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  • 5 Top Slices & Best White Pie in NYC

    Pizza is a passion of mine!  After six months, a few extra pounds and visiting 50+ places the results are in.

    1. Di Fara: Located in Midwood Brooklyn, this place is 2nd to none! All slices and pies are made by 90+ yo Dominick Demarco.  Flavors explode in your mouth.  Waits are painful but worth
      Dom De Marco, pizza maker and owner of Di Fara Pizza
      Dom De Marco, pizza maker and owner of Di Fara Pizza

      it.  You have to go at least once.  Cash only.

    2. Lucali: Located in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, this converted candy store serves only mouth watering pizza and the best calzones I’ve ever had to boot! Cash only.
    3. Nicks: Located in Forest Hills Queens, Nicks has the feel of a 50’s diner. Pies only, they come out perfect every time and Nick’s has the best sausage topping ever! Cash only.
    4. Roberta’s: Hipster-chic Bushwick Brooklyn location, this place serves wood-fired pizza and has a great vibe. With a live Deejay and Christmas lights this place is a must visit.  Cool seating also available in their garden where vegetables are grown.
    5. New Park: In Howard Beach Queens, this no-frills spot has been serving amazing slices for over 70 years. I prefer to order their slices and pies well done.

    Best White Pizza?  Lombardi’s hands down!  The first pizza place in the USA, Lombardi’s has been cranking out pies since 1905.  This Nolita (north of little Italy) landmark restaurant uses a coal-fired oven and is cash only.

    I’m open to feedback, enjoy!

  • 5 reasons to visit Sorrento

    Wedged on a ledge under the mountains and over the Mediterranean, Sorrento is long and narrow.  Sorrento is reasonably priced and can be done either as a day trip or 1-2 nights will suffice.

    1. Stunning Cliffside views: Spectacular stretch of coastline over the bay of Naples and near Capri.

      sorrento
      Shopping in Old Town Sorrento
    2. Lemons and Limoncello: Sorrento takes it to the next level serving all types of edibles with limoncello inside.  Be careful as alcohol contents range from 14-24% potent levels for sure!
    3. Old Sorrento town: Very pleasant old city where many people speak English. Streets are narrow with colorful shops and quaint trattorias.
    4. Shopping: Wide variety of shops offering everything from leather goods, homemade sandals to creative olive and lemon products.
    5. Sightseeing: Easy to walk Sorrento boasts a wealth of elegant historic architecture, Greek, Roman and Medieval buildings

  • 5 Reasons to Visit Capri

    Still Italy’s most glamorous seaside getaway, this whale shaped island has an epic beauty!  Made famous as a vacation hideaway of Roman Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, these days Capri is a touristy island well worth visiting at least for a day trip at a minimum. I suggest going in September, October, May or June.

    1. insurance, new york, financial planningThe Blue Grotto: Capri was discovered in 1826. Some folks dismiss the grotto as an overrated touristy sight however it’s beautiful blue sunlight reflecting through the water is an impressive sight.
    2. Capri Town: Most boats and ferries will take you to the Marina Grande which is basically the port of Capri. A funicular (chair lift) is a fun short ride that takes you up 500 feet to the town of Capri where you can easily spend a full day there before venturing to other parts of the 4 mile by 2 mile “island of dreams’.
    3. High-end shopping options: For those addicted to shoes, handbags and/or men’s fashion, this place will be heaven for you!  Prices are steep however so be prepared.
    4. Hiking: Surprisingly there are a few amazing panoramic hikes available on this small island.  Emperor Tiberius’s now-ruined Villa Jovis is a very scenic 1-hour hike from Capri Town.
    5. AnaCapri: Buses go regularly from Capri Town to AnaCapri.  From AnaCapri, ride the chair lift to the 1900 foot summit of Monte Solaro for a commanding view of the Bay of Naples and a pleasant downhill hike through lush vegetation and ever-changing views.

