An Army of Normal Folks - Hakki Akdeniz: The Once Homeless Immigrant Who's Donated 200k Slices of Pizza (Pt 1)

Episode Date: May 14, 2024

Turkish immigrant Hakki Akdeniz ended up homeless in New York City after a friend didn't keep his promise to help him settle there. Through hard work and a ton of normal folks supporting his greatness, Hakki has built a food empire with 20 restaurants that includes Champion's Pizza and frozen pizza that's in 1,600 stores! This walking billboard of the American Dream has 35 million followers on Instagram and it’s largely because of his incredible generosity. We celebrate all of this as part of our Supporting Greatness series.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People they work for me, I always tell them, you know, like, when people come to our store, and you know, they say that homeless do not ever give them hard time, please, if you guys give them a hard time, you give me hard time. When homeless people come to you and they ask you food, they're hungry, you don't feed them, you don't give them food and a can of drinks like sodas or whatever like whatever they wanted. If you don't, if you know like kick them out and you don't respect them, there's only one way I can fire you. I don't care you're gonna sue me. Because this is like I have like handbook and this one of my roots I made it I put in my handbook.

Two slices of can of soda so it doesn't cost me slices of can of soda. So it doesn't cost me nothing. You know that It's like it doesn't cost you nothing. You know, we have like 15 stores like champion How many people they can come my store like 100? big deal Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, and I'm an entrepreneur, and I've been a football coach in inner city Memphis. And the last part,

well, it accidentally led to an Oscar for the film about our team. It's called Undefeated. Guys, I believe our country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits using big words that nobody ever uses on CNN and Fox but rather an army of normal folks, us, just you and me deciding, hey maybe I can help. And today we've got a powerful feature from our special series Supporting Greatness where we've interviewed not so

normal folks like Mike Rowe and Medal of Honor recipient David Belavia. But instead of blowing smoke up their, you know what's, we celebrate the normal folks and unsung heroes who supported them and helped shape their life and the support of their greatness. And the reason our guest, Haki Akdenis, said mistreating the homeless is like mistreating him is because he was once homeless until normal folks supported him.

Today, Haki has 35 million followers on Instagram and it's largely because of his incredible generosity. I cannot wait for you to meet Hockey right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. The big take from Bloomberg News brings you what's shaping the world's economies with the smartest and best informed business reporters around the world. Western nations like the US and Europe. Mexico will likely have its first female president. And then you have China.

And help you understand what's happening, what it means, and why it matters. He'll get his yo-yos to Europe in time. But the longer this drags on, the more worried he's getting. They knew that they needed to do this as fast as they possibly could to get a drug on the market as fast as they could. I'm David Gorett. I'm Sarah Holder. I'm Solea Mosin.

We cover the stories behind what's moving money in markets. Basically everyone was expecting, if not a calamity, certainly a recession. I'm Solea Mosin, and I've covered economic policy for years. Big Take on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Solea Mosin, and I've covered economic policy for years and reported on how it impacts people across the United States. In 2016, I saw how voters were leaning towards Trump and how so many Americans felt misunderstood by Washington. So I started the Big Take DC. We dig into how money, politics and power shape government and the consequences for voters.

It's an election year, so there's a lot of focus on the voters that TikTok is reaching. The initial reaction is like, oh, things are looking so resilient. I don't want to be too pessimistic, but I just don't see the political will down in Washington right now to change their tune. I think the American electorate has been signaling that it expects a rematch of the 2020 election. These are unprecedented times. With new episodes every Thursday, you can listen to The Big Take DC on the iHeart radio

app, Apple podcasts, or whatever you get your podcasts. MTV's official challenge podcast is back for another season. And guess what? So are we. Just in case you forgot, I'm Tori Deal. I'm a six-time finalist and a challenge champion. And I'm Anissa Ferrer, and I've been gracing your screens

