Call Your Grandmother

Every family has an origin story – for author Jo Piazza (Under the Influence, Wilder) her family's is a murder mystery. For as long as she can remember the Piazzas have told the story of their Sicilian roots going back over a hundred years ago: one by one the sons and then their father sailed off to America to carve out a better life. Their mother, Lorenza Marsala was supposed to join them – but she never made it. She was murdered by the Sicilian mafia, they said. The truth of what happened has morphed like a game of telephone through the generations. Various versions of the story claim she was killed by the Black Hand, others insisted she was a witch, killed over a bad spell. Now, Jo is determined to untangle the twisted narrative which just might bridge the gap from cinematic mob fantasies to an unexpected reality. Join her in Sicily on a family vacation/fact finding mission in which she goes to the scene of the crime, confronts mafia experts, consults mediums, and tracks down Italian officials, determined to set the record straight on her great, great grandmother’s mysterious disappearance.

Are more women having affairs? Or are they finally just talking about it? Throughout history, women have been stigmatized, ostracized, and so much worse for committing adultery—while men have too often been given a pass. But the truth is that women have the same wants, needs and desires as men despite cultural assumptions. Hosted by journalist Jo Piazza, this groundbreaking podcast series features real women of different ages and backgrounds telling the stories of their affairs, many for the first time. After five years of reporting on marriage in the wildly popular Committed podcast, Jo is now uncovering the other side of monogamy and finding some surprising answers about the motivations behind female infidelity – from sex, to empowerment, to self-esteem, and even love.

In She Wants More, Jo explores the double standard of cheating, unpacking the guilt, shame, and the expectations placed on women. She has candid conversations with women about the affairs that have either strengthened or broken their marriages that will make you feel like you're eavesdropping on an intimate conversation between two friends. These stories will make you question everything you thought you knew about desire, monogamy, and marriage. Listen to She Wants More on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-she-wants-more-107769177/

Sue Poster, the original inspiration for Call Your Grandmother, is back! This time, she’s joined by co-thespian and grandson Jed Levinson, who has a bone to pick after listening to Season 1 and discovering that he doesn’t seem to be the favorite grandchild. Show tunes, prank calls, and a trip to WrestleMania weave through the story of this hilarious pair of Call Your Grandmother anti-heroes.

Legendary singer and actress Connie Stevens – a favorite of our hosts Rita and Ellin – has a beautiful bond with her eldest grandchild Skylar, who draws her out on kissing Elvis, being shorter than Sammy Davis Jr. and whether or not she had a fling with Neil Armstrong after the moon landing.  Skylar’s grounded sense of humor and work ethic as she follows in Connie’s larger than life footsteps are a testament to Connie’s steadfast focus on her family through the vicissitudes of a life in show business.

From learning to fly, to riding a white horse, to becoming friends with Michael Jordan, Mamaw’s audacious good humor has influenced her adored grandson Will to live with the same dauntless spirit – from starting Mental Floss with his friend Mangesh out of their college dorm room to becoming COO of iHeart’s Podcast Network. Join Rita and Ellin as they welcome our first Southern grandmother to the show with open arms – you’ll come away feeling like you could try anything and succeed.