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Planet Tyrus – Episode Summary

Episode: Chuck Zito: Hells Angels, Prison & Hollywood Secrets | Planet Tyrus
Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Tyrus (with co-hosts/sidekicks Ryan and Harry)
Guest: Chuck Zito

Overview

This high-energy episode centers on legendary tough guy Chuck Zito, whose life story blends boxing, biker culture, prison, stunt work, acting, and bodyguarding for top celebrities. Tyrus spotlights stories of redemption, self-ownership, and resilience, and the conversation dives deep into Zito’s upbringing, the reality of biker culture, his time in prison, and how he parlayed setbacks into Hollywood and beyond. The tone is candid, humorous, and down-to-earth, mixing serious reflection on life lessons with behind-the-scenes tales and good-natured ribbing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life, Family, and Boxing Roots

Chuck was raised in the Bronx, where his father, a professional boxer, instilled discipline and self-defense from age five.
[03:47] Chuck Zito: “My father was a professional boxer, so he taught me young at 5 years old how to defend myself.”
Early boxing experience built both his toughness and sense of responsibility.
Got married young (at 17), and his personal dreams took a backseat to providing for his family.

2. Birth of the Biker: From Mini-bikes to Hells Angels

Chuck was captivated by motorcycle culture after seeing Hells Angels on Wheels as a kid.
[08:13] Chuck Zito: “I'm sitting in a dark movie theater and I says, wow, I want to be like these guys.”
Created his own “Heaven’s Devils” mini-bike club at 14, then joined Bronx biker clubs as a teen before rising to Hells Angels in 1979.
Shared the evolution of biker clubs’ public acceptance:
- [57:37] Chuck Zito: “Nowadays a lot of people know what the club’s about...I think it’s accepted more now.”

3. Old-School Work Ethic and Changing Times

Zito recounted his grind: roofing at 14, boat painting, gardening—whatever it took to get by.
Contrasted this with present-day attitudes among youth:
- [12:54] Chuck Zito: "My father instilled in me. My father, like I said, he was a professional boxer for a long time."
Both Chuck and Tyrus lamented the loss of grit and the fact that younger generations seem less interested in earning or building things for themselves.

4. Hollywood Entry via Stunts and Serendipity

Stunt work was his gateway to the screen, courtesy of Hells Angels connections (riding in Dead Ringer led to a growing film career).
[07:36] Chuck Zito: “I caught the stunt bug and I became a stuntman. So whenever Sandy had a job...he would give me work. That’s how I started.”

5. Incarceration: Prison Stories & Lessons

Operation Rough Rider (1985) led to his arrest and extradition to the U.S., resulting in six years in 19 different prisons.
Zito was indicted merely for allegedly making a phone call (which he denies); he refused to “roll on” friends.
[27:21] Chuck Zito: “I was indicted for making a telephone call...I never made the phone call.”
Maintained positivity, valuing family connections during incarceration and after.
On fighting in prison:
- [28:36] Chuck Zito: “Yeah, I had 10 good fights in prison. When you have a fight, they transfer you…So I went to 19 different prisons in six years.”

6. Redemption, Family, and Resilience

Chuck prizes loyalty and family, even through personal and marital setbacks.
[29:46] Tyrus: "You don’t shy away from it. You talk about your mistakes the same way as you talk about your successes..."
He’s open about divorce and hard times but frames all as learning experiences.

7. Transition & Success in Hollywood

Acted notably in HBO’s Oz as Chucky Pancamo and in Carlito’s Way; became known for drawing on life experience, not acting classes.
[42:52] Chuck Zito: “He introduced me...and [the creator of Oz] goes, you got a great face. Do you act? I says, of course.”
Zito became a sought-after actor and tech advisor, getting parts because he “looked the part” and lived the experiences.

8. Celebrity Bodyguard Tales

Protected everyone from Liza Minnelli to Stallone, John Travolta, and Sean Penn.
Shared the professional ethic: on duty, always the bodyguard, never “a buddy.”
[33:12] Tyrus: “My job was to watch him and make sure no one with him...Buddies work for free.”
Formed longstanding friendships with the celebrities he protected.

9. Chasing Craft: Stunts, Acting, and the Nature of ‘Tough Guys’

Zito and Tyrus traded war stories about dangerous stunts, the pain of “one more take”, and authenticity on screen.
The discussion highlighted the difference between ‘Hollywood tough’ and ‘real tough’—the latter grounded in life experience.
[41:38] Tyrus: “But they don’t understand that life experience; you can draw more emotion from living through and surviving than sitting in a book.”
Zito’s acting success attributed to his lived experiences, not formal training.

10. Documentary & Book Projects

Chuck’s documentary (in negotiations with Amazon Prime) traces his journey from the Bronx through multiple homes and eras.
[25:04] Chuck Zito: “When I'm born, it shows me and my bassinet with my gloves over it…goes through my whole life.”
His 2002 book, Street Justice, includes a foreword by Sean Penn.

11. Reflections on Today’s Youth and Society

Both guest and host bemoaned lost traditions: building cars, face-to-face respect, and working for what you want.
The rise of “keyboard warriors” and the social consequences of internet culture were critiqued.
[69:22] Chuck Zito: “I don’t walk around like I’m a tough guy...I call these guys, you know, keyboard warriors that threaten you over the phone...Not one person’s ever come to me and says, ‘I don’t like you.’ Only on keyboards they do that.”

12. Charity Work and Giving Back

Zito leads annual rides for Hogs for Hope, raising money for children with cancer (Ronald McDonald House).
Stresses continued involvement with community and charity as integral to his philosophy.

13. Martial Arts & UFC Involvement

Early attendee of UFC events—had credentials from UFC1 through UFC300.
Practitioner and advocate of martial arts for kids as healthy discipline and competition.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On redemption and failing forward:
“You don’t shy away from it. You talk about your mistakes the same way as you talk about your successes.” —Tyrus [29:46]
On family and respect:
“Family comes first. Family, you know, first and foremost, man.” —Chuck Zito [05:28]
On authenticity:
“Hollywood tough guy is not the same thing as a real tough guy.” —Tyrus [06:02]
On modern culture:
“Today, I’m worried about this generation...all they care about is their phones. Kids today don’t care about [cars]...I don’t know where the next generation is going.” —Chuck Zito [46:34, 47:03]
On toughness:
“I don’t walk around like I’m a tough guy...But I guarantee you, I interact with thousands of people in one day; not one person’s ever come to me and says, ‘You know what? I don’t like you.’ Only keyboard warriors do that.” —Chuck Zito [69:22]
On beating people up:
“Have I beat anyone up? Quite a few people.” —Chuck Zito [60:07]
On crying:
“Cried a lot. Yeah. What about when it comes to my family? When it comes to my...cried quite a few times, man. You know?" —Chuck Zito [60:53]
On acting roles, UFC, and life advice:
“I love looking around because you know what? We’re all the same. Doesn’t matter what color we are, what religion we are, we all have love and respect for each other, and that’s due to the martial arts.” —Chuck Zito [67:36]

Audience Q&A & Light-Hearted Interactions ([56:54–69:50])

Co-hosts Ryan (“Caviar”) and Harry ask Chuck rapid-fire, playful, and serious questions about biking, fighting, and tough-guy culture.
Chuck humorously warns Ryan that with his attitude, he’d be sent “to the dentist” if he ever disrespected Hells Angels.
- [58:53] Chuck Zito: “If you disrespect Hells Angel in any way, you’re dead. You’ll be going to the dentist.”
On fighting in his 70s:
- [60:15] Chuck Zito: “I’ll be 73. I had five street fights last year.”
Discusses crying, masculinity, and being open about emotions.

Timestamps for Key Segments

03:47—Chuck on boxing roots
07:36—How Chuck broke into stunt work and acting
17:24—Operation Rough Rider raid, extradition, and prison
25:04—Documentary details
27:21—Prison stories & conspiracy charges
33:12—Bodyguarding ethos, A-listers
41:38—Authenticity in acting
46:34—Concerns for today’s youth
56:54—Ryan & Harry Q&A
63:01—UFC and martial arts reflections
67:36—Award speech on martial arts community & respect

Conclusion

Chuck Zito exemplifies grit, growth, and the power of second chances. His tales—spanning mean streets, leather jackets, prison cells, TV sets, and glitzy parties—are all tethered by integrity, relentless work, and the humility to own every mistake as well as every triumph. Tyrus and co. create an environment both tough and tender, where Zito the “real tough guy” is also Zito the reflective uncle, teaching that toughness sometimes means knowing when to fight—and when to cry.

For more, watch for Chuck’s documentary (pending on Amazon Prime) and read his memoir Street Justice.