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podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome everybody to a new episode of supporting greatness. As our listeners will know, we occasionally break from our typical Army of Normal Folks forum, and we talk about supporting greatness. And today we have with us somebody that you're going to find vastly interesting, Haki Akdenes, who's a pizza guy. And what's so great about that? Well, you're going to find out. And Haki, just first, thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Yeah. So people just heard your accent and they know you're not from Mississippi. So where are you from, Haki? Actually, I am Kurdish from Turkey. And I've been in New York City for 23 years right now. Growing up in Turkey I think you were one of about 85 children weren't you? How many siblings did you have? A bunch. Yeah we do, we do you know like we have like 16 brothers and sisters. Oh my gosh. I am 17th year. I'm the 17th. Did your mom and dad just have nothing else to do? Well, I guess so. Yeah. And so when you were 17 years old, you actually immigrated to Canada, I understand,

because your brother was there. What was that like being a Turkish Kurd in a massive family leaving Turkey and showing up in Canada. It must've been a little bit of culture shock for you at first. The beginning, yes, it was a little bit shock for me. I thought everybody's speaking Turkish or Kurdish in Canada when I went over there. Yeah, that was the biggest shock for me.

And then, you know, like I'm from very small village in Turkey. And when first I went over that I see like Montreal, there was like a tallest building. A lot of people walking around here. And, but obviously the end of the day I see, you know, like, and I learned, I get the culture. I stayed with that for a couple years. Yeah, it was really good. I mean, it was my dream to go over there and you know. So here's the world. This 17 year old kid shows up from Turkey from a small village and a huge family,

culture shock in Montreal. We're gonna fill in the blanks, but I'm gonna let our listeners know, along the way, you were homeless, along the way you had all the money you saved up stolen from you from a person that was a friend of yours and we're gonna get into all that and we're gonna get in the people and the organizations that helped you get where you are today because again you're a

normal dude who's reached amazing heights but you know those people on the way that supported your greatness, we're going to have an opportunity to talk to talk about. But let's just jump forward. Today you own Champion's Pizza. And I think you have like 13 locations and you've got frozen pizzas in 700 stores and you've been on discovery documentary. Tell us about where you are today and then we're going to go back and fill in the gap. So we have actually 15 location champion pizza right now.

15. Yeah, 15. Amazing. And I have like non-champion pizza. So we have over over 20 right now all together. I have like taco shop. I have like sandwich shop I have like three other pizza. We has no name. I have like Dominican restaurant. So all together we have over 20 and The frozen pizza we are about almost a 1600 supermarket 1600 pizza we are about almost a 1600 supermarket 1600. Okay, do you pinch yourself? I mean, you're from Turkey, a little town in Turkey and you were homeless. Look at you now. Do you just can you believe it? Oh, well, I always believe it because like without belief, there's no something like you know, like, no something like a future path.

I always believe. I believe in two things, to be a good person, to have a good heart, and believe in God. So those two beliefs for me is important. Yes, the documentary we did for Discovery Channel. Raynel is in Turkey playing on blue TV. And we won a Toronto Film Festival. And two weeks ago, we won like a Toronto Film Festival. And two week ago, we won like a Fargo Film Festival.

And I think this week, I hope, pray for God, you know, like it's called like Baltimore Film Festival. So they nominate us, but we don't know if we're gonna win or not. I know the excitement you're going through because when the film about me won the Academy Award, I went to all of the same festivals you're talking about and it's just exciting. But it's also humbling that people are so inspired by your story. And I can only imagine that with all the excitement,

you still have to be looking around going, what? I'm from Turkey. I was homeless. And I mean, it's just it's it's phenomenal where you are. And obviously, congratulations on your success. But hockey, hockey, we got to divert because really this particular episode of an army of normal folks, the supporting greatness really isn't about just you. It's about the people that supported you getting there. So first, tell me about your brother in Montreal. Well, I went over there in Canada. I worked with him for like a couple years, I think was like four years. And he was my hero. He helped me a lot. He teach me, train me, he always there for me. But at the end of the day I couldn't get my green card.

So I didn't left the country because you know like we have issue with my brother or like other cousins. I have issue because I couldn't get my green card and they deported me. But then when I came over here and I found another brother, I mean, we're not blood, like blood family, but he become like my true hero, actually, and here in New York City. So your brother in Canada helped you to assimilate, he supported you, and then you get to New York. And when you come back, and you don't have a job,

you don't have, I think I read you had what, 240 bucks in your pocket, is that right? Yeah, it's so funny. Yeah, actually I went over there yesterday. So right now I'm opening another store right next to Motel on 42nd Lane Avenue. When I come to Scranti, I stay there and I just find beautiful location right next door.

