meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Story Worthy

How Elmore Leonard Saved My Life with Writer Vito Lapiccola

Story Worthy

Story Worthy Media

Comedian, Hannesphinney, Shotgunstoryworthy, Storyworthy, Stories, Moth, Sideshownetwork, Comedy Interviews, Comedy, Comedians, Storytellingpodcast, Drama, Hollywood, Christineblackburn

4.1529 Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2014

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When actor/producer Vito Lapiccola of Comics on Comics had to make a life-or-death decision, he thought of his hero Elmore Leonard -- and it saved him.

Each week Hollywood’s most talented people in the entertainment industry share true, personal stories on the Story Worthy Podcast. Story Worthy celebrates 14 years of podcasting in July 2024 and has over 800 episodes recorded. Christine Blackburn is the creator, host and producer of Story Worthy, Story Smash the Storytelling Game Show, and My Life In 3 Songs exclusively on Spotify.

Listen to the entire episode wherever you hear podcasts. If you get a chance, will you please give Story Worthy 5 stars and a good review on Apple Podcasts?  https://bit.ly/3Qk5UeL It always helps, thank you!

And join the mailing list! https://www.storyworthypodcast.com/

Follow Christine’s new show, My Life In 3 Songs. Christine talks to comedians about the 3 songs in their lives that have impacted them, then they listen to the song. Listen exclusively on Spotify-https://spoti.fi/3dpHX5X

Find My Life In 3 Songs on social media @MyLifeIn3Songs and at the website https://www.mylifein3songs.com/

PLUS! Watch Story Smash The Storytelling Game Show! Comedians spin a wheel and tell TRUE 1-3 minute stories on the topic they land. You can watch episodes from the pandemic and from summer 2023 right now on YouTube- https://bit.ly/39OoTdw

Story Smash website-  https://www.storysmashshow.com

And here's Christine  everywhere- https://linktr.ee/ChristineBlackburn

THANK YOU!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This episode of Storyworthy is brought to you by GoDaddy. You know, GoDaddy has everything you need to put your business out there and kick ass online. So get started by registering a domain name and creating your website with GoDaddy's easy-to-use website builder. Already have a site? Well, keep it running fast with GoDaddy's web hosting. All right, you guys, let's do this thing.

0:21.9

Visit goaddy.com. Enter the promo code Story 32 and save 32% on new purchases. Some limitations

0:29.4

apply. See website for details. And remember, enter the promo code Story 32 and you are supporting Storyworthy.

0:40.6

Thank you. This is Vito Lapicola from Comics on Comics and you're listening to Storyworthy. Welcome to the Storyworthy podcast.

0:57.0

Here are your hosts, Christine Blackburn and Hannah Sfini.

1:01.0

Welcome to Storyworthy.

1:11.7

My name is Christine Blackburn, and I'm here with Hanna Sfini.

1:14.8

And we're coming to you from Detroit, Michigan,

1:18.0

one of America's finest cities at some point in the past.

1:21.6

Right now, it's a little slow here.

1:24.9

We're actually in a rubble-filled vacant lot that was once a mansion.

1:29.4

Is that a VCR? No, no. It's actually beta. And there's also a telegraph office on the corner.

1:36.0

And a couple of refrigerators on the side. And of course, we are here because Detroit is the hometown and primary writing spot of Elmore Leonard. Elmore Leonard, who figures prominently in our story today. Yeah, and I get, you know, when we have guests on the show here at Storyworthy, I email with them and I say, what do you want to talk about? Whatever you want, a true story, whatever you want to talk about. And I write to Vito LaPicola. I got it. Vito Lapa Cola, hey. I like to eat his lunch meat. Oh, that did not sound. It's lapacola. It's got little pieces of fat in it. There's olive bits. There's a little olive bits. Yeah. And you got to take the skinner. Vito Lapacola, you guys. He's the guest tonight. And he tells me via email that he would like to do a story

2:17.5

called Elmore Leonard saved my life. And so of course I say, I say to yourself, who the hell is

2:23.1

Elmore Leonard? And then I look at the Wikipedia page and now I know he is a, he is one of the

2:28.1

greatest crime novelists of the 20th century. Absolutely amazing. And Hans, you know more about

2:33.3

this subject. Yeah, I am. He is. And, Honest, you know more about this subject.

2:34.2

Yeah, I am.

2:35.0

He is, well, he is a spectacular writer.

2:39.2

Now, my personal favorite in this genre is Raymond Chandler,

2:43.1

fracked from the 40s, the 30s, and the 40s.

2:46.0

But Elmore Leonard would be a very good modern Chandler or Hammett kind of guy.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Story Worthy Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Story Worthy Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.