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Transcript514 lines

[00:00]
Chuck Zito
While I was doing my time. Because you gotta realize, when I got arrested in 85, no bail, I was indicted for making a telephone call. I was a stuntman. I became a stuntman in the movie business. Disrespect Alexandria in any way. He'll be going to the dentist.
[00:21]
Interviewer
What it is. Welcome to another exciting adventure of planet Tyrus. Now, where am I taking you this week? Every week? Like I said, you never know what type of guests I'm going to have on or who I'm going to have on. But one of the things I always look for is someone that I'm interested in talk to is somebody who has a great story of redemption, a great story of overcoming obstacles, being, working on being a better person. And more importantly, that they own their. When they do make a mistake or they do make a bad choice or something in life happens to them, their fault, not their fault, they. They take ownership. Because that's the way you can control things, fix things and get through things is if you own it, it's a lot easier to get through it. And I don't think anyone who's done that more in their life than my guest today, the legendary Chuck Sido. Those of you who haven't heard, which if you saw him, you'd recognize, you've seen him in a movie somewhere. He's an American actor, stuntman, celebrity bodyguard for just about everybody. He was, you know, famously known for Chucky on the great HBO series Oz, which led to all the crazy series we have on hbo. He was on the front of that. He was. He was in the Hells Angels. He's lived an amazing life. He started out as a boxer. He was following in his father's footsteps. He was married young and he continued to chase the American dream. Had some pitfalls. Has an amazing story about being incarcerated and how he turned that into a career. Just an amazing all around dude and very excited to have him on today. So, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the great Chuck Zito. I grew up watching you. You've done some pretty iconic stuff before we even get into your real life stuff. But like, I remember your character on Oz.
[02:03]
Chuck Zito
Yes, Chucky Pancamo.
[02:05]
Interviewer
Yeah. And then a lot of people don't. Might not remember you from Carlito's Way, but that was.
[02:13]
Chuck Zito
Yes, I was the first for myself and Luis Guzman were the only two that was in Carlito's Way. And Carlito's Way were rise to power.
[02:23]
Interviewer
That's right. Because the sequel came out and I was like. And I always think that's cool. That. And it's nice that you didn't. Sometimes you have. You do an earlier movie. Right. And then they bring it back somehow and they bring the guys back and life has not been kind.
[02:36]
Chuck Zito
Right, right.
[02:37]
Interviewer
You know, it was like. I remember. I know him, so I'm not throwing him on the bus, but Nathan Jones was this big jacked Australian wrestler and he was in the first remake of Road Warrior with Tom Hardy. So he was shredded. I mean, he was absolutely. Then like six, seven years went by. He had some health problems and they brought him back and you could. You're like, whoa, man. But it was supposed to be the same guy. It was a prequel. So he was like the younger version of him. So he's like, looks. Looks way worse than he did, you know, like, oh, man, he must have found a good weightlifting program after, you know, before. After the apocalypse being.
[03:10]
Chuck Zito
Tom Hardy was a great actor.
[03:11]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[03:11]
Chuck Zito
Sermon the Warrior.
[03:13]
Interviewer
Oh, yeah. He's just good in it.
[03:15]
Chuck Zito
I mean, everything he does is great.
[03:18]
Interviewer
Now, what. Because a lot of people would think that you had to go to a lot of acting school or at classes or know somebody to know somebody to get into the business because you've been. And it's just a small part of your world. People, I don't think, understand the depths of what you've done in your lifetime, but to get to that point, to where you are considered a working, respected house, recognized wherever you go. Actor. From being in the Hells Angels and having a rough upbringing, how did. Let's start from the beginning. So how did your origin story?
[03:48]
Chuck Zito
I. Well, start from the beginning. I was. My father was a professional boxer, so he taught me Young at 5 years old and how to defend myself. Because I used to get. Back in the day, I lived in the Hunts Point in the Bronx. And even at five years old, I was getting beat up every day by this one guy named Butch. He reminded me the guy from the Little Rascals.
[04:11]
Interviewer
Oh, yeah.
[04:11]
Chuck Zito
And I went crying home one day and my father said, don't ever come crying home to me again. And he pulled out his trunk and it had all his boxing equipment and his robes, his headgear, his. His gloves. And he put them on me and he got on his knees and started teaching me how to box at a young age. Then when I was 12 years old, had my first ring fight at the Southside Boys Club in the Rochelle in front of a crowd.
[04:35]
Interviewer
What was that like? Do you remember? I mean, you're not going to forget that. You never forget Butterflies?
[04:39]
Chuck Zito
No, no, no.
[04:40]
Interviewer
It doesn't matter.
[04:41]
Chuck Zito
Oh, I was scared. Yeah.
[04:42]
Interviewer
Oh, anyone who says they're not.
[04:43]
Chuck Zito
I, you know, I was 12 years old, I said, wow, I got to get all these people watching everything. And it was pretty wild. Then, of course, I. I went on an amateur circuit because I got, you know, I was married young and I was, you know, 17, living with my. My wife and everything, and. But I had to go to work, so I wanted to be a professional fighter like my father.
[05:05]
Interviewer
Right.
[05:06]
Chuck Zito
And. But I went to Golden Gloves four times, did the amateur circuit through, you know, through Jersey and Connecticut and all over fighting, and then had to go to work, so to support my family. And you put dream, and that's a.
[05:19]
Interviewer
That's a. A pretty. It's rare now, but back in the day, a man's dream was secondary. Taking care of home, being a provider was first.
[05:28]
Chuck Zito
Absolutely. Absolutely. Family comes first. Family, you know, first and foremost, man. You know, and still to this day, I mean, I'm so close with my family. My mom, you know, very blessed. Saturday, she'll be a 94.
[05:44]
Ryan
Oh, wow.
[05:45]
Chuck Zito
Congratulations. I go see her all the time and spend as much time with them because, you know, getting up there in age like that, you know, it's. It's hurts when you see them get older and older, you know, so. Yeah, well, I'm close to my family,
[05:59]
Interviewer
you know, and it's funny because your character is such a non. Like, we all get. I always get beat up by a guy the size of my leg in movies. But, like, your character is always very edgy, and like, you. The last thing you would think is family. But in Oz, you did see moments of that, and like, that's a tough thing to come off as a tough guy when you're a real tough guy, because Hollywood tough guy is not the same thing as a real tough guy.
[06:26]
Chuck Zito
No, no. Sometimes they. They think they, you know, they play that character and they take it home, but it doesn't work. No, but Oz was amazing. I mean, that was my first series I did. So how I got got into it, I was a stuntman, right. At first, I became a stuntman in the movie business. And how. How it started when I became a Hells Angel. Sandy Alexander was the president of the New York City Hells Angels. He was also a stuntman in the movie business. And we did a. A movie called Dead Ringer with Sharon Meatloaf. And they needed guys for motorcycles. And Alex, Steven was a stunt coordinator along with Sandy. And Sandy used 18 Hells Angels for The movie, you know, to ride. And we had tuxedos on with meatloaf on our back.
[07:19]
Interviewer
Oh, nice.
[07:20]
Chuck Zito
So we were riding there. So I caught the stunt bug and I became a stuntman. So whenever Sandy had a job, especially Alex Stevens was a big stunt coordinator in the movie business, he would give me work. And that's how I started
[07:37]
Interviewer
Hell's Angels.
[07:38]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[07:38]
Interviewer
To acting. Okay. We were, we were boxing and then you cleverly slipped over. Now I want to know how you go from an up and coming young 17 year old man with a young wife at home.
[07:48]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[07:48]
Interviewer
Boxing and trying to work. Nice try. How did Hells. Because when I think Bronx, you think Italian. You don't think. Yeah, Hell's Angels, you think a different group.
[07:58]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[07:59]
Interviewer
So how did this happen?
[08:00]
Chuck Zito
We'll get back where it all started.
[08:01]
Interviewer
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice try though.
[08:03]
Chuck Zito
So when I was 14 years old, I went to go see Hell's Angels on wheels with Sonny Barger and Jack Nicholson.
[08:13]
Interviewer
Okay.
[08:14]
Chuck Zito
I'm sitting in a darker movie theater and I says, wow, I want to be like these guys.
[08:19]
Interviewer
What was it just the freedom on the motorcycle or was it just going into town?
[08:22]
Chuck Zito
What was the scene of them going over to Bay Bridge with hundreds of Hells Angels going over there? I said, wow. It just, it was just something to, you know, step in my mind. And I caught the bug. I went home, I built a mini bike.
[08:37]
Interviewer
Okay.
[08:38]
Chuck Zito
And I went to Jack's Army Navy store and I bought a dungaree jacket for $6. And I cut the sleeves off and I painted on the back of the jacket the opposite of Hell's Angels. Heaven's Devils.
[08:51]
Interviewer
Oh, nice. Okay.
[08:52]
Chuck Zito
And I put my jacket on and I rode my mini bike. And a couple of other of my friends, we had mini bikes and we had a little.
[08:58]
Interviewer
Pretty soon you had a little click.
[09:01]
Chuck Zito
So we're riding around with heaven's devils at 14 years old. A few years later, I'm 15, 16 years old. And I passed by. I was still probably 14, 15. I passed by with my mini bike and I saw a big chopper in a lot, you know, and they had little townhouses there. And I pulled up to it and it was a beautiful. I mean, at that time was the baddest shop I've ever seen.
[09:31]
Interviewer
Right.
[09:31]
Chuck Zito
You know, had long upsweet pipes. Everything else, I'm looking at it and all of a sudden the guy comes out and he's on the second floor and he goes, what are you doing by the bike? And I saw this big guy, he was like 6, 4 6, 5. And he had a dungaree jacket on with all metals all over it. I'm saying, damn, there's a Hells angel living in my neighborhood. Yeah, right. And it turned out that he was a member of the Bronx Aliens, which was a big club back in the day. In fact, all the Aliens. Sandy Alexander was an alien nomad. In 1969, they became Hell's Angels. And at the time, the guy name was Tall Paul Westermaier, the guy that came out on the porch. And the next day I came by and I started waxing his bike. And he comes out, he goes, come on, I'll take you for a ride. And I was 14 and I got on the back and he just took off. I almost fell off. I was holding him, falling, and I caught, you know, that bug with the riding bikes. And then when I was old enough, we were like 16, 17. I'm sorry, I was married already, so I'm talking 18, 19. Me and my friends, we start a motorcycle club. We got a storefront in New Rochelle on Westchester Place, and we call it New Rochelle mc. So we started this New Rochelle mc and we were riding around the neighborhood at the same time we had a party and it was a club in the Bronx called the Chingaling Nomads. They came to our party. There was also a club in Westchester called the Tribe. They came to our party and the next thing you know, we start, we band together with the Chingaling Nomads. And they were a group in the Bronx on Hughes Avenue. So I became a member there. I came back, I became a member and I started the same place. We had our motorcycle club for New Rochelle. We turned it into the Chingling Nomads New Rochelle.