     

  • 6 Reasons to Visit Kansas City

    If you do the proper research you will find Kansas City to be a fun, underrated and interesting place to visit.  We just returned from a 4 day long weekend and suggest the following;

    1. KC Barbecue: KC BBQ is the real deal!  My suggestions are Joe’s, the most famous place as well as Arthur Bryant’s and Gates BBQ.  You won’t be disappointed.

    Kansas City Country Club District
    Kansas City Country Club District

    2. Arrowhead and Kaufman stadiums: Arrowhead has cracked my top 10.  Unique structural design and shape as well as round reply screens set it apart from other stadiums.  We were told that the engineering firm that did Arrowhead was used for several other stadiums.

    3. Negro Baseball league Museum: This place was awesome!  There’s a mini movie theatre, cool exhibits, great history and a small field with bronze statues.  They let you run the bases as well. It’s a must.  The museum is directly across from the Jazz museum and you can see both for $15, tremendous value.

    4. Power and Light district: Cool downtown area on the Missouri border with tons of bars and restaurants as well as better than expected nightlife.  Open until 3am.

    5. Country club district area: Very interesting and high end shopping.  We were there for their 85th annual art festival.  Closed off streets with blocks of booths and progressive art.  Locals call it the “million dollar walk”.

    6. The people:  These are some of the friendliest people we have encountered in the USA.  Easy to talk to and they will welcome you with open arms, even Jet fans, lol.

  • 10 Interesting Facts about the U.S. Tennis Open

    I have attended every U.S. Tennis Open since the early 80’s when my brother and I both were ball boys.  The 2 week tournament has gone through a lot of changes over the years.US Open New York 2016

    1. Arthur Ashe won the first US Open as an amateur and the main stadium at the Billie Jean King USTA Tennis center is named after him.  Virginia Wade won the women’s title.

    2. Men and women receive an equal amount of prize money, a tradition started in 1973.  This designated tennis as the first sport to award equal prize money to men and women.

    3. The total payout for this year’s tournament is up 10% to $46.3 million.  First place pays $3.5 million.  A first round singles loss pays $43,000.  The $46.3 million is the highest payout of any tennis tournament.

    4. In 1975 the US Open became the first grand slam tourney to have night games.

    5. Since 1978 matches have been played on a hard-court surface covered with Deco turf II.

    6. In the other grand slam tournaments (Wimbledon, the Australian and French Open’s) there’s no tiebreakers.  They just keep playing until one player wins by 2 games.

    7. Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to meet in a grand slam final at the US Open in 2001.

    8. Arthur Ashe stadium is the largest “tennis specific” stadium in the world.  It seats 23,771 people.

    9. The new roof at this year’s open is made up of two 1 million pound plates that were installed at a cost of $100 million.  It takes 5.5 minutes to close.

    10. The trophy is designed by Tiffany & Co

  • 10 Reasons Alex Rodriguez could be a Hall of Famer

    10 Reasons Alex Rodriguez could be a Hall of Famer

    10 Reasons Alex Rodriguez could be a Hall of Famer

    On Friday, 8/12/2016 “A-Rod” will play his last game.  Barring an unlikely return to MLB, he will go on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2021.  The baseball writers’ association will grapple with perhaps the most complex case in history.

    1. 10 years on the ballot: By 2015, many younger writer’s will reach the 10-year membership mark required to vote.  Steroids are a common issue these days and younger voters may be apt to look past it.a-rod

    2. Alex hit 696 home runs: He trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

    3. A-Rod hit 30 home runs and 100 RBI in 13 straight seasons: From 1998-2010 which is the most in MLB history.  Sports writers are looking for this type of consistency.

    4. Alex ranks 25th all-time in games played: This type of both consistency and longevity are what gets you into the HOF.

    5. His 118 WAR* (Wins Above Replacement) ranks 12th all time: He’s sandwiched between Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig.  *WAR is a fantasy/sabermetrics statistic that measure a player’s stats vs a replacement player- the net being how many wins that player is responsible for over time.  This includes defense and can be plus or minus.

