Episode 59 - The Questions We Shouldn't Wait to Ask - Part 1: A Conversation With My Dad

In this episode of Three Questions, I sit down with someone who has shaped so much of how I think about family, work, relationships, and life: my dad. This conversation is part storytelling, part reflection, and part reminder that the people closest to us often hold the lessons we need most.

We talk about family dynamics, leadership, marriage, taking risks, building a career around what you love, and the importance of being present for the people who matter. My dad shares what he learned from his own parents, why he always prioritized family despite working hard, and the business advice that shaped the way he led people for over 50 years. 

In This Episode You'll Hear:
• Why treating people well matters more than managing “things”

• Why family became the foundation for both leadership and business success

 • How taking risks and “not should-ing yourself” can change your life

Whether your parents are still here or you’re carrying their lessons with you in different ways, I hope this episode encourages you to ask the questions that matter most.

Links & Resources For This Episode:
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Transcript

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Welcome to Three Questions where critical thinking is king, and my opinions and research are only here to support your learning and understanding. Hey, I'm your host Meghann, and I'm so honored you clicked on Three Questions today because we have a very, very special guest, the CEO of the Koppele family.

Welcome, Gary Koppele, AKA, my Father. Welcome to the podcast dad. 

Gary Koppele: Thank you very much for the introduction, Meghann. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Now Dad, do you know what a podcast is? 

Gary Koppele: Uh, I'm learning as we go along. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Okay. So I feel like back in the day you used to listen to, what was it? Mike and Mike on the radio. Howard Stern. So feel like podcasts are the new radio talk shows.

Gary Koppele: Yes. That I did quite often driving around. But a podcast especially dropping work. I've never been, never been participating in a podcast. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Dad, I feel like this might be your first public interview. This is like your introduction to the world. Are, are you excited? 

Gary Koppele: I'm nervous. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: What are you nervous for?

Everybody loves you. 

Gary Koppele: Well, uh, but I don't know the, about the rest of the world. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yes. Who cares about them? It's just you and I here. Got it. So, dad, the podcast, why I started this is I wanted to kind of foster critical thinking and sharing stories and research and helping people kind of come to their own answers because, you know, there's a lot going on in the world.

So I wanna start by just asking you one question, and it's something you have instilled in me. My sister and our families of always putting family first. And as someone who worked quite a bit, despite that, you always put family first. Is that something you learned from someone else? Is that just something you did?

Tell me more about that. 

Gary Koppele: Well, the, uh, the reason I did that was because the family was so great. And I felt the most relaxed and the most comfortable when I was with my family, and it was easy to live it that way. I worked hard, but still, when I got home, I had the larger smile on my face in a better mood because of my wife and my two daughters.

So it was an easy transition for me and. Family takes the priority over everything. And we demonstrated that as a family pretty well 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: now. Um, even when I was a pain in the butt, you still had a smile on your face. I imagine my listeners must wonder what I was like as a child. 

Gary Koppele: Well, do 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: you wanna enlighten them?

Gary Koppele: Well, I'll just, uh, stick to the high points. Okay. You were a great child. You were an overachiever. You were studious, you were funny, you were friendly, you had a great personality. Sometimes you took that too far. And, uh, we had some disagreements, but quickly thereafter, we kissed and made up because it was easy to do because you've always meant well.

But growing up you always have your challenges. You had some and I had some, and you, my, your mother had some in raising you and your sister. But it all worked out splendidly at the end of the day. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Well, something we kind of joke about, and I, I share this with a lot of my students is when we were younger, I often felt it wasn't really true, but I sometimes felt you were harder on me than you were on Kim.

And Kim and Kim is my sister. Might've said the opposite. That mom was a little tougher on her. And what I've realized is you and I are a lot. Same. Right. So I think sometimes the things you see in your kids that annoy you or you don't wanna be like you, you tend to kind of pick on and you never picked on me, but you and I butted heads a little bit when I was a kid.

But as an adult, I just, I love the relationship we have now because I see how much I am. Like you, did you, do you pick up on that? Would you agree? 

Gary Koppele: I do agree and I thank you for that. The fact of the matter is. Um, you spent, you and your sister spent most of your time with your mother, so she was driving here and driving there and you had quality time.

And I would come in after a long day work, days of work. Or on a weekend. And the fact of the matter is I realized pretty quickly that while we're one happy family, you and your sister were wired differently. She was a little more sneaky. She was a little more. Introverted and you as the younger sister was pretty much out there.

