14136 Jill Nicolini Interviews Mr. John Riggio Architect and CEO of John Riggio, RA Architect LLC

Broadcasting from the business capital of the world, this is the Podcast Business News Network. Welcome back to the show, architect and of course, author, pro tennis legend, John Riggio, joining us today here, hailing from New Jersey. How are you?

Good, how are you, Joe?

I'm fantastic, excited to be back with you. Loving our episodes for years now, I've known this gentleman, and he never ceases to surprise me. So, John, tell us what we're gonna get into for today.

Yeah, sure. We're gonna talk about more tennis. There's so many tennis stories and names, and I can't believe it was... Every year is very compacted in time. I think I was told that each year was equivalent to four years in usual time and playing. There was so many different things going on and exciting things. And last year, I wrote a book about my stories, my own court, the life story of tennis legend John Riggio. And this has stories about my tennis when I was younger and my architect profession. It has all different amazing stories. When I was young, learning tennis,

and how I started my own tennis club to really get noticed and become a pro tennis player. And so what happened is, from last week, I'd left out some important details.

They're very interesting things. One of them was when I started playing at Southern East, and I had said this story for one was, even though I was playing pro tennis, a million dollar player, moving up and really playing at the top of pro tennis and ATP. There was also this very nice thing of meeting entertainers. And this whole thing of meeting different entertainers was turning into them wanting me to get married.

So when I was there at the tennis center, there was one person that came there and I talked to me. Was someone that's in the news that has took the fall, had a lot of problems, was that Jerry Upstein? He was there too. He, he came over to me. We were both good people and he said, um. He really likes this whole thing with tennis and entertainment and uh he thought it was great. Of course, came over, shook my hand. And uh right there by the tennis courts, uh overall nice guy. And he also was saying that one of the entertainers.

Um, that are usually around us. Was Casey Ho.

Ah, I know that man.

But the Casey Ho would make a very nice match and he gave the approval for me to go out with her and get married to her. Which was very nice. Him to come over and give me someone to really wanna. Uh marry and things like that, thought I was a good match together. And I thought that was really amazing. Um, I think this whole thing was also developing into something they were calling like having like a trophy wife. Where at the end, they were trying to just to tell her that. We have to get married, that this is really marriage, which is very nice. And um. So that is one thing that happened there at the tennis center. And also I had forgot about some interesting things, but in this whole thing with me and Casey that they wanted me to really make friends.

Um, we did get, I did get to go over to where she works at the Shen in New York City. This is the, this Shen is a clothes company from China. And they have an office here in New York City. Um, I, so her idea was for me to uh stop off at her place of work. She usually is very busy working. She isn't doing fashion modeling. Uh, she was the, of course, the beauty queen over in San Francisco. And um, she was mostly doing clothes designing.

So she invited me over to her workspace and um I went over there. It was so you go into like this like uh it's like a semi industrial type building. Uh went up to her floor and it's a pretty large floor. So if you walk towards the back to the left corner, she had her own workspace. It had like these drafting type tables. They were of course they were drafting tables before dress design. And she had this nice little work area and I went over there. She showed me her designs and everything, her tables. It was a very nice experience.

We were starting to become friends and um I think the one thing about um stopping over there. I was able to stop over there a few times. I don't remember how many number of times I stopped over there. But uh her she envisioned that to be really like a place where I could stop over. And we could slowly get to know each other was it was a nice place away from the tennis center. Um is the I think the only problem that stopped that was um the management that she had there. This is just one day uh it started to surface was with the security there told me. They had to check if I'm allowed to go up there. And I think they let me go up there a few times through that check.

But I think eventually what happened is um the management stopped me and I didn't even talk to Casey. Uh the so the the guy that works at she and the manager like the office manager. Who is a part of their clothes design company. He came down to the lobby. He was talking to me and I had explained to him the whole situation. And of course she checked it out and of course it was a truthful story. Now that we were friends, he invited me, I've been here a number of times. And uh he says that his company, he doesn't want me coming there anymore. It's it's it's you know, it's a workplace. He was saying he doesn't want me there. So her idea of me stopping over there all the time, unfortunately was ended.

But this was a pretty good venture uh uh uh idea and a very nice thing. Uh I think that's also indication of um she liked the idea of getting to know me. She liked this idea, the inter idea of marrying together. She did like it so in all the times we had met, she was always. Saying the same thing, you know, we can get married. Uh, then she used to ask me if I wanna get married and then she said she can get married. And then she said, no, she cannot. She has to stay sort of single with uh someone who was near her. And uh this has been a frustration for a long time with her, with the relationship.