[11:38]
Interviewer
So you are, you still have steam in here. You're a baby and you've already. You're boxing your work now for work. Was it because I remember I was working like at Walmart at night stacking cans or I was, I did every
[11:51]
Chuck Zito
job you could think of.
[11:52]
Interviewer
Yeah, everything I could. I was always hustling.
[11:54]
Chuck Zito
I was a, I was a roofer at 14, you know, bringing shingles up. 90 pound shingles up the, the ladder. I, I was a. I used to paint boats at, at the Castaways Boatyard in New Rochelle, scraping sand boats. I was a, A gardener. Everything you think of, I, I did.
[12:17]
Interviewer
When you look at today, when you look. Because when you were coming up and. And also myself, I'm a little younger, but if you wanted something, you had to go get it.
[12:27]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[12:28]
Interviewer
And it. You never you never. Guys say, hey, I got a job for you. The answer for me was, okay, it was never, what is it, right? You know, it was very different, you know, And I, I look at like. And some of it's, I, I try not to think my bubble is the world. But like, with my kids, when I'm like, hey, get a job. They look at me like I'm crazy, you know, like, well, can't you just get it for me? You know? And you're like, oh, hell no. Like, no, no, no. That work ethic, where do you think that came from? Is that family?
[12:55]
Chuck Zito
Well, it was something that, you know, my father instilled in me. My father, like I said, he was a professional boxer for a long time.
[13:00]
Interviewer
So discipline was huge.
[13:01]
Chuck Zito
Yes. And we always respected everybody in a neighborhood. Doesn't matter who it was, especially your elders and everything. Back in the day, you grew up. I remember when we used to go out to my grandmother's on Sundays. We would dress in a suit and everything. I had a little hat on, like a little gangster. And it was a.
[13:20]
Interviewer
Respect
[13:23]
Chuck Zito
everybody. I mean, it was, it was amazing. I. That was the world I grew up in. It's so different now. It's so, you know, the world is crazy now. But like I said, I started with the motorcycles. I started in three different clubs. And then when I was at Chingling, we were invited to the Hells Angels, Connecticut second year anniversary party. So we go there and we, we got lost and everything. We wound up going in there like 10, 11 o' clock at night where everybody's all, you know, primed up. Yeah, primed up, drinking everything else. And we walk in, a dozen of us, and they just stopped and they looked at us like, ooh, these guys, these young people. And I'm looking for Sandy because we, we were, you know, invited by Sandy. And next thing you knew, a couple fights broke out with my guys and them. And, you know, it was a one on one fight. And the guys come up, we're leaving. I said, I'm not leaving. I said, we just got here, right? I said, we're gonna look like, you know, our tails between our legs and running out here. So I talked to another, another Chingling to stay with me. And the guys are saying, why don't you go with you guys? I said, we were invited to a party. When the sun comes out, we'll leave. And that's what happened. We stayed there and we wound up quitting the club we were in and we went to the Hell's Angels.
[14:48]
Interviewer
Well, So I mean, that's just incredible. So you are. You lived a lot of lives. And I see the suit thing kept going with you from when you were a kid dressing. Because with the exception of maybe Charles Payne here, I don't think anyone's suit gang can touch.
[15:02]
Chuck Zito
Well, you know what? Now I trust to please, ma'. Am. It's just I was. For 40 some odd years, I was always in leather, right. All I had all my own leather, all custom made for me. One of a kind stuff, you know, python flames coming up the pants, everything else. And. And now I just, you know, dress accordingly, man. I just, I think it's just more respect.
[15:31]
Interviewer
But you still got the boots though.
[15:33]
Chuck Zito
You gotta keep the leather boots.
[15:35]
Interviewer
You gotta give some respect to that.
[15:36]
Chuck Zito
Absolutely. But like I said, for years, for forward 40 years, I was always dressed in leather. I had long dusters, I had everything. And now, you know, I just.
[15:47]
Interviewer
You're civilized now.
[15:48]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, yeah. So I go a lot of places now, you know, like I said, I was three days at the White House recently. I went to the Milani or.
[15:56]
Interviewer
Yeah, I ran into you at Mar A Lago at the dinner.
[15:59]
Chuck Zito
Mar a Lago. I do. I actually showed my documentary's coming out soon on Amazon Prime. I showed that there at Mar a Lago over a year ago. It was actually my father's birthday, January 30th. I showed that. And of course I dress this way and you know.
[16:18]
Interviewer
Now the documentary. Let's get into that a little bit. What the document is debuting next. Next week or.
[16:24]
Chuck Zito
Well, no, it was supposed to, but what's happening is, you know, Amazon prime, they want all the I's dotted and the T's crossed.
[16:31]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[16:32]
Chuck Zito
Before they take it. So I had Joan Jett did all the music for me. We got the permission from Joan Jett to do the songs. I took a couple pieces out of the movie Sleepers. You remember the movie Sleepers? Where I say. I remember when I was six years old, our beach was tar beach. So it shows the kids from the movie.
[16:54]
Interviewer
Oh, nice.
[16:55]
Chuck Zito
A couple of seconds there. I remember my first water was the Johnny Pump, which was a fire hydrant. We opened it up and we, you know, that was swimming to us. We used to play stickball. So I showed little pieces from that. So now we're waiting on Warner Brothers to get the release from them.
[17:15]
Interviewer
Okay. Yeah.
[17:15]
Chuck Zito
Because everything has to be like I said, everything.
[17:18]
Interviewer
Yeah, yeah. Cause once you put it out there. But what was the inspiration to doing the documentary?
[17:25]
Chuck Zito
You know what, For a long time people have been Telling me, now, let's go back. We'll have to go back. And even when I was in the club in March, May, May, May 2, 1985, they had a big raid against Hells Angels. It's called the Rough Rider operation. And I was actually in Tokyo, Japan, when that happened.
[17:51]
Interviewer
Oh, wow.
[17:53]
Chuck Zito
So I was one of the guys they were looking for. They raided my house. They took my wife and daughter out of bed with shotguns in her head. And, you know, they knew I was in. That's what it really.
[18:06]
Interviewer
You think it was more intimidation because
[18:09]
Chuck Zito
they knew I was in Japan, right. You know, they had my phone stabbed. They knew everything, but they wanted her to be in my family. And that's what I was mad at. But so instead of coming right back, we were going to go out on a plane. We didn't want to get caught on a plane.
[18:25]
Interviewer
It'll be popping for you on the side.
[18:26]
Chuck Zito
So myself and another Hells angel named Burt Kittle, we went to the American Embassy and turned ourselves in because there was a big picture of us on the Tokyo Times and everything, you know, wanted and looking and I saw. So let's go turn ourselves in.
[18:42]
Interviewer
Right?
[18:42]
Chuck Zito
Because we don't want to get caught at a plane. You know, we wanted to get Bell and try and fight our case. We went to the American Embassy. We were there for about an hour. Then he came in and says, you can't stay. You have to go. That's what he's talking about. He says, we're wanted in the United States.
[19:00]
Interviewer
You're turning yourself in?
[19:01]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, yeah. So I said, look, did you call the Japanese police? Yes, they're waiting outside. I said, good, you take us out and hand us over to them. So we surrendered. We didn't get caught. We didn't do everything else. And then we wound up going and we wound up doing four months in a Japanese prison waiting to be extradited back to the United States.
[19:25]
Interviewer
Japanese prison. What was was crazy, besides being the tallest guy in the building.
[19:30]
Chuck Zito
Now, I never saw Bert. He was on one floor, I was on another.
[19:33]
Interviewer
Okay.
[19:33]
Chuck Zito
But we were locked down 23 hours a day.
[19:37]
Interviewer
That had to be insane.
[19:38]
Chuck Zito
Oh, it was crazy. It was crazy. And all it was was a 6 by 4 foot cell. I mean, it was just a bed there.
[19:44]
Interviewer
Yeah. Every time I've been in Japan, it's been hor. And I used to go there a lot for wrestling. I never fit in the hotels. And they would put the little. Two little beds together. But while I was sleeping on, they'd always Spread out. So in the middle of the night.
[19:55]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[19:55]
Interviewer
I'd be like, I can't, I can't do this, man. I, I, I loved wrestling in Tokyo Dome. I love the culture, but they're, they, they, they are not built for, for people like me.
[20:04]
Chuck Zito
One, one of the hotels we were staying at, they, they had wrestling that, that, that, that week. Oh, yeah, and I met Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan in the hotel and everything. It was pretty wild back then.
[20:13]
Interviewer
What was the favorite or, or a celebrity would stop you and be like, hey, I seen you in all your stuff. Like, it wasn't. I mean, regular people, but top celebrities would be like, oh, I don't see that. Like, what was that like? Because you were always.
[20:27]
Chuck Zito
I am so blessed that people come up to me, even, you know, one way here.
[20:32]
Interviewer
I did in Mar A Lago.
[20:33]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[20:33]
Interviewer
I would sit at the table, I said, hey, that's Chad.
[20:35]
Chuck Zito
I walked over. Yeah, yeah. Yes. I'm just so blessed. And, you know, in, in my lifetime that people do look up to me. I have a lot of fans. I have a lot of, you know, well, like I said, families first.
[20:50]
Interviewer
When I think of you and your career, I also think about redemption, where a person can, can take a label and turn it into something productive to where people can learn from. Because, you know, most people be like, Hell's Angels. Oh, that's a criminal imminent. You know, they were this, they were that. But you were able to turn that into something positive and something to. Where a young guy coming up who has questions, he might not necessarily experience what you went. Because your wisdom could help, though. Yeah, I was in those situations, and I think that's the one thing that's missing with connection today. When you're trying, when people complain about the next generation and stuff, we stopped talking to the, to the, the role models that were able to build from failure or able to build from making, I always say, penitentiary chances or whatever, that however you want to describe it, and to go through that, to deal with the consequences of that and not be. That's not the end of you, you know, because a lot of guys go in for four months, they don't come out, you know, or it just leads to. They do get out, and then they're right back in, you know, in that pattern. That pattern. And then what could have been, nobody knows about. And you not only turn to that, to where you became an established actor, you've. You're respected in the athletic world, the acting world, the political world. I saw, I saw everyone kissing the ring and they're. They're amazing. Yeah, those are like, where do you. Okay, I gotta. Like, those are. You got. You got big hands.