You spoke your piece, you stood your, your line, and it was something that we got used to and we loved it because, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: oh, what did you used to say to me? What was the line you used to say? Oh, it was lower it to a dull roar and I used to like put my finger in my mouth to like lower the volume and you would just shake your head or you would say, who writes your stuff?

And I would say, I do. I write my stuff, right? Like, right. You were so patient with me as a kid. Like I even said that to you with Anthony, my nephew and my dad's, uh, grandson. He's smart and funny. He's got good timing like you and I. And sometimes he would say something and I was like. I, I said to you once, dad, how did you not smack me more as a child?

I always had a little bit of a smart comeback, and I think that's what would get me in trouble. Is that right? 

Gary Koppele: I think that's true, but again, we talked about it. You were wired differently and, uh, we acclimated to that and you maximized your strengths. And we mini, we tried to minimize your weaknesses. You had a few.

And that's what upbringings all about. But the family always stuck together. Yeah. It wasn't who's right, it's what's right. And most often you were right, whether I agreed or disagreed. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: And something about my dad that is so I always found so funny. He's like the master of giving nicknames, except he never shortens a nickname.

He always makes it longer. But this was one instance where you would shorten it. You would say it's all about the fu and people would look at what, um, tell them what the FU is. 

Gary Koppele: Hmm. Now that's, that's a quiz question. You don't, the fu 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: remember the family unit? You used to 

say 

Gary Koppele: the family unit. The family unit.

It's hard. I had to think about that. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: My dad has a lot of isms. One of the favorite things that your staff gave you dad. Is that picture, do you still have that of all your sayings and they wrote them 

Gary Koppele: out? Yeah, it was, uh, when I was 50 years old, which was many, many years ago, uh, for my birthday, I guess, I guess that was the occasion.

It was the Garys the 50 most, uh, interesting. And they, they. You know, did it beautifully. They got everything was, and I'm looking at it and I said, yeah, I said that. I said that. I said that. But in business it's different. You know, it's more impersonal. Uh, family is much different. But it's true. I had a nickname for everyone.

I had a saying for everyone. And there was a way to relate at each of our levels. You know, with tongue in cheek is okay too. 'cause we all had senses of humor. And you're not seeking perfection. You're seeking love and collaboration. As a family unit. That's the fu. So again, there it is again. There it is again.

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yeah. And it's, I wanted to have you and mom on the podcast for a lot of reasons, because I think sometimes we don't have these conversations with our parents. We don't ask the questions. So I thought it was kind of important and you and I have discussions all the time and you know, I have so many students and people I work with and.

Unfortunately, dad, not everybody has a dad as great as you. So I feel like I already started at third base. I had a head start because I had such great parents that I know we joked about my being spirited, but you and mom never harnessed my spirit. You always allowed me to be myself and kind of, you know, if I got outta line would keep me in check.

But, uh, I'm super grateful for the effort you put in as a dad. I hope you know that. 

Gary Koppele: Well, thank you. Compliments will get you somewhere, but the fact of the matter is you, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I'll stop it. Just receive the compliment. Don't make an excuse. That's where I get it from everybody. It's, it's hard to take it a compliment, but let me se segue, 'cause I know that made you feel uncomfortable.

You said something about business where it's less personal, but a lesson I learned from you is if you treat your employees, your employees, you're your best, a best asset if you treat your people well. And manage them well, that is a true business and Mariska and I call our students the Neuro Studio family.

They know that family's the most important thing to me. So if somebody has a kid that's sick, I say, no excuses, you don't need to excuse. Family always comes first. So that's something you always instilled at work as well, which is why your employees gave you such a great gift. They come to your house every year for a barbecue.

Gary Koppele: All right. Well, you know, one hand wash is the other, but again, I was very fortunate in business. I had two important jobs for my entire 50 year business career, and you learn on the job, so you. Uh, get along with people you delegate and manage. You don't try to manage things. You manage your people and let the people manage the things, because at the end of the day, there are too many things to manage and you don't have to be the most popular, but you have to, but you are be considerate.

And work as a team collaborate and two, three heads are always better than one. So I learned that early in business. I was a bean counter. Coming outta high school and college, the only thing I can do, I couldn't sing, I couldn't dance, I couldn't act, but I could add numbers pretty quickly in my head. So I pursued that finance situation.