But otherwise, um, things were going pretty good. We get along very well. And uh we've always tried to stay friends, um, so it has been very good. I think what was happening was. From the last time, I also had a tennis tip to say today. But uh, so I think this whole thing was going through about six of them, six times we were doing this. And what happened was the most unbelievable thing. So we went through so many chapters of trying to get to know each other. And I was explaining the last time, this is all the way. So starting off like nineteen eighty-eight, nineteen eighty-nine. They initiate this idea of us um getting married, making friends, and we do, we do take to that idea.

Um, so but then in nineteen ninety-nine, which is like years later. Um, this whole thing starts to happen. I had explained in nineteen ninety-nine, me and her. They were trying to have us get married together and she started to have some frustrations about it. Uh, so we made friends and I, and she told me about her new dress idea that she wants to make. To sell the dress, the clothes. And I've explained before about her going to the networking party. Where she's with some people who become like governors and mayors and everything like that. And um, the only thing about that was that when we went to that networking party.

There was all kinds of interesting things happened. It was like letting like two pet cats out into the, into like your basement or something and they can't find them. And um, so all of these funny things started to happen. Uh, but what, there was all kinds of interesting things that that that took place. I think one of them was, um. Um Angie, who was Casey's friend, who was also Lady Gaga. She uh was coming down to the uh the location for the networking party that I had invited Casey to. And that was called La Barbat. What happened is it started to culminate into a problem where they ended up getting in trouble.

And um to get out of trouble, Casey had to call her parents from San Francisco to come down to New York City to help her out. And um she had to go to court. In fact, I did not initiate any problem with her too. It wasn't my fault. I think even the that bar was a little bit curious about what happened. I ended up uh telling the security at the bar the story, Miss Vanderbilt, myself, and that I'm a tennis player and Casey and uh Lady G. Yeah, Angie, and uh they checked out the story. And they checked out one hundred percent true, of course.

They wanted to see if, you know, the story I'm telling them, they didn't necessarily want to just believe me. So it did check out pretty good. Uh but what happened is at that time, um the her parents came to New York City. So she's telling me I can meet the parents. And uh you know, they can get to know me and things like that. And of course, this is another thing that the the somehow the introductions did not go good. Uh she was very nice. Uh I met Casey and her parents there. They came to that same bar where the problems took place.

Yeah.

And uh she introduced me as her boyfriend and of course, the pro tennis player from the the tennis center. And her father, very unexpectedly and very cruelly, you know, he was saying he he doesn't like Italians. After he asked me my name.

Ah.

It was a very, very cool thing to say.

Ah.

I I don't know, the daughter says I'm her boyfriend and wants me to get to know the the parents. He immediately does not want me. As if everything's my fault again. I did nothing to her at all.

And um so C was of course very upset saying, how could you say that to my boyfriend? You know, and and uh so that was really our introduction. Our introduction and getting to know them did not last very long either. This was, I think the mother liked me, but the father was a little cautious about me and and didn't really wanna make good friends right away. Like you would expect most people would entertain anyone that comes to their family and go out to dinner or you know, talk for a while or something. Immediately, they did not trust me. I have no idea why. Maybe um Casey did not talk to them correctly or something like that.

But what happened is since this controversy took place and there was a big problem and she had to go to court and the security, I informed them, they told us not to return back to that location again. There were too many problems. So I did not return back there. And in fact, what happened was instead of just going home and crying, I met a new group of friends at another location. And um but in fact, what had happened is um um I I so I went, I met some friends at another location. And just by chance, in the coming like couple of weeks or so, I I met Casey um just in a basic networking location.

And she was very eager to um say she's sorry about her parents and she wanted to make up. And we so we did make up together. We made friends again. And so I invited her to this new location. She said she was just crying. She has no more fun anymore. The whole thing stopped over there and she couldn't wait to get to do some new things. So I invited her to this new location where I met a new group of entertainers um that were associated with a Christian church right around the the corner there. And they were very nice and Um. So she came to that new location. There were new entertainers. And um.

Some of them did have stage names and things like that, and it was very interesting. Um. Just as far as what happened to is Casey then brought Angie with her. And um, so this whole thing with us going out and um. Worked very good. Just by chance Casey was busy with networking, making new friends. She was really happy about it. So to real and she uh uh uh I was able to in fact end up. Making friends with Angie again. We started to go out again. So me and Angie were friends again. Uh. I think the only thing that group eventually uh changed when there was this.

One female who was sort of like the leader of the of the group and she sort of wanted Angie and Casey to leave. She didn't want them there anymore, so she asked them to leave. So they weren't able to go there. And I ended up going out with this new. Friend. Named Josephine. And I went out with her to um. To the start end of August. Was like the start of September, which is um September, th- th- this is in the year two thousand and one, September. Right before the horrible disaster in September eleven two thousand run um. My new.