No kidding. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna open place over there. So as another good, I will say like another good feeling for me. When I come over here, when I came over here it was with the big hope, with the big like we say like American dream. Friend of mine, he invited me to say, Haki, if you come to New York, I'm gonna help you with a job. I'm gonna help you with the place that you can stay. And don't worry about like financially.

So obviously when you work, you will be able to make more money than Canada. So when I come over here, that friends, he make me wait two and a half days at Port Authority. I always call him, he answer my phone, yeah give me one hour, give me two hours, I will come, don't worry about it, da da da. So he make me wait at Port Authority and I was scared, I was afraid to go out because I don't have a cell phone. And he cannot reach me, I have to reach him know like where I am but the end of the day he didn't come so I'm gonna say thank God that he didn't came otherwise I will not be haki who I am today.

That's weird that you would actually that you would actually thank God that the guy didn't come pick you up and help you but you seem to look at all of these things along the trek of your life that were difficult. You always find the silver lining. You seem to think of the worst times of your life as blessings. No, I mean, as like I always say, things happen life is for a reason. It's not us, someone you know, like make a plan for us. And God always, He do, if you have a like, if you know your plan, it will destroy you for your future. It will destroy right away, give you better plan.

And I always believe, like He always give me the better, the best plan. And He protect us very well. Not just me, all of us, He protect us very, very well. I mean, that guy, the guy, he didn't help me. He came work for me 12 years later. And you know, like when I opened my second store, that guy, he worked for us actually. The world came around. And now a few messages from our generous sponsors, but first I hope you'll consider becoming

a premium member of the Army at NormalFolks.us. By becoming one for 10 bucks a month or $1,000 a year, you can get access to cool benefits like bonus episodes, a yearly group call, and even a one-on-one call with me. Frankly, guys, premium memberships also help us to grow this army that our country desperately needs right now, so I hope you'll think about it. We'll be right back. The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you what's shaping the world's economies with

the smartest and best informed business reporters around the world. Western nations like the U.S. and Europe. Mexico will likely have its first female president. And then you have China. And help you understand what's happening, what it means, and why it matters. He'll get his yo-yos to Europe in time. But the longer this drags on, the more worried he's getting. They knew that they needed to do this as fast as they possibly could

to get a drug on the market as fast as they could. I'm David Guret. I'm Sarah Holder. I'm Saleh Amosin. We cover the stories behind what's moving money in markets. Basically everyone was expecting, if not a calamity, certainly a recession. But the problem is that that paperwork, as our reporting showed, is fake. Someone who's covering the market, I'm often very worried about an imminent collapse.

I'm thinking about it quite often. Listen to the big take on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Solea Mosin, and I've covered economic policy for years and reported on how it impacts people across the United States. In 2016, I saw how voters were leaning towards Trump and how so many Americans felt misunderstood by Washington. So I started The Big Take DC. We dig into how money, politics and power shape government and the

consequences for voters. It's an election year, so there's a lot of focus on the voters that TikTok is reaching. The initial reaction is like, oh, things are looking so resilient. I don't want to be too pessimistic, but I just don't see the political will down in Washington right now to change their tune. I think the American electorate has been signaling that it expects a rematch of the 2020 election. These are unprecedented times. With new episodes every Thursday, you can listen to The Big Take DC on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or whatever you get your podcasts.

I never thought I'd take my three young kids to Sicily to solve a century old mystery. But that's what I'm doing in my new podcast, The Sicilian Inheritance. Join us as we travel thousands of miles on the beautiful and crazy island of Sicily. As I trace my roots back through a mystery for the ages and untangle clues within my family's origin story, which is morphed like a game of telephone through the generations. Was our family matriarch killed in a land deal gone wrong? Or was it by the Sicilian mafia? A lover's quarrel? Or was she, as my father believed, a witch? Listen to The Sicilian Inheritance on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. So $240 in the hotel you went to, that couldn't have lasted long in New York City. Actually, it was not a hotel. It was motel. It's cheaper than hotel. So I stay over there like six days and when I'm going to pay the last day that I have to stay and my money was not enough. And I take my luggage and I just, you know, like go around. I thought, you know, like Montreal is big high building.