[22:15]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[22:15]
Interviewer
And as a dude with giant hands, I'm giving hand respect.
[22:18]
Chuck Zito
Well, this was my father.
[22:19]
Interviewer
First of all, what size ring do you wear?
[22:21]
Chuck Zito
I think it's a 12, if I'm not mistaken.
[22:23]
Interviewer
12 on the pinky.
[22:25]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[22:25]
Interviewer
You understand that like, that's the average person's index finger.
[22:28]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. So it might be 13. I don't even know. My father had big fans too, but he won this in 1936 Diamond Belt Championships, this ring. And then I had made around that. I made the. The square around it like a ring, right. You know.
[22:42]
Interviewer
Oh, very cool.
[22:43]
Chuck Zito
Squared circle. This is an exact replica of Elvis Presley's TCB ring that I had made.
[22:50]
Interviewer
I'm assuming you're a big Elvis fan.
[22:51]
Chuck Zito
Oh, forget about it. I got the bigot TCB on my arm. And the crazy thing about this is Priscilla Presley designed this for Elvis. After one of the concerts they got on Lisa Marie the Jet and he goes, look, I want to have a TCB for my, my, all my Memphis Mafia everything. I want to make a little thing. So design something. So she's drawing a tcb. Next thing you know, there was a. A storm out. She saw lightning strike, and that's where she got the lightning bolts from.
[23:22]
Interviewer
That is. That is amazing. And I'm looking at the size of that rock. That is.
[23:28]
Chuck Zito
Feel.
[23:28]
Interviewer
That is unbelievable. Oh, yeah. And then just people. Cameraman, zoom.
[23:33]
Chuck Zito
Look at that.
[23:34]
Interviewer
Look at that. You have the same size pinky. That's amazing.
[23:38]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, that's absolutely amazing. So I had it made. In fact, this is even more gold because the inside is always hollow so you can see the diamond, so you can see the light and everything. I always have all my rings made solid. So this is more gold than he had. Plus now gold is like 5, 000 an ounce. It's crazy.
[24:00]
Interviewer
And the nice thing about the shape of those, if somebody is a knucklehead, they get a nice little reminder.
[24:04]
Chuck Zito
Nice little print. I have everything always. Yeah, solid. Oh, no. I would never hit anybody with my rings.
[24:10]
Interviewer
No, no, you're a gentleman.
[24:11]
Chuck Zito
No, no, no. I don't want blood on them, you know. And I got my. I always say, what's that?
[24:17]
Interviewer
You always dress to impress, but it's classy. It's not. It's not cheesy. There's a difference. Yeah, there's a huge difference. And I had to learn that the hard way because me and my Buddies always wanted to wear chains, right?
[24:26]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[24:26]
Interviewer
We couldn't afford that, so we'd be wearing these big chains. And you can hear when we're walking, you know.
[24:31]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[24:32]
Interviewer
And like. And whenever someone said, hey, can I touch it? It was, no, man. Hell, no. You know, because you're flossing.
[24:39]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. A lot of my friends have the big diamond chains. It's.
[24:42]
Interviewer
Yeah, they were. They're ridiculous expensive. But that was, like, one of my goal.
[24:46]
Chuck Zito
I was like, I gotta have one,
[24:47]
Interviewer
because that means I, I. I made it. And then not once you get wisdom like, no, Made it is. Your bills are paid. That's made it.
[24:54]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[24:54]
Interviewer
You know.
[24:55]
Chuck Zito
Well, so the documentary.
[24:57]
Interviewer
The documentary is, Is. Is about that period in time in your life when you're dealing with that.
[25:02]
Chuck Zito
It's.
[25:02]
Interviewer
Or is it just. Or is it kind of like when I'm.
[25:05]
Chuck Zito
When I'm born, it shows me and my. My bassinet with my gloves over it. Cause my father, Professor Box, he put gloves over it. And it goes through my whole life. And I visit five or six different homes that I lived in. Oh, wow. I was actually born on Wheeler Avenue, right off Brooklyn Boulevard. So I go there and I said, look how this neighborhood changed. Because now everybody has steel bars. It looks like a prison, Right?
[25:30]
Interviewer
Because you went from a community.
[25:32]
Chuck Zito
We went to a beautiful place, and now it's just all bars that you have to go through, like, four locks to get into your house. It's crazy. So from there, we moved to Barretto street and Spofford Avenue. In fact, there was a place called the Spofford Home right across the street. And my mom used to say, if you get your bed, I'm gonna put you across the street. So that was my first taste of the roof tar beach, using the Johnny Pumps to swim in. And from there we went to Brooklyn, went to Sheepshead Bay, and from Sheepshead Bay went to Bensonhurst. So it goes from my documentary, goes from my one house to the second house to the third house to the fourth house, and finally to the home I built. Because while I was in prison, I took the masonry course to learn how to, you know, do bricks and everything. And I had my house.
[26:26]
Interviewer
That's some really good money. Hey, I've never met a broke one. Yeah, I've never met one that didn't have a fat roll in his pocket,
[26:32]
Chuck Zito
like, you know, So I drew a picture of my house. It was all wood shingles. I sent it to my wife. I said, this is what I want to do. When I got Out. I made my house just like the picture I made all wood shingles, all brick. Brick and stone and circular driveway and brick and stone fireplace. I mean, it was pretty wild. So while I was doing my time, because you gotta realize, when I got arrested in 85, we were extradited back to the United States. MCC. No bail, nothing. It wasn't a million dollars, $10 million, nothing. No bail, nothing. And I was indicted for making a telephone call. They said I made a telephone call to a guy who sold a pound of methamphetamine.
[27:21]
Interviewer
Oh, wow. Okay.
[27:22]
Chuck Zito
And put me in a drug conspiracy. I never made the phone call. Actually, I was with Mickey Rourke in British Columbia making a movie, Year of the Dragon. Oh, wow. I was his bodyguard and also stuntman. So I never made the phone call. But of course they get you. They want you to roll on your friends. And everything I said, I have nothing to say about anything. I wound up getting 10 years. I was supposed to get time served. I had people like Chito Rivera, Danny Aiello, Liza in the courtroom, everything. And I had a reservation for 30 people at a restaurant. My time served, I wound up getting 10 years. I turned around, I said, you better cancel those reservations. And that was it.
[28:02]
Interviewer
Do you think, looking back on it, you think it was more of about who you were?
[28:06]
Chuck Zito
Oh, absolutely. At the time, I was, you know, in one of the offices in the club, and they wanted me. And, you know, and I had nothing to say. So I wound up doing. Getting 10 years, and I wound up doing six years on 10. Wow. So. And I was, you know, most of the guys you do, you get your 10 years, you're in one prison, you finish it.
[28:31]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[28:32]
Chuck Zito
Time. I was transferred to 19 different prisons in six years.
[28:37]
Interviewer
Was it just because you whooping everybody's ass or what? Or was it just.
[28:39]
Chuck Zito
Well, what happens is, Yeah, I had 10 good fights in prison. And when you have a fight, they transfer you, so there's no retaliation afterwards. So he gets transferred, I get transferred. So I went to 19 different prisons in the six years I was incarcerated.
[28:56]
Interviewer
I mean, I guess because you're a biker, you like to travel, so I guess that part is cool. But that's. Man. But you speak with such positivity on it. And I think that is one of the things why I admire you so much, because you don't shy away from it. You talk about your mistakes the same way as you talk about your successes. And that is someone who is in a really good place mentally and spiritually, because you learn from that. When people don't talk about that side of it. And they just want to talk about the top of the mountain. They don't want to talk about the. Because the wisdom and the success is on the journey, you know, and then when you do get pitfalls, I mean, a lot of people. Ten years. That's right. Or they. Or you never get out, you know, or worse, when you come out, you just can't, because that had to be. I mean, six years. And the way things have changed from the 80s to the 90s, there must have been a lot of a cultural shock when you came out.
[29:47]
Chuck Zito
Plus, maintaining your marriage was.
[29:49]
Interviewer
Had to be very difficult.
[29:50]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. The thing with my wife, you know, no matter where I was, she always came almost every weekend to see me. And I really, you know, I was so, you know, she was a great woman and all, but after 30 years, we got divorced.
[30:04]
Interviewer
Yeah. Wow.
[30:05]
Chuck Zito
So, you know, it goes that way, but, you know, things happen and life goes on. And I went through a bad divorce with it and everything else, but you just got to think positive. And, you know, like I said, I'm very close to my family. My mom's still here with me, so those are important things in my life. And even though I did 10, I got 10 years in prison. I did six years in prison. I got out 1990. 91. And at the end of 90, and I had two years, I couldn't be around the club, so I was home. I was everything else. And after the two years, of course, parole, I went back to the club, and I. I wound up on my 25th anniversary. I had 25 years in the halls. Angels Motorcycle Club.
[30:52]
Interviewer
Okay.
[30:53]
Chuck Zito
And right after my 25th anniversary, I. I wound up quitting the club. And that was in 2004, 22 years ago. So I'm out of the club 22 years now.
[31:02]
Interviewer
Wow.
[31:02]
Chuck Zito
But I always maintain a friendship and with everybody. And was that just.
[31:06]
Interviewer
It was just time. It was just time to move on.
[31:08]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, it was just time and things and, you know, it was. A few other things happen, and I just said it was time to leave and. But I always maintain if somebody died, I didn't burn the bridge, went to their, you know, funeral, a party, everything else. And.
[31:25]
Interviewer
And you still ride right when you can.
[31:27]
Chuck Zito
Oh, yeah, I still ride a motorcycle
[31:29]
Interviewer
that joy will never go.
[31:30]
Chuck Zito
I have three motorcycles right now, and I just built a Rocky bike from the movie.
[31:35]
Interviewer
Oh, wow.
[31:35]
Chuck Zito
And I just sold that to a friend of mine, Jazz in California. He bought that, and Sylvester Sloan signed the tanks and everything on one side. So Sly's a nice guy.
[31:47]
Interviewer
He's a really good guy.
[31:48]
Chuck Zito
And, you know, it was great. I got a 51 Merc. It was like the movie he did, you know, and he signed the.
