Richard Kaufman originally hails from Belleville, NJ. He proudly served in the United States Army from 1986-1988. Richard had a temporary break in service, he continued to serve in the Army National Guard from 1991-2012 in the following states, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. One of the missions of his unit was to support Operation En…

From the campus of Montclair State University, Matthew Isler witnessed the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. It eventually inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement. For over a decade he took police exams. After graduating from college, Matt had a desk job in publishing for seven years and was eventually laid off. A week later, he fin…

Bobby Crudele is back! A very magnetic and energetic personality who happens to be one of the best Law Enforcement Officers in North Jersey. Outwardly he appeared to be the life of the party. On the inside, Bobby was fighting a battle that he was losing slowly, the fight with the bottle. After chasing Alcohol down a very dangerous path, Bobby surre…

Ryan grew up in western Wi and is from a family of cops on his mother’s side, farmers, trades people and laborers on his fathers side. Ryan initially followed in his father’s footsteps in the trades as an electrician, but while working on new home construction of sever police officers, he did some ride a longs and was hooked. Ryan worked as an elec…

Kenneth Strange Jr. is a former FBI Special Agent and DOJ Special Agent-In-Charge, Private Investigator and Award-Winning author. A Spanish-speaker, Arabist and member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), he has recently published a Best-Selling true crime memoir, “A Cop’s Son: One G-Man’s Fight Against Jihad, Global Fraud and the Cartel…

Angel joined the NYPD in June 1992 and worked patrol and anti-crime until 2004, eventually being moved to the 48 Detective Squad, Burglary Robbery Apprehension Module In 2005 Angel was Promoted to Detective and began a specialized detail in the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in 2007. Throughout is time in the JTTF Angel was the case Detective fo…

 ​Michael Anthony Palazzo was born and raised in Quuens.He was raised in a small neighborhood called Maspeth,a predominantly Italian neighboorhood. it was a neighborhood that if your family didn't own a business you became cop or fireman or a gangster or somewhere in between. Michael was heavily involved in athletics growing up and never really wan…

Sherrie Allsup is an international speaker, educator, and subject matter expert with lived experience. She speaks on topics such as sexual assault, sexual abuse, trauma, and suicide. Sherrie is a survivor of long-term sexual abuse, trauma, and suicide attempts. After much hard work and healing she became the founder and CEO of Courage Starts With Y…

Dom is the only child to immigrant parents from Italy, all about the ideas and practice of morals. He started his career in Law Enforcement in 1997 as a juvenile detention officer then became a Hudson county Corrections Officer. In 2000 he graduated from Essex County police Academy, as a Hudson County Sheriff Officer, the following year in 2001 too…

George T. Drost, a distinguished attorney and curator of art, has a life story that mirrors the resilience and triumph of the human spirit. Born in former Czechoslovakia during one of the darkest periods in history, George's early years were marred by the harsh realities of World War II. His parents were compelled to divorce, and his father faced t…

Michael Martyn can be summed up in a handful of words. He is a father, a husband, a veteran, a brother to 5, and a former foster child. While these words may be accurate, they give no justice to the many difficult situations and circumstances that Mike had faced throughout his life. At four years old, Mike lost his father to a car accident and cont…

 ​Justin Kase, a trailblazing entertainment aficionado, emerged into the industry at just 16, rubbing shoulders with legends like Chucky Brown, Lenny Wilkens, Dikembe Mutombo, and Steve Smith as the Atlanta Hawks' ball boy. Mentored by luminaries Ryan Cameron & Greg Street, he found his calling, journeying from HOT 98.1FM in Greenville, South Carol…

Nancy Nugent (no, she’s not related to Ted), was born and raised in Northern NJ and still finds herself here despite the many, many thoughts she’s had about living out of state. She’s found it’s truly hard to give up the Jersey card, but she did at least move to a different county when she left home. Growing up, the only law enforcement knowledge N…

For Three full years Kevin Donaldson and Mike Failace have explored tales of extreme Suffering and overcoming of adversity from either survivors, loved ones, or the professionals that care for those in need. The Suffering Podcast has built a mission around assisting those in need to assist in overcoming of trauma and pain by highlighting individual…

Dr. Miglietta is the Chief of Trauma & Critical Care at the new Wynn Hospital in New York. He is currently the Program Director of the General Surgery Residency Program, Chairman and Professor of Surgery, and Associate Dean at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is the former Chief of Acute Care Surgery at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. …

In June of 2012 Clark ran into the pedophile rapist who had abused hin as a young boy. By his side was a young boy about the age that he had raped Clark.. Seeing him ripped open all of Clark’s repressed childhood pain. A few months later Clark drove to his house to confront him. At the end of that confrontation, he lay dead. HeI was arrested for hi…

Part 2 Three years and we have learned so much. All the new friends and all the new faces have become our family. On this episode, it is all about the celebration of our new extended family and those we have brought into our circle. Those that have born their soul and came out cleaner on the other side. Tonight we are at Mickey’s bar and Grill for …

PART 1 Three years and we have learned so much. All the new friends and all the new faces have become our family. On this episode, it is all about the celebration of our new extended family and those we have brought into our circle. Those that have born their soul and came out cleaner on the other side. Tonight we are at Mickey’s bar and Grill for …

On our last “in studio” recording for Season 3 of The Suffering Podcast, we welcome back two of our favorite people, Mike Depalma and Bobby Crudele to have a little fun at the end of the year. We hear stories of those who have overcome adversity on a level that can hardly be comprehended, its time to pick our head up from the hard work and enjoy. M…

Paul Martino is the picture of success. The loving wife, great family, beautiful home and successful business. Paul owns one of the largest landscape construction companies in NJ building parks, athletic fields, stadiums, synthetic turf and general construction. There has been a lot crammed into the 63 revolutions around the sun. Paul’s journey beg…

Part 2 Stephanie Samuels is a psychotherapist who works exclusively with police officers. Ms. Samuels has lectured all over the country on PTSD and vicarious trauma, including undiagnosed PTSD and the fallout from departmental silence after officers are involved in critical incidents as well as how traumatic pasts play a part in an officer's career…

Part 1 Stephanie Samuels is a psychotherapist who works exclusively with police officers. Ms. Samuels has lectured all over the country on PTSD and vicarious trauma, including undiagnosed PTSD and the fallout from departmental silence after officers are involved in critical incidents as well as how traumatic pasts play a part in an officer's career…

Carin Rosado is a 34-year old veteran of FDNY where she worked for a decade caring for the people of New York when they were the most vulnerable - when they were sick. Now Carin is sick and grappling with a diagnosis of Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma. Currently, Carin spends her days caring for loved ones and baking her heart out. She bakes cakes for ev…

Ariel J. Luna has been serving veterans in higher education and government for more than 18 years. Luna is originally from Brooklyn, New York and grew up in Starrett City section of East New York. AJ's mother is from the Dominican Republic and his father is from Argentina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the start of 2000 and he was stationed as a …

Part 2 of 2 If there is one man who is responsible for the concept of the suffering podcast, it is Dr. Eugene Stefanelli. Dr. Stefanelli brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to The Suffering Podcast. Doc. Is the past Exec. Dir. of the Boland Rehabilitation Center for Catholic Charities, W. Essex Voc. Rehabilitation center, Past Dir. of the…

Part 1 of 2 If there is one man who is responsible for the concept of the suffering podcast, it is Dr. Eugene Stefanelli. