- Born
- Birth nameGerald Michael Riviera
- Nickname
- Jerry
- Height5′ 9½″ (1.77 m)
- Geraldo Rivera was born on July 4, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Contact (1997), Grumpier Old Men (1995) and Primary Colors (1998). He has been married to Erica Levy since August 10, 2003. They have one child. He was previously married to C.C. Dyer, Sherri Rivera, Edie Vonnegut and Linda Coblentz.
- SpousesErica Levy(August 10, 2003 - present) (1 child)C.C. Dyer(July 11, 1987 - 2000) (divorced, 3 children)Sherri Rivera(December 31, 1976 - October 10, 1984) (divorced, 1 child)Edie Vonnegut(December 14, 1971 - 1975) (divorced)Linda Coblentz(August 20, 1965 - 1969) (divorced)
- ChildrenIsabella Holmes RiveraSimone Cruickshank RiveraGabriel Miguel RiveraCruz RiveraSolita Liliana Rivera
- ParentsLilian Rivera (Friedman)Cruz Rivera
- RelativesCraig Rivera(Sibling)
- His moustache
- His glasses
- His most famous program was The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults (1986) that aired in April 1986. When Chicago's Lexington Hotel was being demolished, a sealed vault was discovered. Rivera hosted the live program that was going to climax with the opening of the vault, supposedly revealing Al Capone's treasure or a more gruesome find. The biggest find was an empty whiskey bottle. The hype generated a record rating of 57 with an estimated audience of 30,000,000. The term "Al Capone's Vault" has come to mean any overhyped event that leads to nothing.
- Exposed deplorable conditions in "Willowbrook State School," an institution for people with developmental disabilities, in early 1972. Publicity from the class-action lawsuit against the state of New York that soon followed was a major contributing factor in the passing of a federal law called "Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.".
- Listed on his birth certificate as Gerald Michael Riviera, though his parents' surname is Rivera. In his autobiography "Exposing Myself," Rivera said that he believed his mother was attempting to deflect future discrimination from her children by misspelling their surname on their birth certificates, as they were the products of a mixed marriage.
- In his autobiography, he revealed his affairs with Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Judy Collins, Chris Evert, Margaret Trudeau, Marion Javits, and at least 1000 other women. He first made a name for himself as a lawyer defending Harlems's largely Hispanic Young Lords gang. His brother is newscaster Craig Rivera, who previously gained experience as Geraldo's producer at ABC News.
- He hosted the television segment that gave the American public the first chance of seeing the Zapruder film of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
- We have no right to complain about any condition affecting the quality of our lives, unless we are doing something about it.
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