Friend girlfriend that I made there, she left. By the start of August. She had to go to college. And um. Just by chance. Um. The next month in September is when the whole disaster took place. In New York City, so we didn't really go back to Manhattan for a while. Um, in between that time, uh, I was able to locate Casey. What happened with that group also, they realized that, uh, Angie was really the same artist as the Lady Gaga. They were really impressed with that. They, you know, everyone's just an ordinary person. But, uh, it was found out at that time that she was really, uh,

someone who's famous already. And, uh, so I went looking around New York City and I did find Angie and Casey. Um, I just updated the, made amends with whatever had happened and everything was very good. I think that particular day, they had to get into that car with Martin Scorsese. And Martin Scorsese, whatever happened there, there was obviously very extreme because I think what happened on the car, they tried to drive away. And he was willing to try to shoot at me with the handgun. But in fact, Angie had jumped over and stopped him. I was so really unbelievable what can happen.

And, um, but everything otherwise was very good. And, uh, so that was an amazing story what happened.

I think, uh, those stories, they continued on. So this effort with me and Casey together continued on in another chapter months later. Um, I think, um, so, so that was really a very interesting story. And, uh, yes, I, I ended up meeting Casey and I, uh, I still meet her every once in a while. I see her around, uh, it, it was really amazing. I think there was some important points in that story. I think one important point of the story is, um, Casey, in fact, and I was talking about them saying, I have to get married to her and she has to get married to me. She is also an initiator of a lot of these things. She was the one who was telling me that we can get engaged.

I did not say we're ready for engagement. She is the one who said we're ready for engagement. So there's a lot of little double talking back and forth. It's very frustrating what was happening and uh that is one interesting thing. And I think what's happening is the whole thing was also still put together very nicely with that whole entertainment contract. And um we always like to help each other. I think one example of her trying to help me was uh when I was working in my profession. I started to get into wearing different clothes. I started to wear things like these Skecher boots. And like Dockers, uh of course a button down shirt and that type of styles.

She was looking at me and she was saying that's more like the janitor, you know, she thought that was like the supervisor. She didn't really think that that was really uh a style I should wear of clothes. So with her expert designing ability, she was suggesting that maybe I should change my clothes style. That I was going off track. I was being fooled, you know. I'd explain that my clothes, they were coming from um my clients. I think when I first started my architect work, I was even dressed very comfortably. I used to wear like um. Even blue jeans, sometimes button down shirt. I'd wear maybe a black leather jacket.

And my shoes, I started to wear these uh like street car shoes, switching over from just tennis sneakers. So but I think from meeting my clients, they started to give me input how to change my clothes. They thought that I should not dress like that anymore. I think the black leather jacket was getting them a little intimidated too. They thought it was a little scary when I come up to the front door and ring the doorbell. Um I think just just by chance, as I developed and changed, listened to them and changed my clothes. What they were saying was since I changed my clothes and uh.

They get it. They didn't wanna pay me as much money. I think they liked it the other way. The other way dressed very casual, comfortable. I my fees were a little higher. I think they wanted to bring my fees down. It was. They started to get me into a little like um um how you say like maybe like um. Some some kind of thing contradicting what what they had said. So first, the idea to get ahead was to to change how you were dressing. But then they were saying the other way was in fact more impressive. And I think Casey Ho was starting to pick up on the same thing when she was talking to me. She was saying the same kind of idea to me. Uh slowly over the years, I've I've slowly adjusted, taking her advice of what she's talking about.

And um so that is one thing that she was inputting to me. There's just that was one little gift that she was giving me. Which was pretty good. And of course, she's an expert at design, you know, you doing all those designs for Shen over the years and. Having her own company and things like that. So that was really some interesting thing I was getting out of Casey Ho. And of course, Casey Ho is now has her company, uh Balak Lattes and Popflecks. I saw that on Instagram. I really had didn't even know about that for many years and until this thing with the Instagram came up and I finally logged in and. Just by chance, she was there. It was very interesting. Um.

So that was really um an amazing thing that was happening. Um. And I think the very interesting thing about with like Gloria Vanderbilt really following up on trying to get me and Casey together to get married. Was um uh this also involved us even getting a place to live. She was wanting me to live someplace nice. She was willing to have us move in together.

Uh, so this whole thing very positively, she had already inquired about having me move into a good place to live when I was starting to play for them. She was willing to walk me over to somewhere and have me. Uh, I think at that time was probably involved more like in the city, uh, probably more like an apartment situation. I didn't see the exact location she had suggested, but it was probably an apartment situation, uh, maybe living in Manhattan. Uh, so this marriage also would is I would suggest it would follow up with um, moving into an apartment together too. Which was very nice. So she was gonna cover all those things instead of trying to look around and figure out what to do.