Got a couple of breaks along the way and, and Meghann, you are imminently successful, so I don't wanna run on, but again, we're so proud of you. But the fact of the matter is. You, if you're passionate about what you're doing, you're very, very good at it. And now as I'm getting older, I rely on you more than you rely on me because I, you know, if I have a health situation, a health question, uh, you are there.

You're so knowledgeable, you're so studious and so passionate about what you do, you will succeed. And people who don't succeed as much as you or others is that it shoulda, coulda, would've. You get opportunities in your life. You try to maximize those opportunities, maximize your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and chase your passion as opposed to being on the sidelines and saying, well, I should have done that and I let it pass me by.

You didn't let opportunities pass you by. You'll get maybe 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: two. You know where I learned that from? I learned that from 'cause I, I hear, I see what you're trying to do there. You're trying to flip this around on me. My listeners know me. They know my, they wanna learn, learn about you. Dad, you and mom. 'cause mom also says, Hey, hey.

I said that. You always said to me, figure out what you love to do and then figure out a way to make a living at it. And you always said true. I was lucky. I love dating and subtracting. So accounting was a perfect start for you. For me. I liked movement and you, you guys were kind of leery of me switching from a history major to exercise science.

But you let me do it and you kind of let me figure it out and flounder a little bit. But still, we're always there to be supportive. So whether you have a parent that gives you advice, you can borrow my dad to take the advice of, figure out what you love to do and then work your ass off to figure out how to make some money at it.

And it took me a while, but we got here, you know, and I still work at it. And I ask you all the time, does it ever get easier? And you said not really, 

Gary Koppele: right? No. Well, I give you, I give you all the credit, but again, it always starts with the family. We supported you, we supported your sister, and vice versa. Uh, my wife and I are 180 degrees different.

She's a great 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: homemaker. You'll see 

Gary Koppele: that in a, in about homemaker 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: in the next episode, 

Gary Koppele: right? So again, you know, I brought home the paycheck. Uh, we were very fortunate as a family. You were close and your mother ran around. Two and really catered to you and your older sister, and that worked out well because she was a perfect role model.

And I can pick up what she does well and Maureen picks up what I do well and together. We were quite successful and the family was quite successful. If you don't have that foundation, you are playing ball with two strikes on you to begin with. So you didn't have that, that handicap growing up and you maximize, as did your sister in terms of your own being yourself and being successful.

Laura, all on your own, and we didn't have to steer you that much because I think we were pretty good role models. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yeah, 

Gary Koppele: working together as a family and that's, that's the least common denominator. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: So I was gonna ask you, I, I might get into a fourth question, but I wanted to, let's hop back to business for a sec, because you had some really good business role models, Dick Rosenberg, and, um, can you share some of the business insight that he shared with you and helped you be successful, which you just passed down to me because Dad, I love what you're saying about a family.

And we are truly blessed, but not everybody has had that. So I want you to be their dad for a minute and share some of that advice that Dick Rosenberg shared with you, if you don't mind. 

Gary Koppele: Well, I was lucky. You know, I worked for Dick Rosenberg who was the, uh, owner, the president, and CEO for a regional supermarket company.

Very, very successful. And. He recruited me from public accounting and I again, could add subtract pretty well, but Dick Rosenberg very early in my career, taught me about human resources, treat people the way you want to be treated, collaborate. Two heads are better than one. Just, uh, running the risk of repeating myself.

That's okay. So that's Dick Rosenberg. 50 years ago, in my opinion. Now, 50 years later was ahead of his time. Now everybody talks about hr. Everybody talks about. Don't discriminate. Don't do this, don't do that. Don't play favorites. Dick Rosenberg was a people person. He would walk into a supermarket who had a hundred employees, and though he was the president and CEO, he talked to them as a friend.

He knew everybody's first name, went out of his way. It's a people business. You can't be successful. In my experience in business, if you don't get along with people, surround yourself with the best people, delegate, manage, treat 'em well, you have a better chance of being successful for yourself and for the organization at large.

If I answered your question right, oh my God, it was, I learned that 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: it was great. I, I love that. Just, I, I remember that, that you're like Meghann, he would come down, he knew the guy who worked the meat counter. He knew who was begging the groceries. He knew everybody's name. And it really, you taught me at kind of a young age that no matter the person driving the bus, picking up the garbage, the CEO, everybody plays a role when you're a good teammate.