[31:58]
Interviewer
The glove box with someone like Stallone who would. Would see you and be like, oh, my God, Joe, how are you? Like, that's.
[32:03]
Chuck Zito
Don't forget, I bodyguarded him back in the day. Yeah. Years ago. I mean, I was a bodyguard in 1993 for a movie called Staying Alive with John Travolta. And I did that. I saw also bodyguarded John Travolta. And like I said, I started my bodyguard business back in 1980 to go back and Liza Minnelli was my first client.
[32:24]
Interviewer
Oh, wow.
[32:24]
Chuck Zito
And that's actually how I met President Trump at the time. Well, he was Mr. Trump back then, but. But we were in the same clubs, the same restaurants, and we became friends, and we've been friends 45 years.
[32:36]
Interviewer
You know, it's funny because bodyguarding opened a lot of doors for me too, when I was bodyguarding for Snoop and a lot of, like, businessmen who wanted to be seen, you know, so they need, you know, wear your sunglasses. I'm like, it's 10 o' clock at night in a club, boss. No, no, no. You're intimidating. Wear your sunglasses. Okay, man. You know, and then they wanted to be noticed and they'd pay top dollar to go, you know, just being. If anyone asks, tell them in the record industry, I'm like, okay, boss. But there was working for Snoop and several and different other celebrities.
[33:02]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[33:03]
Interviewer
The guy who does his job, who doesn't speak to anyone is the one that everybody wants to talk to. And I always tell guys like that you're not there. It's not your life.
[33:13]
Chuck Zito
Right.
[33:13]
Interviewer
It's like people would ask me, did you ever smoke with Snoop? No. I was. Every time I was with him, I was on the clock.
[33:18]
Chuck Zito
Right, right, right, right.
[33:19]
Interviewer
My job was to watch him and make sure no one with him. If I. What do I look like? I'm smoke. I'm not a bodyguard anymore. I'm a buddy. There's a difference. Buddies work for free.
[33:29]
Chuck Zito
Well, that's what I did back in the day. I mean, in the 80s and 90s, I was. I was known as the bodyguard to the stars. Yeah, I've got, you know, Liza Minnelli was my first client. And when in 1983, I started Bodyguard and Sylvester Sloan also, you know, when
[33:43]
Interviewer
we're doing double form too, also.
[33:45]
Chuck Zito
And yeah, I could have, but I wanted to, but he Never gave it to me, so. Because we look alike. Yeah. You know, and I. I body got it. Everybody could think of, from Sean Penn to Charlie Sheen to Paolo Anderson to Angelino Jolie to everybody, everybody could think I body got it for. And when Liza was doing a show called the Rink with Chita Rivera at the Martin Beck Theater, so everybody would come and see her, you know, but they had to go through me first.
[34:15]
Interviewer
Right.
[34:16]
Chuck Zito
So everybody could think it was there, you know, De Niro, Pacino, Pesci. Everybody came through Don Rickles, Liberace. Everybody had to go through me. In fact, when Liberace, he saw my rings.
[34:28]
Interviewer
Yeah, I bet. Yeah.
[34:29]
Chuck Zito
Back in the day when I was, you know, Hell's Angel, I had rings on every finger, right. So we compared rings.
[34:33]
Interviewer
Yeah. He was my boy.
[34:34]
Chuck Zito
And we were doing things and everybody came to Halston. I mean, everybody. Everybody came through to see Liza. And that's when I met everybody and I started working for everybody. It was. It wasn't even advertising. They saw me with Liza and they started hiring me.
[34:48]
Interviewer
You know, it's. It's crazy how different things were back then because the stars were stars. Not like today, like, where everybody's on a camera so it doesn't mean anymore. But when you think about the level,
[34:58]
Chuck Zito
you know, what destroyed the country besides this right here.
[35:01]
Interviewer
Yeah. The Internet and phones. Yep. I agree a thousand percent. It wasn't great for my. My sport, wrestling, you know, because everyone wants to ruin the damn magic show. And. No, I saw this and that, you know, and I. I really. The. More it's funny, at one time, the Internet, you think, oh, man, this is great. This is great. Now it's like the last thing that I want to deal with. I rather. If I have to read, like, when they send me stuff, like, man, just give me the. I'll read the papers, I'll read the book. I don't need the. Don't send me the email with the. The talking points on it, because I'm just. I'm tired. Because then my phone, like, I'll say, like, oh, man, my shoulders killed me for my lift today. And then I got 7,000 things on. Muscle this peptide this arm, relaxing this back this. And I'm like, man, this is.
[35:42]
Chuck Zito
I don't even read anymore. They know what I could do. If they call me, they call me. And you know what? Nobody's ever helped. I've always done myself.
[35:49]
Interviewer
Yeah. I'm the same thing. Yeah. I don't have a manager, agent, none of that stuff. Yeah. I just. I Was always just. I got myself there.
[35:57]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[35:58]
Interviewer
And always funny is when you're. When you're there, everyone wants to help you, but I'm like, I'm. I'm already here.
[36:03]
Chuck Zito
Nobody's ever helped.
[36:05]
Interviewer
Yeah. Everything. You got to get it yourself.
[36:06]
Chuck Zito
I mean, look, I know Sly. How long. All these years. You know how many movies I did with him? None. You know, Bruce Willis was the bartender where I used to work. How many movies I did with him? None.
[36:19]
Interviewer
You make your own, so.
[36:20]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, same thing. I did my own. I did my own. I started, like I said, stunt work, and I got. My first acting job was in the HBO series Oz. And later on in life, I went to Sons of Anarchy. And how was the.
[36:33]
Interviewer
Like, when you. The. The hardest thing for me, whenever I did movies or wrestling, was always one take. Like, you either did it, you either. We either like you either or get off the pot, you know, and if you. If you up on live tv, you ain't coming back next week. So then I got. So, like, when I went. Started doing movies and tv, I was like, this is easy, you know, but the retakes would drive me insane because it was like 30 of them, you know, and, like, that was. And that's when you, like, at first, you. You can hold the character a couple times, but then after 30, you're just morphing back into your pissed off self. Like, hey, Johnny. Like, hey, you have. Why are you talking about it?
[37:09]
Chuck Zito
I did a. I did a movie. I was Chaz, Palm of Terry, stunt double. Even though we're different size, but we. I was driving, and I had to do a staff fall, and I did the staff fall down marble steps.
[37:20]
Interviewer
Right.
[37:20]
Chuck Zito
You know, you're padded up your knees.
[37:22]
Interviewer
Did some. I do my own.
[37:24]
Chuck Zito
Boom. Laying there. Director goes, cut. That was great. Awesome. I thank you. Can you do it one more time?
[37:31]
Interviewer
Yep.
[37:32]
Chuck Zito
I said, you just told me it was great. Awesome. Why would I do it? Okay. I did it the second time. The last step cracked my head open. Thank you very much.
[37:41]
Interviewer
So I'm filming a movie with John Malkovich.
[37:45]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. Great actor, Kelsey.
[37:47]
Interviewer
I. With Chelsea. He was. He's done everything, but he was. He was the. The head guard in Shawshank Redemption. What's his name? Chelsea. I always forget his.
[38:01]
Chuck Zito
Clancy Brown.
[38:02]
Interviewer
Clancy. Yeah. Not Chelsea. Clancy. Cincinnati.
[38:05]
Chuck Zito
I did Home Front with him.
[38:07]
Interviewer
Well, we did a movie together. It was. And we were doing this. I. Because I'm so big and I'm a wrestler, I always do my own stunts. Right? So stunt coordinator is like, hey, you know this finishing fight scene, we could really take it to the next level because, you know, your background and this, that. Whatever. And I had done a previous movie where I was in a fight scene with a little English guy, and he was. He was a little intimidated, right? So. And they wanted the. The fight scene was he. I swing. I swing. I have a knife, and then he takes it away from me, which is hilarious. And then he takes the knife away from me and drops it on the ground, like, come on. And then he. You know, then he starts beating me up, and then eventually he sticks the handcuff through my jaw, right? And then guts me open or whatever the hell the. The finish is. So. But he was so intimidated, and I was like, bro, listen, I'm not wearing the. The. The chassity belt. Just kick me, okay? Kick here. I'm a wrestler. Kick me here. Kick me here. Punch me here. Punch me here. It's all just go to town. If you knock me out, you are the baddest mother, too. And it will be a parade in your honor. And I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing anymore. So word got out. So then when I get to this next thing, they're like, hey, we. Is it okay if our guys do this and that? And we want to, like. If we hit you with a golf cart, can you take the. The bump? And, like, clear. They had, like, a giant shark mouth they wanted me to go into. So, like, can you take the hit? Throw yourself back through the shark thing? And I was like, the couple times I did it, and they're like, oh, you know, what if we got some hydraulics and launched you, like, you get hit, we'll launch you 12ft in the air. You take a bump on the air mattress, right? And I was like, cool, let's do it.
[39:37]
Chuck Zito
Let's do it.
[39:38]
Interviewer
Right?
[39:38]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[39:38]
Interviewer
And we're doing the. We're doing the thing. And first take, nailed it. Guy hits me, boom. I even do the Star Wars. Oh, shit. While I'm in the air, hit the pad perfectly. Like, yeah. Driver's like, one take. Yes. Oh, it's great. He's like, hey, can you do it one more time? And I was like, but I landed on the pad, so it really wasn't a big deal. It was. It was inflatable. So when I hit it, it was like nothing. It was like playing in a fun part.
[40:01]
Chuck Zito
Like, yeah.
[40:02]
Interviewer
I was like, yeah, no problem. I said, you want some more arms? You want a little more flip? What do you want? You know, because back bumps and Flips. This is the wrestling thing. So they set it up, and they're so excited because they're like, one tank. They do the hydraulics and stuff. I get on the thing, line up, and right as the thing comes and it shoots, they forgot to move the pad. I shot through the shark's mouth 13, 14ft and landed on concrete. Flat bump. Tail, tail, tail bell. Just. I just heard it go. I just hit the ground. I was like, oh. And I. Oh, my God, it's so good. And he's like, where's the. Where's the pad? And I'm like, you asking me. Like, you asking me, you know, and the rest of it. But it's always when they say one more take that it always goes bad. But if you say no, then you're.
[40:45]
Chuck Zito
Well, that guy, you know, I asked you another take.
[40:48]
Interviewer
I can't reuse him. But that's funny that it's. I thought I was the only one that anytime there was a stunt involved. Same thing happened in that fight scene. We did it, you know, and it's Louisiana. It's hot as hell. I'm doing the thing, and I accidentally. Because I'm so tall, I reached up to hit him, and my hand hit the light. So the light starts going back and forth while we're filming the end of the fight scene. And the directors.
[41:06]
Chuck Zito
Cut.
[41:06]
Interviewer