Uh, we would then uh, do that together. The Casey and Angela used to live in the same apartment building. The um, so years ago, let's see what we have here and um, so I think one thing this to add, uh, we have a few minutes. So the tennis tip that I was wanted to say, which is really good was um, playing the pro tennis. Uh, when you play pro tennis, you can't just like play casual. You always have to try to take control of the game and uh, I think if you watch pro tennis on television. Uh, the best players would really go at the net.

So I was always taught to try to take control of the game, save your serving or even returning. So for instance, if you're serving the ball, you would serve the ball over to your opponent. If you don't make such a good serve, you probably have to wait to see what he can do with the ball, if he could hit it back. If he could hit it to your left side, if he could hit it to the right side, how fast the ball is coming over the net. If you get a very nice serve and then you see that he is gonna have to lunge for that ball, he's gonna have to stretch over. Immediately what you want to do is you wanna hit right for the net. You run straight up to the net with your racket, you change your grip, you have it ready right on the continental style.

And you're ready there for him to try to hit the ball back over the net and you can just. Do a very nice sweep of hitting the ball right at the net and hitting it cross court. And hit it right on the volley. You don't have to wait for it to bounce onto the ground. You hit it and it goes across and that starts to ruin their whole game. If you can able to immediately go up to the net and hit the ball back and it's a passing shot. You're already starting to take control of the game. You already have one point. On their opponent. And then you're ready for the next serve. The same thing can happen with the next serve. If you serve a very good serve. You go right up to the net again.

And they have to try to hit it past you if they're if they're trying to really. Stretch at the ball to return it and the ball's gonna come back over the net. Right in the middle, the same exact thing. You change your grip. And you just hit it very nice on a volley. Cross the court. And you can score points. I always used to use this. Um, playing pro tennis, I was always very much of a player going up to the net. I think if you watch tennis or even people like to play tennis, they don't care about playing too much net playing. But um, playing pro tennis and really getting the points to win the match. You really have to go up to the net. You have to really uh.

Hit the ball, get it past your opponent. And uh, stay um, in control of the game. Staying in control of the game, getting up one point or even two points is gonna make the opponent. They're gonna get depressed. They're not gonna know what to do. And uh. Sometimes depending on what player, if you do something like this, they sometimes they even complain and they. Saying, you know, you're not allowed to just, you know, win the game. They can. Yeah, and that's good. They start to get frustrated. But that is really the the best way to play is to stay. Uh, aggressive, stay on top of the game.

And not to let yourself get back, not wait for the opponent to really make his shot. Uh, that's only when you make a uh, hit on the ball and it isn't so. Uh accurate a hit or the ball's going over a little slow, then you have to sort of go into a defensive. And the next thing in the defensive after that is if you get yourself into that problem is to pop the ball up. Uh if you get yourself into a problem where you the ball went over not so good and they hit the ball back to you trying to get a passing shot. You're in a situation where you're gonna have to pop the ball up in the air, you're gonna have to get back into position. Sort of like to prepare yourself to to get a correct shot on the ball.

Concentrate and then uh hopefully on the next hit back, he can't get a passing shot and then you you're back trying to go for. A um a nice long shot and then approaching the net again, going going up to net as if. The next shot is sort of like your serve, you would hit the ball, say down the line and then you go right up to the net. If he if he's on the lunge to hit that ball, you go right up to the net if same idea of you try to hit it down the line and somehow. You weren't able to get a good hit on that ball, you're gonna have to stay back at the baseline again. Take your chances and and wait again. So the idea is really to um stay.

In control of your game and always try to to get in there and get the passing shot on the opponent um. At the pro level, you don't want to play around. It isn't really the same as recreational tennis. You want to get in there and really get the point on him. And uh that is my tip for some.

Alright.

Explain.

Thank you so much. And John Riggio, how can we contact you?

Yes, you just go to www.johnriggio.com or you can go on to a couple of locations. I have X. Um just put my name in or you can go to my Facebook page, John Riggio Pro Tennis Player and I have all kinds of different photographs and links. Everything's there.

Perfect. Thank you again for being here. As always, we appreciate your time and thank you for being our professional of the year and always being so professional. Yeah, awesome. Thank you, John.

Welcome. Hello, my name is John Riggio. I'm the CEO of John Riggio A Architect LLC. I provide architect services in the New York City metropolitan area. That includes New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

My areas are specifically Long Island, the Five Bottles of New York City, Westchester Yonkers, in New Jersey, it is North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey, in Philadelphia, the areas of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. You can find out more information about my company at www.johnriggio.com. That's spelled J-O-H-N-R-I-G-G-I-O dot com. And there you will find out the description of my work.

It shows a portfolio, pictures of the different job types. And I also have my contact information there. It shows my business address. From there you can contact me and we can discuss your project. First, we will make an initial consultation. And then from there, we will then go over designing your project and then constructing your project. So I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you, bye.

Broadcasting from the business capital of the world, this is the Podcast Business News Network.

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