    6. In 2013 A-Rod hit his record career 24th grand slam:  He broke the previous record of 23 all time by Lou Gehrig.

    7. He has been named to 14 all-star teams: This includes  9 years in a row from 2000-2008.

    8. Alex has 3114 career hits: This ranks him 20th all-time.  He leads the MLB in hits with 213 in 1998.

    9. A-Rod has won 3 MVP awards and 1 World Series ring: He also was instrumental in helping the Yankees win the World Series in 2009.  Alex’s batting average was .365 and he hit 6 home runs with 18 RBIs (runs batted in) over 15 games played in the 2009 playoffs.

    10. Alex ranks 3rd all-time in RBIs: With 2084 RBI in 2782 games played Arod twice led the major leagues.  He hit 142 RBI in 2002 and 156 in 2007 respectively.

    Although Alex has admitted steroid use and is an enigma, he still may sneak in there after all!

  • 6 Interesting Reasons to Visit Shasta Dam

    6 Interesting Reasons to Visit Shasta Dam

    There are many interesting places to visit in the USA. Nestled in the northern Cascade mountain range sits one of the largest engineering feats of the last century: Shasta Dam.  Located in northern California, the Shasta Dam tour should be added to your travel list for the following reasons:

    1. Built in 1945, The Shasta Dam is the tallest center overflow dam in the world.

    5 General Electric turbines in the dam’s power plant are capable of producing up to 710 megawatts

    2. Part of its construction involved building the world’s largest conveyor belts (9.6 miles long) that transported gravel from what is now known as the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding to the dam construction site. Turtle Bay features the world famous Sundial Bridge (also a must visit).

    3. Located at the north end of the Sacramento Valley, the Shasta Dam created Shasta lake for long-term water storage, flood control, and hydroelectricity.

    4. 80% of all the rain in California falls in the northern region. The Dam supplies water all the way down to the central region which has the majority of California’s agriculture.

    5. The grounds include a well-manicured open grass park area with picnic tables and it’s conducive to Frisbee games and fun for the family.

    6. The comprehensive hour tour takes you under and through the dam in addition to the inside where the turbines are located. Ask for Antoinette who will also give you a history lesson as World War 1 and the Pearl Harbor invasion delayed construction for years.

  • 8 Reasons this was the Best NBA season ever

    2016 will go down in the history books as one of the best seasons in NBA history. Here are my eight reasons

     

    1. The Golden State Warriors break Michael Jordan’s Bulls sacred single season record going 73-9.insurance, New York, financial services, Queens
    2. LeBron James’ Cavaliers shock the world coming back from a 3-1 deficit and win the title, breaking the city of Cleveland’s 52-year city championship drought.
    3. MVP candidate Kevin “KD” Durrant signs a free agent contract with the powerhouse Warriors.
    4. The NBA salary cap rises a record 34% from $70-94 million due to TV revenues and a collective bargaining agreement that demands it gets spread to players.
    5. The salary cap increase will help small-market teams lure better quality free agents, however the better teams will be able to spend more as well.
    6. LeBron James and KD lead one of the most talented groups of free agents in one off-season all time.
    7. The large-market Knicks and Lakers are positioned going forward to actually be watchable.
    8. Jeremy Lin brings his “Linsanity” to the hapless Brooklyn Nets team. Where will LeBron James sign?
  • The Magic of Premium Finance Life Insurance

    The Magic of Premium Finance Life Insurance

    By: Robert C. Intelisano CLU, CSA, LUTCF

    How does it work?