Oh, my God. We got to. What? Can you do that again? Let's redo the whole thing. Like, we've been here for four hours, and I know there's only 15 seconds of this fight. That's another thing, too, that has to drive you crazy because you're fighting for, like, 45 minutes.
[41:18]
Chuck Zito
Yes. And it's only.
[41:19]
Interviewer
And then you watch it back, and you're like, I'm not even. Is that. And then your friends are like, are you sure that's you getting your ass? It's me. I swear it's me, bro. But, like, I don't. I. I never. I always love the challenge of that, especially when you would kind of be looked at differently, you know, like, oh, he's only here because of the. You know, he's not a real actor.
[41:37]
Chuck Zito
Right. Right. And.
[41:39]
Interviewer
And. But they don't understand that life experience. You can draw more emotion from living through and surviving than sitting in a book. I. I went. I. I did the drama thing in college and all that stuff. And. And it's the same. Manufactured feelings aren't the same as being able to produce. So I always think, guys. I call us dirt on your fingernails guys. Like, we work For a living, I think. Always think we can tell a better story because we have more to fall back on.
[42:05]
Chuck Zito
Of course. Of course. That's what happened with me. I went to go see the Don King story, only in America with Brian Hamill. He was a photographer, all the sets. And I just got out of jail. And we're sitting there and the camera breaks. So they turn the lights on and people start mingling. Brian brought me over to Dean Winters and Fontana, who was the. Tom Fontana was the director and creator of Oz and everything. And he introduced me. He goes, tom, this is Chuck Zito. He just got out of prison. Maybe he could, you know, inform. You know, help you, you know, with the scripts and everything else. And he goes, you got a great face. Do you act? I says, of course.
[42:53]
Interviewer
It's always nice, because you don't really know what great face means.
[42:55]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[42:56]
Interviewer
It's not always a compliment. Like, oh, you look like a murderous bastard. Or me, like, hey, you look a thug. You look like an uneducated monster. You have a good look, and you're like, okay.
[43:05]
Chuck Zito
So basically, I was trying to get, like, technical advisor on the show with prison show, and he told me, come down, I want you to read for. For this character. And I read Red, and I beat, like, 20 guys out for the part. The guy's name was Sam Pancamo. When I got the part, they changed his. Chucky Pancamo. And that's how I. Thanks to Brian Hamill, you know, introduced me and giving you the opportunity.
[43:31]
Interviewer
But you took it. Because even if you had the look, if you couldn't, those other 20 guys, they would have went with one.
[43:37]
Chuck Zito
And I wound up getting. Getting the job. And I was on it for six years.
[43:42]
Interviewer
No, no, you were one of the.
[43:43]
Chuck Zito
And back then, we were before anybody. We were before Sex in the City, before Six Feet under, before Sopranos. We were there. We were the first ones. Yeah.
[43:54]
Interviewer
Out of bc. And you were my two favorite characters.
[43:55]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. Adebisi.
[43:56]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[43:56]
Chuck Zito
And people used to ask me all the time about Adebisi. How'd that. How he kept that.
[44:01]
Interviewer
So I figured it out with Hairspray.
[44:03]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[44:03]
Interviewer
Because I did it for. In college. I had it up for a while. Like, we were all trying to figure. We all were trying to do it.
[44:09]
Chuck Zito
He was bald, and he had a little. Little growth on there, you know, like a day growth. And it was like. Like Velcro. He. You know, And I told everybody. How did he keep that thing on?
[44:19]
Interviewer
We tried. I tried it all.
[44:21]
Chuck Zito
That.
[44:21]
Interviewer
We all try to do we all look like unemployed sailors. And it just, it never. But it was like the look. And you were always jacked. Yeah, you were always jacked. So everybody, you know, but yeah, and that was. That series doesn't get. And that kickstarted HBO's. That launch that changed the game in terms of. You don't have Game of Thrones. You don't have all these big time series if Oz doesn't hit a home run.
[44:47]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. And the sad thing about nobody ever got an awards for it because they
[44:51]
Interviewer
thought it was too controversial.
[44:52]
Chuck Zito
It was not controversial. It was just too gritty to everything. Nobody got up for awards and everything else like everybody else gets.
[45:02]
Interviewer
Like Sopranos or City.
[45:05]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, that's.
[45:06]
Interviewer
You know what, that, that's frustrating because. Yeah, that was an iconic series.
[45:10]
Chuck Zito
Nobody ever got, you know, whatever for the. It's not a Grammy, it's a Emmy, Golden Globes and this and that. Nobody ever got an award for it. And we, like I said we were first. Oz was the first.
[45:23]
Interviewer
Yeah. I'm on the number one late night comedy show and I. We never get invited to the Amities. Like we smoke all of them and I'm just like supporting. No.
[45:30]
Chuck Zito
Which one is that?
[45:31]
Interviewer
The Gut Feel show.
[45:32]
Chuck Zito
Oh, Gut Feel. Great. Yeah, he's great. Oh, really? Okay.
[45:35]
Interviewer
Yeah, we kicked their ass by over a million.
[45:37]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[45:38]
Interviewer
And they got a 35 million lead every night. But like Kimmel and all that, they're all falling off the wayside. But. But it's because they, they bought into one side.
[45:45]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[45:45]
Interviewer
And whenever you, whenever you pick a side, eventually the game's over. Then what you got to do, you know, and, but when I see Jesse
[45:53]
Chuck Zito
Ward is on there. I see Jesse. Yeah, I did his show. Yeah, I did make it Kelly show. And yeah, it's great. But I got to do his.
[46:02]
Interviewer
Yeah, we gotta have you on Gutfeld. Just nothing else for us just to stare at him and look at you.
[46:08]
Chuck Zito
But it's funny. He has a good show.
[46:10]
Interviewer
Yeah, it's fun. It's laid back. It's fun. It's just kind of like this. But yeah, definitely, I'll knock. We have your information, so we'll definitely knock that out. When you look at your, your life and you look at young men today, what is your biggest concern? Because no one can look at you and say, well, you don't know what it's like. You're like that. I, I do several.
[46:34]
Chuck Zito
I've been through it all and I've done it all. I, I just, you know, worried about this generation with the kids today. Because like I said, everybody is into the phones today. That's the only thing they care about. You can't get stars in life experiences. It. It's. I'm a big car.
[46:57]
Interviewer
Car.
[46:58]
Chuck Zito
I've got a lot of cars. I have motorcycles. And kids today don't care about that.
[47:03]
Interviewer
No.
[47:03]
Chuck Zito
I don't know where next generation going with the cars.
[47:06]
Interviewer
Yeah. You don't hear about it. Like, when I was a kid, I didn't care what it was. I remember my first car was a Datsun.
[47:12]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[47:12]
Interviewer
I paid. I think it was 600 that I saved up for it. My mom got it for me. And I remember all my tires where none of them were new. They were all different size, you know, and like, had to do a fancy way to get it started. But I was the. You couldn't tell. I remember waxing it before. I was like, going to school in the morning. And I'm telling you, this was a. It wasn't even white anymore. Like, the bottom was all yellow and it was rust. I mean, this was a piece of shit up there. But it was mine.
[47:41]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[47:41]
Interviewer
You know, it was mine. And I remember just decorating it up and driving to school. You want to ride? Because they're going on the bus.
[47:47]
Chuck Zito
My first car was a 63 Chevy Nova with a 3272 4S. I built it.
[47:53]
Interviewer
Wow.
[47:54]
Chuck Zito
And I did the interior myself. There was a place around the corner from where I lived. Shady Glen Jerry's hardware store. And I bought every nut and bolt for that car. I also bought the interior. It wasn't leather. It was vinyl at the time. I made the interior everything myself.
[48:10]
Interviewer
That. But that.
[48:12]
Chuck Zito
At 16.
[48:13]
Interviewer
At 16, like, we just. And I think. I think you're right. I think it's because everything is done for them. They don't. There's no. They don't wait for anything. So there's like, when they have to. Something like that takes months. You might only. You might have to get a part a week or. I remember the movie I growing up, the Bodyguard, where they. He was trying to build a motorcycle, but he needed one part. And he would check the junkyard every day.
[48:34]
Chuck Zito
That was the Bodyguard.
[48:35]
Interviewer
Great movie.
[48:36]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[48:36]
Interviewer
And then he finally finds the part, you know, and then they put it together. They go for. But that struggle.
[48:41]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[48:42]
Interviewer
The reason why he's. They're celebrating and bonding is because they did. They.
[48:46]
Chuck Zito
They did the work. Yes. Yes.
[48:48]
Interviewer
And I think that's. I think that's what's missing.
[48:50]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. That's missing a Lot today kids don't even know about that. No, like I said, you know, all they don't want to do is go on their computers and go on social media. And it's. Yeah, it's just that society we live in today, it's in the world we live in. It's. It's crazy when I think about it. If somebody told me 10 years ago this would happen, that's no way.
[49:10]
Interviewer
Yeah, right.
[49:11]
Chuck Zito
It's like the Twilight Zone. It is.
[49:14]
Interviewer
I. Like I said, I. I'm the bad guy, but luckily my wife supports me. But there's no phone time at all, you know, like. And they'll be like, well, what if something. What are you. What are you going to do? When I was a kid, we had payphones, and I used to.
[49:30]
Chuck Zito
And we used payphones and everybody's number was in your head.
[49:33]
Interviewer
Yeah, you had. You had it on your phone number. But also, I use payphones for communication purposes.
[49:38]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[49:38]
Interviewer
Because we were broke. Like, my mom would get a collect call from. Collect call from running 15 minutes late. And then you accept the charges. Okay. No, you know, and then, like, you would just get, you know, be like, hey, can I click call from Johnny, spend the night? And then no. You know, it'd be like, oh, my mom said no. But we used to use. That was the pay phones to collect calls was clever, you know?
[49:57]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. Well, my family was getting a lot of calls. Six years I was.
[50:01]
Interviewer
Oh, yeah, yeah. That was a little different.
[50:02]
Chuck Zito
Call from, you know, Leavenworth Penitentiary, Petersburg, Virginia. You know, Otisville. Otisville. I mean, I was getting them all.
[50:11]
Interviewer
So I'm pleased that you don't have to do the collect calls.
[50:14]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[50:15]
Interviewer
I don't even know if it's like that anymore.
[50:16]
Chuck Zito
And you know what? When you're in jail, you find out who your friends really are.
[50:21]
Interviewer
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
[50:22]