But when I went Times Square, 42nd Street, I see all the lights on the buildings, you know, like the traffic in Times Square, 8th Avenue as a whole. Oh my God. That is American dream. Wow. I don't know how I'm going to meet it, but we'll see. You're calling it the American dream, but you're literally homeless at this point. I mean, you know, like, it it was that was my dream to make it happen when I come over here so that's what I come to Scunchy to make it happen you know and but uh that it make me stay in two weeks in the street before I find a homeless shelter it's called Bowery Mission. Yeah and Bowery Mission is

another you know we talked about know, we've talked about your brother, we've talked about the guy that was gonna help you that didn't, that ultimately helped support your greatness and around about way. And then the third one was this, Bowery Mission, which is they took you in and gave you a place to stay. When I went over there, they welcomed me like a family member and I stayed over there for like 96 days. And you know, like, you know, like you could you sleep over there, you eat over there, you take shower over there.

They teach you like Bible, they, they, they, it's like, I mean, it's like five star hotel for you. And obviously, God, you know, like, Bowery Nation is like very personal to me a lot of people that say Hakee it's been 23 years and you still like you know like think so deeply yes I do and I will do the rest of my life because you know like you know like I always say know like when you go through something and when you see other people, they go through like same thing that you feel it. That's why you feel the pain. And Bobby mentioned is like, is that feeling for me?

Like I always, it's going to be very special place in my heart for the rest of my life. We will end and we will end our conversation with the unbelievable philanthropic work that you do now but I gotta believe your heart for the homeless started at Bowery Mission when you were a homeless yourself and among the homeless. Yeah I mean you know like all a lot of people they say, Haki are you rich? Are you that rich? You have so much money that you're giving back? What you give every Wednesday and Sunday, you go to Shri, and you make people stay in line, you give clothes, you give medicine, you give food, you know, like we give them job. Why? Like, why? What's the reason? I mean, there's no such a reason, be honest with you. The reason is like, for me, like I said, it's too personal for me. I was there. I was one of them. I've been there.

I know that pain. I know that feeling. I know like you know like what they've been going through. It's not such a like a option. It's not such a like a choice to become homeless and especially like you know like New York City. I mean when you walk on the street you know like you know like New York City. I mean when you walk on the street you know like you know like New York City is not like easy street just make it happen. People like here are, when you see like homeless guy on the street, if you go talk to him, is there really a choice for you to become homeless? No it's not choice.

So what is like, what was the other option? Other option for him or for her to have a place, stay to take like, you know, like warm shower to have like warm, hot, you know, like meal, to have a family like us make a phone call, you know, like to celebrate like Thanksgiving or like, you know, like Christmas, like, you know, like New Year with them. So no doubt, Broward Mission is unbelievably important to you and that they supported you, but they formed you. Your whole idea of homeless

and serving your community started there. And somehow you bounced around and found a place called Hoboken Pizza and the man who owned Hoboken Pizza. Tell us about him. Sorry about that. Why are you getting emotional? I mean, like the motion, like when you see people on the street and they don't have like anywhere to go and those people they like they're suffering and we are living the biggest strongest country in the world and we have like the most homeless people on the street and you know like.

I wish we all united and just become together and you know like like I say know like each one and teach one and just help them and support them bring it back like you know their community they should be be aligned they should be part of you know like all of them they have like parents, you know Like so many of them they have a kids and then they're lost You you literally feel their pain don't you I Mean just not me we all are human, you know, we all have that pain before them I Think it's beautiful. We're going to get to it.

Everybody listening, we're going to get to the fact that Hockey doesn't just mourn for the homeless. He does stuff for them. But along the way to get to be able to do that, you ran into a guy that owned Hoboken Pizza and you said, hey, I'm a pizza guy. And the Hoboken Pizza guy took a homeless guy in that really didn't know what he was doing and gave him a chance. Talk to us about him. I'm sorry, guys.

I was saying... I think, Haki, I think it's beautiful that you're emotional about this. It just speaks to how Authentically Appreciative you are of everything you've been able to accomplish. I think it's beautiful Hoboken pizza I think it's beautiful. Hoboken pizza. Hoboken pizza.

When I went over there, obviously, you know, like I was unclean. I was like, you know, like unhappy. And you know, like, it just you're homeless. Yeah. I mean, like every day I was looking for a job, different places, different location, and, you know, like, because the language, you know, I don't speak like word of English and it was tough for me to find a job. Uh, the guy, he, he hired me, his name, Jumali. He's a, he's a Kurdish.