So it's like being a team in business, being a team and family. So like, I'm very, you know. I know you were worried there for a minute. My dad used to always ask me if I was dating somebody because my dad is so happily married that he didn't like that I was single for a while, but I wanted to wait till I met the right person.

I felt like I kind of was always trying to fit a round peg in a square hole until I met Brian. You know Brian, you always said you gotta marry for polo. You can tell me where that comes from. That comes from potential and love. Right, and there was just something about Brian where I remember the moment he asked me what I did for a living.

We were out at a bar at leg. Its in Manis one. What do you do for work? Oh, I teach Pilates. There was no follow up questions. Usually guys would ask more and they're like, oh. And then I would tell them I own my own Pilates studio. So they liked the, the idea of me. Brian had no follow-up questions. He just weirdly, despite.

All Meghann, he loves me for me and I think he brings a calming influence to me and I think I, uh, give him a kick in the butt when he needs it. But I think I really wanna wait until I met that person and my business partner, Mariska. You know, we have been successful business partners for always 12 years.

We don't always see to eye to eye, but we communicate really well. So I just feel like those lessons are so good and to wait till they come. How'd you meet mom? Tell everybody, 

Gary Koppele: uh, a nightclub I, you know, or a disco tech back then. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: What is a disco tech? 

Gary Koppele: It's a nightclub. I saw your mother on the dance floor.

She was beautiful and she was friendly. She was, and she had a great, yeah, she was, was friendly. She had a great sense of, she wouldn't come home with me that night because I thought, you know, uh, I was a stud, but she put me in my place. So we dated for years. We got married 47 years ago. We haven't looked back since.

And again, it goes back to the family. And I know you want to talk business, but the fact is no. But you can go back to the family. I'll, I'll relate to you. You went to one college, you changed majors, you went to another college. I said, is that a good idea in your second year? To change colleges when you weren't even settled in the first place.

You had a business in Hoboken, New Jersey and you had a great location, good advertising program. You worked your un know what off and you barely made ends meet. 'cause it was a lot of, no, I hated 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: that studio 

Gary Koppele: overhead. So you went outside the box. You were a risk taker at a very young age, so that's why you're successful.

To reiterate, if you don't take risks, let Thomas Edison, you know, invented the light bulb and 1500 other things. But he stumbled a number of times. It didn't work. It didn't work, it didn't work. But he was passionate about it and he was one of the greatest inventors on the planet. And that was you, so you wanted to expand.

Well, I, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I wouldn't put That's very, that's very nice of you to. Put me and Thomas Edison in the same category. I think you might be confused, sir. 

Gary Koppele: Well, and, and just going back, but I appreciate going back to family 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: now. Dad said, imagine if I never, sorry to interrupt. Imagine if I never transferred to Scranton.

Look at my, I found my people, Kate Cheryl, Mary Beth, Mary Courtney. Um. God, I hope I'm not Miss, did I miss any of the girls? Oh my God. Diana. 

Gary Koppele: Diana. I mean picture on Natalie, dirty Diana, I should say. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yeah. Was her nickname. That's and Diana. And then Hot Kate, who still loves when you call her Hot Kate. 'cause now she has three kids, so I just, right.

But I was able to take risks. Because I had this weird safety net at home that even if I failed, I knew nobody would love me any less. And it's funny when you say, even the most successful I am at work, nothing makes me feel better than being home. You mom, Brian, Patty and Tom. My in-laws Anthony and Kaylin, because Anthony and Kaylinn don't give a shit about what I do.

Although Kaylyn wants to be on the podcast now. Anthony not interested. They, they love me despite the fact that I annoy them. So I hope if you're single, wait. If you're married and unhappy, make a switch because I think everybody deserves to have what dad and I are talking about right now. 

Gary Koppele: Listen, dad, timing's everything in life.

You and we talk about that. Listen, I met your mother. We dated for a number of years. We got married. We haven't looked back since. Hold on. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: How long did you date For? 

Gary Koppele: Five years. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: And what did Momum say to you? That's my mom's mother. 

Gary Koppele: Right. Do you know he's Jewish, but he's got a lot of potential because it's a cat.

Meghann Koppele Duffy: No, but she also, didn't she tell you to shit her get off the pot? 