Chuck Zito
A lot of them wouldn't take my call.
[50:23]
Interviewer
When you're in trouble on social media, you find out who your friends are. Now, now it's like someone said, oh, Tyrus made fun of somebody. And then, like, I can't believe.
[50:30]
Chuck Zito
Believe a lot of them. A lot of them wouldn't even take my phone call.
[50:33]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[50:34]
Chuck Zito
And I gotta admit that. Yeah, I. I wrote a book in 2002 called Street Justice.
[50:40]
Interviewer
Street. Okay, I'm gonna check that out.
[50:42]
Chuck Zito
And it was, you know, Brian Hamill also introduced me to a editor and Errol. So I wrote a book called street justice. And Sean Penn wrote the forward to it, who was a dear friend of mine. I remember coming home, I called Mickey Rourke at the time. And Sean was at his house, and I said, I'm coming home, you know, in a few days. So Sean got on. He goes, what are you going to do? I said, well, you know, I got to start. He goes, look, when you get out, you have a job with me. So I was a bodyguard on one of his shows and actually was called the Crossing Guard with Charles Bronson.
[51:20]
Interviewer
Yeah, I remember that one.
[51:21]
Chuck Zito
And I bodyguarded Charles Bronson. Yeah. And I was one of my. My greatest death.
[51:26]
Interviewer
His death.
[51:26]
Chuck Zito
Thrills in life, man. My favorite man, you know, Death wish, everything.
[51:30]
Interviewer
Death wish.
[51:31]
Chuck Zito
So back in the day, you were allowed to go to the gates at the airport before, you know, 9, 11. So I was waiting at the gate for him when he came walking out. Charles Bronson was the first one came out with a bag over his shoulder and just that. That sway he had. I said, Mr. Bronson, my name is Chuck Zito. I'm here. I'm your bodyguard. I'm here to take you to the set. Whatever you need. And he was great. And from then that movie on every year, he sent me and my family a fruit basket every Christmas.
[52:00]
Interviewer
Wow.
[52:00]
Chuck Zito
Until he died.
[52:01]
Interviewer
But that's because you have. That's reputation, that's respect.
[52:03]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[52:04]
Interviewer
And that's something that. That prison mistakes in life can't. Or being set up or whatever. That can't take away from who you are. If that's what's in you, that will always come out. And I think that's one of the things that I think you don't get. We don't talk about enough is redemption. Not just redemption, but now it's to the point where people can. A young guy who's. Who's maybe made some mistakes or has taken or life didn't give him a silver spoon in his mouth and be like he can. Someone like yourself, he'd be like, look, man. And you live so many different lives, but you've also. Just. Being a stuntman, a lot of people, that's a career. Being an actor is a career, you know, and you've an artist books now you're directing and producing movies like you've done. You've lived so many different lives, but they're all fueled. It comes from integrity, hard work and. And respect. And I think those lessons, especially for young men, I think more so than anyone else, men need. That they need. You got to get beat. You got to get your heart broke.
[52:58]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[52:59]
Interviewer
You got to have some scars. You got some missed meal cramps, you know, and. And. But Those, those are the goes along
[53:04]
Chuck Zito
the territory with life just being, you know. And I remember when I was 12 years old I had a newspaper route because my mom wasn't rich and she had to pay the rent. You know, my, my, my, my, my mom and dad got divorced and she was raising three kids by herself. So I, my first job was I was a newspaper route. Delivering newspapers.
[53:23]
Interviewer
Yep. I was doing. When I was 12 years old because my mom was raising me and my brother and she worked nights. So I was cutting grass on the weekends for neighbors. I did newspaper. And ironically there was a biker on the corner of the street who he was, he had a band too. I was staying in Sunland to Hunga in California. That's like biker, biker. It's Bikerville. And he would always sit outside his porch and he had the coolest Harley with the super long handles. You just want to hear because we're outside playing two hand touch football.
[53:53]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[53:53]
Interviewer
And you know, rev it up and everywhere I scored a touchdown. I believe he was out there and he's, can we get a rev or what? And I always liked fish tanks. That was like my thing. We couldn't afford it.
[54:02]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[54:02]
Interviewer
And he had this awesome fish tank in his. Like you walk by his, his house and you could see it at night and he had these cool fish. And I was like, this is back when you could talk to strangers and your neighbors.
[54:11]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, absolutely.
[54:12]
Interviewer
And, and this dude's jacked. He's got a bike. He always had like.
[54:14]
Chuck Zito
And when everybody was friendly.
[54:16]
Interviewer
Yeah. You know, and he always had like two or three different girls hanging around him. Like he was, he was a somebody in the neighborhood, right?
[54:22]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[54:22]
Interviewer
And I remember all his fish were gone and I just saw the tank and I finally one day I walked by and I was like, I had my, I had my lawnmower and my weed whacker that I had bought at a, at, at a secondhand store. And he saw, he said, hey, what are you doing, kid? And I was like this down. I said, well, I'm trying to save up. And I said, hey, what happened to your fish? And he's like, ah, I don't have time for it, I'm too busy. And I was like, would you, would you want to sell your tank? And he's like, it's pretty expensive tank, kid. And I was like, well, how much? He's like, I be like 200 bucks for the stand and the filter and everything. And I was like, well, never mind. Like, you know, I'm making five bucks a clip on the lawn, you know, he's like. But I tell you what, I got. I got shows coming up, and I have flyers. I'll tell you what, you. I'm gonna give you flyers every week, and you go put the flyers on the doors and in the cars and the Kmart and the stuff like that. You do that for me for a month, every weekend, and I don't find one in the trash can somewhere. Cause I'll look. Tank is yours and got my first fish.
[55:21]
Chuck Zito
Look at you, man.
[55:22]
Interviewer
You know? But it's funny.
[55:23]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, you work for it. You know?
[55:24]
Interviewer
You work for it. But when I remember the day when I showed up with the barrel, the wheelbarrow and stuff to bring it to my house, and it was like, kids, where'd you get. How much was that? It was 200. Like, oh, man. How'd you get. You know? But it was. But it was that I get goosebumps because it's just one of those moments where you're like. And it was hard, like, stick. And you see a trash can or a dumpster, and you want to throw them in there, but you're like, he sees one. You know, but that. That's what I think is missing from the kids today. And before I let you go, I have two young underlings, Ryan and Harry, and they are Generation Z's or whatever. So they like to ask a question or, like, I think, couple questions each. Harry's background, he's got a little bit of fighting background, so he wanted to pick your brain. Now, listen, you don't.
[56:14]
Chuck Zito
Yeah, we talked about that. Yeah. I told my train with Henzo Gracie on BJ and everything else. Yeah.
[56:19]
Interviewer
So they would like to ask a couple questions.
[56:21]
Chuck Zito
Absolutely.
[56:21]
Interviewer
But listen, you do not have to be nice to them. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you do not have to be. But. And of course, Ryan is. He's. He. He comes from, like, a trust fund. He's one of those kids. So, you know.
[56:37]
Chuck Zito
Oh, one of rich guys. Yeah.
[56:39]
Interviewer
He wants to. Silver spoon in his mouth kind of guy. So he's. But he really wants to be tough. And it's. You know what? I. Thank you, brother.
[56:49]
Harry
You just.
[56:50]
Interviewer
And just let me bring them. Thank you so much, man. Absolutely. Let me bring them in as we get this done.
[56:54]
Chuck Zito
Absolutely.
[56:57]
Ryan
What's going on?
[56:57]
Chuck Zito
Chuck, how are you? How are you? How are you?
[56:59]
Ryan
Nice to meet you.
[56:59]
Chuck Zito
Pleasure, Pleasure. Pleasure.
[57:02]
Ryan
So they didn't tell me that this was gonna be in person, so I wrote these questions thinking you were gonna be on a Zoom call. And I'd be safe here.
[57:11]
Chuck Zito
I don't do zoom.
[57:12]
Ryan
Okay, well, I figured that out.
[57:13]
Chuck Zito
My phone rings, I answer it. That's as far as I go with my.
[57:17]
Ryan
That's great. All right, so I guess I'll ask you a serious question first.
[57:21]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[57:23]
Ryan
What do you think? Do you think people have the wrong perception about bike culture? Do you think that people look at it and look at Hell's angel and think. Incorrect.
[57:37]
Chuck Zito
Well, you know, nowadays a lot of people know what the club's about and, and not just Los Angeles, but any, any, any bike club, you know, And I think accepted more now these days. Back in the day, they weren't accepting it, so. And way before I got. I mean, I became a hell of a 1979. So
[57:58]
Ryan
it's develop.
[57:59]
Chuck Zito
They weren't accepted back in the day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But now, today, I mean, a lot of guys ride motorcycles. A lot of guys have their own motorcycles. They, you know, want to be in touch with, you know, in touch with the world, so.
[58:11]
Ryan
All right, that's. That's a great answer. I mean, I had to ask you something serious, and I'll finish with the serious one, but.
[58:16]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[58:17]
Ryan
I did take some time as a trust fund guy, which I'm not. I wish I was trust fund guy. I'm not a trust fund baby at all. So I have some really good questions for you.
[58:28]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[58:29]
Ryan
Do you think I would make a good Hell's Angel?
[58:35]
Chuck Zito
You would make a good headline. Well, you know what? I don't know.
[58:40]
Ryan
Scooter car?
[58:40]
Chuck Zito
I don't know. Well, no, right there. With that kind of attitude, you're not going to make a good anything, let alone a Hell's Angels. Because if you disrespect Hell's angel in any way, you're dead. You'll be going to the dentist.
[58:54]
Ryan
That's a great, great response. I got plenty more.
[58:58]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[58:58]
Ryan
What do you do for fun?
[59:01]
Chuck Zito
Anything I want.
[59:02]
Ryan
That's a great answer. Wow, this is going.
[59:05]
Interviewer
Chuck.
[59:05]
Ryan
This is going great. Tyrus riddles.
[59:07]
Chuck Zito
I do everything. I mean, like I said, I'm blessed. I'm a big car nut. I have a lot of cars. I have some motorcycles. I go to motorcycle events. And actually I lead the pack every year. For Hogs for Hope.
[59:23]
Ryan
Very cool.
[59:24]
Chuck Zito
For Ronald McDonald House. And we raise money for children with cancer.
[59:28]
Ryan
That's awesome.
[59:28]
Chuck Zito
So I do that.
[59:29]
Ryan
I like motorcycles, too. I'm from Long island and we're in Long Island. Huntington.
[59:35]
Chuck Zito
Huntington. Okay. My family, my mom lives at Colmac. My sister in Hop Hog.
[59:39]
Ryan
Yep. I Actually live in Hot Bog now,
[59:41]
Chuck Zito
and I go there every. Every three times a week.