So first one I went to him, uh, he asked me like, what do you know? I said, I'm a pizza guy. And then he say, wash your hands and okay, and you know I make one pizza. I Was not able to make a good one. I messed up the first one and I asked him would you please give me another chance? He give me another chance and I make another one and you know like I make mistake again I messed up the pie and he get a little bit angry. He said he cursed and take it up, you know, like I make mistake again, I messed up the pie and he get a little bit angry. He said he cursed and ticked up, you know, that because I put two pizza garbage, the first two.

And, you know, like he's saying, like everybody call them this up or pizza master because they want to make more. They want to ask more money. OK. And, you know, like I say, you know, like, like no I'm really I'm a pizza guy but just I'm so nervous I'm shaking okay I'm just scared they're not gonna give me job he said come on and he called the manager and you know like he said teach this guy you know like kitchen work the place he was have a basement so I want basement I learned everything from scratch you know like the new style you know like those souls you, like they wish to make a gyro, Turkish gyros, kebab. So I worked at kitchen over there for like almost like four months.

One day, the pizza guy didn't came. He didn't show up. It was St. Patrick's Day. And St. Patrick's Day in New Jersey is like the biggest day and you know, like nationwide for Irish community so that day the pizza man he didn't came he didn't show up his name Carlos and My boss and the other guy that was like moving around they was so busy and My boss each got to make a pizza and he had another pizza guy

but he was not good good enough to make a fast pizza And you know like then I move I go over there and I take the door and I stretch it I flip the door I know that basic trick Okay, and I make I put a sauce cheese and oven make another one another one, but he look at me. He gets shocked And he said like he Turkish way like cursing. Okay, but J jokingly. Okay. He said what the F you know, like He's like he's like nice like that what what are you doing? I was so fast, okay I said what I'm a pizza man. I told you I make a pizza for five years in Canada. You didn't give me the chance

He said what don't you tell me? What don't you tell me? I said, you kicked me out. You guys call me pizza man. You want to make more money? I said, no, I was not here to make more money. I want to just tell you like I'm a pizza guy. So I sat that day as a pizza guy. He gave me job. I work over there. So it just, it was like blessed. But the first paycheck, I cannot forget. I'm gonna tell you We'll hear this moving story about hockey's first paycheck right after these messages from our generous sponsors The big take from Bloomberg News brings you what's shaping the world's economies with the smartest and best informed business reporters around the world. Western nations like the US and Europe. Mexico will likely have its first female president. And then you have China.

And help you understand what's happening, what it means, and why it matters. He'll get his yo-yos to Europe in time. But the longer this drags on, the more worried he's getting. They knew that they needed to do this as fast as they possibly could to get a drug on the market as fast as they could. I'm David Dura. I'm Sarah Holder. I'm Saleh Amosin.

We cover the stories behind what's moving money in markets. Basically everyone was expecting, if not a calamity, certainly a recession. But the problem is that that paperwork, as our reporting showed, is fake. Someone who's covering the market, I'm often very worried about an imminent collapse. I'm thinking about it quite often. Listen to the big take on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Solea Mosin, and I've covered economic policy for years and reported on how it impacts people across the United States. In 2016, I saw how voters were leaning towards Trump and how so many Americans felt

misunderstood by Washington. So I started The Big Take DC. We dig into how money, politics and power shape government and the consequences for voters. It's an election year, so there's a lot of focus on the voters that TikTok is reaching. The initial reaction is like, oh, things are looking so resilient. I don't want to be too pessimistic, but I just don't see the political will down in Washington right now to change their tune.

I think the American electorate has been signaling that it expects a rematch of the 2020 election. These are unprecedented times. With new episodes every Thursday, you can listen to The Big Take DC on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or whatever you get your podcasts- Welcome to season 9 of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. It is 2024 and we're going to get through this together, folks. My campaign promise to all of you here on Next Question is going to be a good time the whole time, we hope. I have some big news to share with you on our season premiere featuring Chris Jenner, who's got some words of wisdom for me on being a good grandmother, or in her case, a good lovey.

You know, you start thinking of what you want your grandmother name to be, like are they going to call me grandma like I called my grandmother? So I got to choose my name, which is now lovey. I'll also be joined by Hillary Clinton, Renee Flemming, Liz Cheney, to name a few. So come on in and take a break from the incessant negativity for a weekly dose of fascinating conversations. Some of them, I promise, will actually put you in a good mood. I loved it.