Gary Koppele: She did. She did say that. Um, my mo, my, uh, my, my wife's mother, she was, listen, she raised seven kids. She raised them beautifully. All kids are thriving. No one's in any trouble in today's society. It's pretty remarkable. She died, unfortunately, a young age because she worked full time.

She was happily married, but it was tough to make ends meet with a family that large, but they made it work. Your sister fell in love in high school, 16 years old. Right. So her, she met her soulmate. They now have two children. You met Brian. God bless them later in life. But timing is everything in life. You get a couple of breaks.

You have to chase those dreams. You have to get lucky and then maximize that potential and don't let it pass you by. 'cause you get so many lucky chances. I got lucky. 'cause I decided to work for a supermarket company with a great boss who wound up promoting me and then promoting me again 'cause I had my nose to the grindstone.

That's luck. But you maximize that. And those who don't miss, miss the boat, in my opinion. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I always say, I say to my clients, stop shutting yourself. I should do this. I should do, just do it. So this last question, um, I know. Um, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna shoot from the hip here. Dad, your parents are no longer with us.

I'm asking you questions right now. What's one question you wish you could have asked your parents before they passed? 

Gary Koppele: I. Well, the first thing I would say, you know, my mother passed away in her early sixties. My father lasted another 20 years, and he was a smoker. He was healthy in great shape, and, but he smoked and uh, and eventually succumbed.

To, uh, lung cancer. Mm-hmm. So one question I would've asked him is, if you're going and he didn't like to be alone, nobody does. So I 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: do 

Gary Koppele: the one thing I said, I I, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: that women, like alone time men don't, just to know. 

Gary Koppele: Right. I guess. So it's easier to, I I wouldn't know that. Uh, but in answer to your question, I would've said to my father.

Make sure, 'cause no one will follow my mother's footsteps. She was the greatest lady in the world. My father married, well, I said, if you, and I figured he was going to remarry because he was now an eligible bachelor a couple of years after my mother passed away and he, he was in Florida and some of the elderly women were chasing him around.

I said, don't jump at it. Try to find someone like your first wife, if that's entirely possible, and make that choice. And, uh, you know, I'm not sure he listened to me. He did get remarried, passed away a little later. Uh, so that wasn't a great situation, quite frankly. But you deal with it as a family because I wasn't nearly as fond as my stepmother as I was with my mother.

And that was something both my brother and I had to, uh, understand, support my father and look the other way, even though we didn't agree. So again, that was an. Important, you know? Uh, so what was the question? Juncture. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Why the hell did you marry? I won't say her name, but the lady who said, I'm teasing, but like, so 

Gary Koppele: I wouldn't 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: What, what question would you wish you could have asked?

Nanny, her name? Dolores. 

Gary Koppele: Yeah, my mother. Uh, why are you working so hard? Because she was the jack of all treats. She's similar to your mother. She had a full-time job, even though we didn't need the money. My father was the controller for a big department store. Used to go into New York City, worked very hard, commuted by train to Long Island to New York City for.

Five days a week, long hours, go to the gym, you know, have sports, like to play golf and enough other things. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Let's talk about nanny, but I think Nanny wanted to work, dad, 'cause she was creative, she was interesting. She wanted to challenge her brain. You know that probably made her happy. True. Don't you think?

Gary Koppele: That's true? But again, we didn't see enough of her. She would, you know, she was an interior decorator. She worked long hours. She was prideful in what she did. She had a million friends, had a lot of activities. She was a social butterfly. And an answer to your question, I would say, mom, slow down. Uh, you know, we want to see more of you, my brother and I.

Uh, but we had our own activities, but she really didn't slow down until she got sick, which was quite unfortunate in her, in her later years. She could've enjoyed life, but that didn't quite happen. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Now I remember nanny a bit. I remember her a lot from the videos. Am I like nanny? 

Gary Koppele: Uh, you listen. You are because you're a successful business woman.

Meghann Koppele Duffy: No, no, no. But I feel like when you describe her personality, like I feel like is that kind of, I feel like, do I have her a little bit in me 

Gary Koppele: or my, you have. You listen. You've got the best of your mother and the best of my side of the family. Also, when you used to visit my mother, who you called Nanny in Florida.

And you two were small. She would take out her jewelry, take out her furs, dress you up. Well, she had two boys. She took out her. Took out her wigs and would dress you up and my father would be scratching his head, but he and I and my brother were in front of the TV set watching sports and it probably, you know, allowed her to live for a couple of years.