[59:43]
Ryan
So you're gonna find me. All right. That's good.
[59:45]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[59:46]
Ryan
That's good to know.
[59:47]
Chuck Zito
Don't ask anything stupid, because I will find you.
[59:50]
Ryan
Yeah, I'm sure you will find me.
[59:51]
Chuck Zito
I'll track you down.
[59:52]
Ryan
I've been to Billy Joel's bike shop, which is pretty.
[59:55]
Chuck Zito
Oh, yeah, yeah, it's a cool. They don't have it anymore. No, they got rid of it.
[59:58]
Ryan
I know they get getting rid of the other things. All right, so I guess I got another good question for you. Have you ever beaten anyone up?
[60:08]
Chuck Zito
Have I be one of quite a few people.
[60:10]
Ryan
Okay. And how do they look now?
[60:13]
Chuck Zito
Totally different.
[60:14]
Interviewer
Okay.
[60:16]
Chuck Zito
You know what the crazy thing about it, in March, I'll be 73. I had five street fights last year.
[60:22]
Ryan
Oh, nice.
[60:23]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[60:23]
Ryan
You want to make it six, you know?
[60:25]
Chuck Zito
Well, we could do that.
[60:26]
Ryan
All right. So, I mean, you're smiling a lot, which is great. I guess maybe, you know, this is going well. Do you ever, like, smile like, you know, smile?
[60:35]
Chuck Zito
I smile all the time. Especially when I'm a great smile.
[60:38]
Ryan
You had a great smile.
[60:39]
Interviewer
You know, do you have.
[60:40]
Chuck Zito
I have all my teeth, so I smile.
[60:42]
Harry
Ty said I got tag.
[60:43]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[60:44]
Ryan
I got one last question. One last question, and you could be serious. Nobody's gonna watch this.
[60:49]
Chuck Zito
It's.
[60:49]
Ryan
They turn it off the second they see me. Have you ever cried?
[60:53]
Chuck Zito
Cried a lot.
[60:54]
Ryan
Oh, good.
[60:55]
Chuck Zito
Yeah. What about when it comes to my family? When it comes to my. Cried a few. Quite. Cried quite a few times, man. You know?
[61:03]
Ryan
Wow.
[61:03]
Chuck Zito
I feel like I was married for 30 years. I screwed that up, you know, and wasn't happy about that. But every man cries. If they say they don't. They're foolish.
[61:15]
Ryan
You could say it.
[61:16]
Chuck Zito
You could curse here.
[61:17]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[61:17]
Ryan
Yeah.
[61:17]
Chuck Zito
Oh, I didn't even know that.
[61:18]
Ryan
I'm full of. So go ahead.
[61:20]
Chuck Zito
Okay. So. Yeah.
[61:22]
Interviewer
All right.
[61:22]
Chuck Zito
They say they never cried in their life. They're full of.
[61:24]
Ryan
I'm looking forward to you making me cry after this. But also, all kidding aside, very, very nice to meet you.
[61:30]
Chuck Zito
Likewise. You look like a young Emilio Esteban.
[61:34]
Ryan
Say that a lot of people think that I look like a Gavin Newsome wannabe.
[61:38]
Chuck Zito
Oh, man, that's. I know. That's not a good comparison.
[61:40]
Ryan
I know. I know. It sucks. I'm seeing a therapist for it, so. Thank you. Visiting me and, you know, absolutely. This is my good side, so maybe this side is probably better. Okay.
[61:53]
Chuck Zito
I go right for the chin.
[61:55]
Ryan
Yeah, I got it.
[61:56]
Chuck Zito
Don't worry about that.
[61:57]
Ryan
Cool. All right, Chuck. Very nice to meet you. All right. Go easy on him, all right?
[62:04]
Chuck Zito
He's a funny guy. Yeah, he's a funny gay.
[62:10]
Harry
I'm sorry about Caviar. We call him Caviar.
[62:12]
Chuck Zito
Caviar.
[62:13]
Harry
Yeah.
[62:15]
Chuck Zito
He looks like a nice, nice guy. You missed it, gentlemen.
[62:18]
Harry
He threw up before he came in here. He's pretty nervous.
[62:20]
Chuck Zito
No.
[62:21]
Harry
Yeah, he just blew chunks everywhere.
[62:23]
Chuck Zito
What?
[62:23]
Harry
Yeah, he threw up all over the studio. It's a disaster in there.
[62:28]
Chuck Zito
A little more information I need to know, tell you the truth, man.
[62:31]
Harry
Yeah, it's all right. Yeah, he'll be okay.
[62:33]
Ryan
He.
[62:34]
Harry
Yeah, he gets nervous sometimes, and also, yeah, you can curse on this show.
[62:38]
Chuck Zito
I said I didn't even know about it. Yeah, I would have cursed a long time ago. I gotta watch poop, crap, fart.
[62:44]
Harry
See, I curse all the time.
[62:46]
Interviewer
Yeah.
[62:46]
Chuck Zito
Yeah.
[62:47]
Harry
Well, it's been an honor to meet you.
[62:48]
Chuck Zito
Well, thank you so much.
[62:49]
Harry
You know, and I was impressed by your. Your knowledge and your involvement in the ufc.
[62:54]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[62:54]
Harry
Because it's cool. Just because you've actually been a part of that since the, you know, the very beginning. So what was that experience like?
[63:01]
Chuck Zito
Actually, Dan saw me. I had my. My. My credential from UFC 1 and 300. He goes, you got to be the only person in the world that has that.
[63:11]
Harry
That's crazy.
[63:12]
Chuck Zito
I even called the Bill Silver Wallace. I said, you still have your credential from the first one. He goes, I threw it out. Who knew it was going to be so big? Yeah. Yeah. But I still have mine, and I wore it in the UFC 300.
[63:24]
Harry
What's it like seeing the transition from the inception in 93 to where it's at now, where you're coming from? You know?
[63:31]
Chuck Zito
You know, back in the day, like you said, there were no rules, so there was no weight classes. There was no rounds. You either had a tap out or get knocked out, and that was it. You know, I remember Keith Hackney was 180 pounds and fought Yarborough, who was over 600 pounds.
[63:47]
Harry
Yeah, I remember that. I've seen that.
[63:48]
Chuck Zito
And he beat him. Keith Hackney beat him. That. He got him down. Once he was down, he was like a turtle. He couldn't move. But Keith Hackney hit him with so many hammer fists that he broke his hand. And back then, you fought like, three, four times a night. It wasn't just one fight. So it was, you know, eliminations, and that's what happened. So he broke his hand. He couldn't fight. So they had an alternate end to fight him, you know, fight the next fight. But like I said, there were no rules. So once they danner and the fatigue just took it over. They made rounds, they made rules, they made weight classes, which actually, you know, of course, you know, helped, you know, all the fighters because like I said, you know, 150, 160 pound guy fighting a 620 pound guy is not too fair. So they turned it around and I think it's great now. It's the biggest sporting event you could go to.
[64:44]
Harry
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I tell anybody, it's if you go to a live event, it's going to be the best.
[64:49]
Chuck Zito
Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And just the atmosphere, you get goosebumps just being in it. And still to this day, I mean, I go to so many things. I go to, you know, besides UFC, I go to WrestleManias and all that stuff. I was at WrestleMania 1, Master of Garden, when everybody was there, you know, Liberace, Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin, everybody was there. And actually It's a big WrestleMania in April in Vegas that we'll be going to. And of course the UFC fight again. But it's so, got so big and that's a good thing because my, my, my great nieces and nephews, they are all into sports now. You know, they're not into the, like everybody else with the, you know, their videos and everything else. They're all in sports. They play, they play soccer, they wrestle.
[65:46]
Harry
Yeah.
[65:48]
Chuck Zito
Hockey, all that stuff. They're all into it and they all, all compete. They go all over the United States and compete with other, other teams. And that's what I love about my nieces and nephews, that they have them involved because today is so important, right, for your kids to be doing something instead of, you know, in their computers all day. And.
[66:08]
Harry
Well, one person that comes to mind who was, he was in his computer all day and it was Ryan, you know, and we don't, you don't want to end up, we can't end up like caviar, you know, so it's, it's comforting to hear that, you know, but
[66:22]
Chuck Zito
I'm, I'm, you know, happy that you're, you know, a practitioner in bjj. And, you know, it's always good. Like I said, I, I love to see when I see little kids. Yeah, there's a six year old boxer and I don't know his name, but I see him on YouTube. He's amazing that it's six. He's so good. Yeah. And I love it when the family, their parents get Them that young to start where other parents, you know, today especially. Yeah. I mean, you know, they're having these, you know, they call them protests. I call them riots where they're having their kids attend.
[66:59]
Harry
Yeah.
[67:00]
Chuck Zito
And they're putting their own children harm's way. Yeah. Those people should be arrested.
[67:05]
Harry
Let me ask.
[67:06]
Chuck Zito
Kids taken away.
[67:07]
Harry
So it's my last question, then we'll let you go.
[67:08]
Chuck Zito
Okay.
[67:09]
Harry
But you've been a part of some. You've been a part of Hell's Angels.
[67:13]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[67:13]
Harry
You've been involved in. In martial arts.
[67:15]
Chuck Zito
Yes.
[67:16]
Harry
In your opinion, what does it mean to be a tough guy?
[67:23]
Chuck Zito
You know, I don't walk around like I'm a tough guy. I don't know everything. And the crazy thing about it, I call these guys, you know, keyboard warriors that. That threaten you over the phone. All this stuff, you know, all the. But it's amazing because I. I do appearances all over the United States. I'll go to, you know, Chilla Theater in Parsissippi, New Jersey. I'll go here. I interact with thousands of people in one day, but not one person's ever come to me and says, you know what? I don't like you. Yeah, only on a keyboard warriors, they do that. They threaten you. They do this and then that. And I said, you know what? I'm going to be here this weekend. Come see me. Come say hello. Never happens. Never, never. And it never will because they know they could hide behind their keyboards and all that. So. But I'm all over the place. I go, like I said, I went. I was three days at the White House. I went to the Milania, you know, documentary. From there, I went to Atlantic City to the martial arts event where a thousand martial arts from all over the world was. You had great martial artists like Bill Wallace and Ben Yukitis and Donnie Drag Wilson and Kathy Long and Cynthia Rothrock. And it was a thousand sit down dinner with almost everybody was at Black Tie. And it was just good. And I even mentioned I got up there when I got an award. I said, I just want to say that thank you for it was the 25th anniversary to Sifu Allen Goldberg, that we're here tonight. But I love looking around because you know what? We're all the same. Doesn't matter what color we are, what religion we are. We all have love and respect for each other, and that's due to the martial arts. And today world out there is so important that I come here every year and we share this night together. And I say that because I can't believe what's happening in the streets today and where people will put their children harm's way going in these riots. They're not protests. They're riots because they showed 1, 1, 1 supposedly protest where there was, like, 100 cars, windows were busted, and they have nothing better to do. Like I said today, it's crazy, but I'm glad that I have my family that that comes number one. I have so many friends and fans out there that I'm. I'm blessed, and I thank God for that.
[69:51]
Harry
That's an episode. Keyboard warriors, let's hear it.
[69:55]
Chuck Zito
Thanks, Chuck.
[69:55]
Harry
Appreciate it.
[69:56]
Chuck Zito
Thank you.
[69:57]
Harry
Pleasure meet you.
[69:58]
Interviewer
Pleasure.