Your energy and joy. I'm squeezing every minute I can for you out of this season of Next Question. Last question, I promise. You have to go, I have to go. But it's been so fun. And I can't wait for you out of this season of next question last question, I promise you have to go I have to go but it's been so fun and I can't wait for you to hear it listen to next question with me Katie correct on the I heart radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

So he didn't know I was homeless. He doesn't know. Okay. So I woke up with that for six days. I don't know if you know like in New Jersey and New York, you know, like not too far from each other. Right. But from Manhattan to go to Hoboken, you have to take like four different trains, you know, like N train, seven train, W. They take a patch train to go to New Jersey. And the first one I went over there it took me eight nine hours it was I thought

it was so far because I got lost until I find the place but when I walk over that night time when I finished the work I really don't know how to come back in New York to Bowery Mission because I thought was like so far so I was working night time I work I worked my job at finish and night time at 3, 4 a.m. I sent everybody go home. There was park right across from the store. So I used to go sleep in park in a bench over there for like a week for six days. Until they give me my paycheck, the first paycheck I get checked. So he give me the money and I went to bathroom, it was $300. I went to the bathroom and I cried so much. I just cried like I'm a little emotional person. I just cried a lot. One of the sold like a minute to me and the manager, he heard me, he knocked the door. He said, what happened? What happened? I opened the door. He started crying. He said, what happened? I show him

the money. He said, wow, it's not too much money. I know, I know. He said, happened I show her the money. He said wow, it's not too much money I know I know he said no like I know he's not giving he didn't give you too much money And then I said no no no this is a lot of money Three hundred dollars like it's so much money. This money is gonna change my life He said three hundred dollars a lot of money for you I say yeah, man is a lot of money and you know like then I cry and I tell my story to manager and I said, please don't tell the owner, I don't want him know that I'm homeless, he's gonna kick me, he's gonna fire me. He said, what are you saying? I said, yeah. Then he got upstairs and he told the owner that I'm homeless. And the owner came, he looked at me like meanly,

he never smiled. He was like, you know know like he has a mean face. He said you're homeless but like a Turkish is like so mean. You're homeless? I said yeah. He said like why don't you tell me? I said well I mean I don't know what to say. He said what do you say? I said like I sleep crouched in the park and how about before I said I sleep in a Bowery mansion like homeless shelter. He. He said, what? And he take me, he give me hug, you know, like he kiss my hand, you know, like he said, don't cry, don't worry, buddy. He get emotion. So we went upstairs and he opened a can of coke and we drink, we talk and I tell my story to him. He says, OK, don't worry. Today you come with me and my home.

So I went to his house. I stayed over there for like maybe two, three weeks until he find like apartment for me that I moved. So I mean, you know, like he's my hero, he's my true hero. Right now he's my best friend. I know him for 23 years. He was your guardian angel. Without him, you would not be where you are today. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. But I always he asked me favorite. I don't call favorite something that I have to always, you know, be there for him. I become like he's like second son actually. So that's a great story. But that doesn't lead to 15 stores and 1600 frozen pizzas and documentaries.

100 frozen pizzas and documentaries, along comes Johnny the Albanian. Tell us about Johnny the Albanian. Johnny, Albanian, the language we call him Tati, Tati, which is like a father, daddy. We call him Tati. Got it. father daddy we call him puppy got it so yeah uh johnny um so first one ever that um i have like uh 45 000 safe you know like i really want to open my pizza shop uh the first me one of my guy my best friend and 2001 to 2005 me we saved money i don't know if you know about the little story so we worked so hard you know like we was going, you know, like we, we save money. We don't go out.

Everything for us, like McDonald's, it was like for us, like Michelin star. No, really, because we want to save money. We want to, we don't want to spend money. Like, you know, like I really, we don't want to buy clothes, you know, like, so like, so me and one guy manager over there, we become like best friend. And we told the Jumali, we can open a pizza shop one day together. He said, well, if one day you guys open a pizza shop, I will be, you know, support, I will help you guys as well. Okay. So we save money, about like $67,000. and we find a location that we're going to purchase

and upper East side on 72nd Street and 2nd Avenue. So we went over there, we about to sign a contract Monday. So Saturday I go home, my best friend, he take all our save and he run away. He stole it? Yeah, he run away. He stole it. Yeah, he saw he take everything. He go away. So, you know, like I sit down and I cry and I cry. I cry and I called Jamali.

