the couple immigrated to the United States when their son was very young.

John Catsimatidis was raised in West Harlem and initially studied electrical engineering at NYU. However, he discovered a knack for sales early on, selling aftershave from the trunk of his car as a teen. In the late 1960s, he purchased a 50% stake in a Manhattan supermarket where he worked, and decided to leave college to focus on the grocery business full-time, much to his parents’ disapproval.

He started his career young, opening ten “Red Apple” stores and making $1 million annually by age 25. Later, in his thirties, he pursued his passion for flying, becoming a pilot and eventually owning a regional airline. Smart investments in property and a successful turnaround of an oil refinery—which he purchased after it went bankrupt—have now resulted in a net worth of $4.8 billion, as reported by Forbes.

Catsimatidis’s success in business led to involvement in national politics. He initially supported Michael Dukakis’s 1988 presidential bid and later donated to Bill Clinton. By 2016, however, he had shifted his support to Donald Trump, a position shared by many WABC hosts, including Greg Kelly from Newsmax and Larry Kudlow from Fox Business Network.

John Catsimatidis has been a regular presence in New York tabloids for decades, though not always for good reasons, as he’s faced legal disputes with unions at his companies. Now, he also navigates the challenges of managing strong-willed personalities on television and radio in today’s highly charged political climate.

He had a disagreement with Rudy Giuliani, who is currently suing him because Giuliani was removed from his hosting position at the station earlier this year. Giuliani was taken off the air after repeatedly discussing unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election – a topic that previously led to a $787 million defamation settlement for Fox News.

Whenever Sid Rosenberg, the outspoken morning host on WABC, is brought up in conversation, John Catsimatidis makes the sign of the cross.

Last month, Donald Trump supporter Howard Rosenberg used a hateful slur, calling New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani a “radical Islam cockroach” on the radio. John Catsimatidis, the station owner, made Rosenberg apologize on air and also issued a separate apology online.

John Catsimatidis, the CEO of Gristedes supermarkets, doesn’t agree with Council Member Mamdani’s political views and had previously said he’d move out of New York if Mamdani were elected. Despite their differences, he says he has a friendly relationship with Mamdani and even offered suggestions on the mayor’s plan to establish city-operated grocery stores.

He said he doesn’t mind what political beliefs people hold – whether they’re socialist, Republican, Democrat, or independent – as long as they’re reasonable and practical.

John Catsimatidis became wealthy by purchasing undervalued New York City real estate during the financial difficulties of the 1970s. This experience led him to see a good opportunity when his company, Red Apple Media, bought WABC radio for $12 million from Cumulus Media.

As a lifelong radio and music fan, I remember WABC being the station to listen to back in the golden age of Top 40 radio, especially during the British Invasion with the Beatles! It really dominated the airwaves all through the 60s and well into the 70s. What was amazing was its powerful signal – 50,000 watts at 770 AM – you could pick it up in an incredible 40 states!

In 1982, WABC began broadcasting a talk-radio format, helping launch the careers of well-known conservative voices like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

The radio station struggled financially under Cumulus, burdened by debt and facing increasing competition from online media.

Catsimatidis wasn’t deterred by the difficulties he faced. As a student at Brooklyn Tech High School in the 1960s, he used to listen to WABC on his transistor radio and developed a fondness for the station. He admired its history and decided to revive its iconic jingles, setting the station’s dial position and call letters to the tune of the classic song “Manhattan” by Rodgers and Hart.

John Catsimatidis even brought in Bruce Morrow, a famous radio DJ known as Cousin Brucie to a generation, from WABC. Now 89 years old, Morrow still plays classic oldies every Saturday night.

However, Catsimatidis’s investment went further than just reviving a beloved brand. He directed the station’s president, Chad Lopez, to stop running weekend infomercials and instead air programs made by local creators. While this meant losing $2.7 million in yearly income, Catsimatidis was firm about the change.

According to Lopez, John expressed his desire to revitalize WABC. She noted that when they shifted to more live, local shows, viewership began to increase.

The station also cut down on the amount of advertising it aired. Most talk radio stations play as much as 21 minutes of commercials every hour, but WABC limits its ads to just six to eight minutes per hour.

WABC doesn’t publicly share its financial details, but owner John Catsimatidis says the station is profitable and reinvests its earnings back into the business. They’ve also been growing their online presence by creating podcasts of their shows and shorter, downloadable clips of interviews.

The radio station rapidly shares news and program highlights on social media. Its live stream reaches listeners across the entire United States and in 176 countries worldwide. WABC programs are also broadcast on 532 radio stations nationwide, including 16 stations in California, like KINS in Eureka.

John Catsimatidis has ambitious ideas, like competing with the BBC or having WABC programming replace the Voice of America, and he’s also looking for struggling radio stations he could improve.

Honestly, the guy basically admitted they just grab whatever’s free. And it’s clear the whole mess happened because of some really bad decisions from the people in charge. It’s frustrating to watch, you know? Like, good material wasted because of poor leadership.

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2026-04-22 13:34