When she visited with you and your sister, she never had daughters and she was just all over you. Two whole, you know, showing you off to her friends with each of you in one of her, one of her arms. Because you were two beautiful kids. We were very 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: cute little kids, Kim and I, we were very 

Gary Koppele: cute. You were, you were.

And she was, she was not embarrassed to show you off. And again, it's a family thing. It always goes back to the family. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: So that, I'm so glad I asked you that question 'cause I didn't know that nanny worked a lot and wasn't around, so it's almost like. You took the best of both your parents and made sure you were more present with Kim and I.

Not that they did anything wrong, but it was something that you, despite being busy in work, always were present. So, good job, dad. 

Gary Koppele: So if I understand your question, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: oh no, I was just complimenting you. I was just saying thank you. It feels like, based off the question you asked, nanny of why are you working so hard, right?

You have, you found the balance of working hard, but also putting family first and that's, I think, something I needed to hear. 'cause sometimes I get in the weeds about work, my doctorate, and sometimes I'm not as present in things. So I'm gonna take that note, dad, and I hope everybody else listenings work hard, but be present with their family and the people who care about you.

Is that a good way to, 

Gary Koppele: that's a perfect formula for success, Meghann. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: All right, dad? 

Gary Koppele: Yes. Do 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: you have any questions for me? 

Gary Koppele: Any questions for you? Well, uh, no questions. Just thanks for introducing me to a podcast, which is foreign territory with me. You are very kind with your compliments. Uh, it's easy to be your father because you're such a great kid.

Family-oriented, which we take some credit for. You are the godmother. To, uh, our oldest grandson. Is that right? 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yes. 

Gary Koppele: And you go out of your way for Anthony and he appreciates you and Kayla and Liz. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: And Emma. 

Gary Koppele: Right. So 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I love being an aunt's. Um, um, my sister and sister-in-law make it easy to do that, but um, I really feel the best when I'm around them, you know?

So. 

Gary Koppele: Very true. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: This was very fun. Well, I thought you were gonna ask me. If we can get Squa and tavern for dinner. I thought that was gonna be your question. 

Gary Koppele: Well, 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I bribe my dad. He comes in and does Pilates and then we get dinner as a family together. So I thought the question was gonna be dinner related.

Gary Koppele: No, no, no. Well, you, we, we just celebrated Brian's birthday. He brought in pizza. His favorite food. My favorite food were cheap dates. Yeah. But the Sicilian pizza wasn't as good as what we got in Manasquan 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: I know. So 

Gary Koppele: I know. I'll, it's new. I'll that rain. So 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: my dad from that rain check dad is from Brooklyn, originally lived on Long Island, so he's a pizza connoisseur and bagel connoisseur.

So the Sicilians, what was the mama Leone's had the best Sicilian pie. Is that 

Gary Koppele: the name? Mama Leone's in New York. And my mother, God bless her, they used to put. A wad of mozzarella cheese on the table. And if we didn't finish it, my mother would pick it up, wrap it up, and put it in a purse and take it home so we could eat it.

So you know, you can't do those things. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: And don't get free. You don't get free mozzarella at restaurants anymore, dad. 

Gary Koppele: Not anymore. Yeah. And you can't do that anymore. You'll be arrested 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: for 

Gary Koppele: stealing Jesus, but a different generation 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: putting steel cheese in your purse. 

Gary Koppele: Yeah. Who would do that? Other than my mother?

You know? 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Yeah. Well, dad, thank you so much for taking the time to be on three questions. 

Gary Koppele: Pleasure. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Um, you did a good job. Dad, you, you seem a little serious, but I feel like you're, you're, you know, you did good. Dad, 

Gary Koppele: I take these, I think everybody's gonna 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: enjoy that. 

Gary Koppele: I take these things to heart. Thank you for having me on your podcast.

I'll be better next time, but I'm always good to boast that I'm your father. 

Meghann Koppele Duffy: Oh, well I am good to boast that you're my dad. So guys, thank you so much for tuning in today just to sharing a little insight. I hope you take this opportunity if your parents are still with you to ask them some questions. Um, you might be surprised at the answer or if your parents are no longer with you, you can still ask them questions or you can borrow mine anytime.

So thanks for tuning in today and I'll see you guys in the next episode. 

Gary Koppele: Awesome. Dad, you did good.