I told the story. He said, I told you, I told you, don't trust that guy. You said, oh, no, he's my best friend. He's really good. He's really good. I mean, you know, like, you don't know who is bad and who's good. You know, like who's good. I mean, you know, like, you don't know who's bad or who's good, you know, like, who's gonna be bad, you know, like, do bad thing in your life. I mean, you know, like, that day, you know,

like, when he take everything and I say, and I pray God, I say, God, please punish this person, what he did to me, and because I was so angry that moment. But right now, every time I pray for God, God, you know, like, please forgive him. Does he make mistake? We all make mistake. So you know just forgive him you know like what he did. Uh-huh. You know like we all make mistake you know that. So like after that you know like I start again and you know like I work like another five years and I save money like 45,000.

I work like two jobs. I work like seven days. I was, you know, like, I just want to make money to be able to open my first pizza shop. It was my dream. And, you know, then 2010 I opened my first pizza shop. I purchased from Johnny. Every Johnny, Johnny the Albanian. Yes.

Yes. Yes. But you didn't have enough money to buy the shop, so he took a note on the difference. Exactly. So what he did, he gave me like nine different payments. So every month, it was 85,000. So I have 45,000. I keep 5,000 to open corporation, to make a sign, to make a menu. So I give him $40,000 and every month I get to give him $5,000 for like nine payments. And you know, like the first month, you know, like I was doing okay.

And the second month, it was getting a little slow, third month slower, fourth month he was leaving, like I was not making money because everybody loved him and the neighbor everybody think that he was Italian old guy and he told everybody that he's Italian and you know like old school make a pizza slow people loved that you know and the community and the beginning the neighbor didn't welcome me Turkish guy making pizza a or like no like there was not you know like literally they were like what what what caught me like so like I was not you know like literally they were like boy caught me like so like I was not you know be able to pay my rent. I give up my apartment so I was literally sleeping on my under oven.

You were sleeping under the oven in your pizza shop. Yes sir, yes. I was going to gym, take a shower and shave, I to you and the gym member it was not mine it was like my worker he had a gym member and tell the gym owner you know the people you know because you cannot shave in a gym so I shaved they give me they warn me they give me warning and one more time and I shave and they say no you know what we're gonna cancel your So I want, I want to get it go out. And the guy told me, wait, wait, come on. I need to talk to you. Okay. We're going to cancel your membership

because they catch you your shave again. And then he looked it up. He looked my name, but it was not my face. It was not my picture. It was another guy. So, you know, they canceled my guy like membership. And I was upset for him, but I told him, I'm sorry. I'm going to pay you like, well, you know, they cancel my guy like membership and I was upset for him But I told him I'm sorry. I'm gonna pay you like for you know, the whatever penalty The Johnny like, you know, like the reason I was not busy Like I said people they thought, you know, like, you know, this guy is Italian, you know, like they love Johnny

he's been over there for like 10 11 years old school and What happened? Oh like what blessed me and what saved me what made me like no success in a bit it was p.m. pizza magazine and that concludes part one of my conversation with hockey act Dennis and you do not want to miss part two that's now available to listen to as we continue with Hockey being featured in Pizza Magazine and how that feature changed his life. Together guys, we can change this country, but it'll start with you. I'll see you in part two. The big take from Bloomberg News brings you what's shaping the world's economies with the smartest and best informed business reporters around the world. We cover the stories behind what's moving money in markets and help you understand what's

happening, what it means, and why it matters every afternoon. I'm Sarah Holder. I'm Saleh Emosin. And I'm David Gura. Listen to the big take on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My whole life, I've been told this one story about my family, about how my great-great-grandmother

was killed by the mafia back in Sicily. I was never sure if it was true, so I decided to find out. And even though my Uncle Jimmy told me I'd only be making the vendetta worse, I'm going to Sicily anyway. Come to Italy with me to solve this 100-year-old murder mystery. Listen to The Sicilian Inheritance on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten. We've always been intrigued by stories of disappearances, whether it's a fraudster from the 17th century who kept evading the authorities, or a novelist who taunted the Nazis and faked her own death, we all want to know.

What happened next? To find out, listen to a manica on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.