    Those who don’t understand the true benefits of life insurance premium financing worry this is a tool dependent on interest rates or policy performance. But even when interest rates have been high and markets have been shaky, financially savvy brokers have been closing deals by funding life insurance premiums.

    premium finance, life insurance, New YorkWhy? Because in order for high-net-worth individuals to continue to grow and protect their wealth, they need to take advantage of leverage and actively look for investment opportunities that yield returns greater than the cost of capital. In other words, many need life insurance to address inheritance, business and tax issues, but they’d prefer to keep the funds they would spend on life insurance premiums in investments that yield more profitable returns.

    The economy, although sluggish, is moving again, and with rates hovering at all-time lows, premium financing life insurance makes more sense than ever.

    The reason? Retained capital.

    In this instance, retained capital is the amount of money a client can hold on to — and ultimately invest elsewhere — by paying interest on a loan that covers the cost of a premium versus paying the premium itself. Many high-net-worth clients report that they earn 10 percent to 15 percent or more on their money. If that’s the case, why take funds out of profitable investments in order to pay a premium?

    But let’s be clear. Premium finance is not a gimmick. It is not free insurance. It never was and never will be. It is not a play on the potential arbitrage between policy crediting rates and interest rates. Your client will have to pay interest to a lender and will have to post collateral equal to the difference between the cash surrender value of the policy and the loan balance. It is simply a tool to help your client reduce the initial out-of-pocket expenses relating to the purchase of a life insurance policy and a way to keep their money working for them in their investments of choice.

    To finance or not to finance?

    To better understand what an asset premium financing can be, we have to look at the potential profit our clients would lose out on if they don’t use it. In other words, the lost opportunity cost. So, let’s take a look at the numbers and consider the lost opportunity cost of paying a $100,000 premium out of pocket.

    If an individual truly earns 10 percent on the funds he would use for a premium payment, then he would lose the opportunity to grow his net worth by $10,000 if he were to pay the premium himself. Utilizing the benefits of premium financing, if the client finances the $100,000 premium at 5 percent interest, his out-of-pocket cost in year one is $5,000, and his retained capital is $95,000. That client could re-invest the $95,000 in a vehicle that returns 10 percent and end the year with $104,500 and a life insurance policy to protect those assets. Over time, this growth compounds. This is the power of premium finance!

     

  • 10 Fun & Not So Fun Facts About Puerto Rico

    After 20+ years I just spent a week at the El San Juan and learned that it’s not what it used to be.  Here’s what I found.

    The streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico
    streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico

    1. Leave your passport home: PR is a U.S. territory hence, you can ditch your passport!  Bring a valid / current photo ID though.

    2. The drinking age is 18 and currency is U.S. dollar    :  It makes things very easy to buy what you forgot to pack.

    3. There are 5 Miss Universe winners from PR: Unfortunately, I didn’t see any of them at the beach.

    4. PR has 270 miles of beaches and is an archipelago: which means there are more islands to explore.

    5. The west coast of PR has some of the best surfing and diving in all of the Caribbean: A hidden gem for sure.

    6. PR has some of the best coffee in the world: Having been on 5 of the 7 continents I rate them in my top 5.

    7. PR is the home of the world’s largest telescope: It’s called the Arecibo Observatory.

    8. PR is almost always between 70 to 80 degrees year round: Weather is steady but no guarantee.  We were just had 2 of 7 days that were sunny.  We did find that the humidity seemed lower and less bugs than before.

    9. PR is in deep debt that is currently $72B: Old town San Juan was noticeably run down with many closed businesses and less people.  There was actually a shortage of luggage earlier this year because so many people are leaving the island.

    Zip line fun in Puerto Rico
    Zip line fun in Puerto Rico

    10. Currently, PR has no bankruptcy protection: PR is in a deep recession and there’s no guarantee that the USA will bail them out.  They are having elections in may and corruption is rampant.  The relationship between the U.S. and PR is a “tricky” one.  We shall see how it plays out.

    In summary,  PR is still a fun place to visit.  That being said if you were there years ago like us you will notice the difference and might be disappointed!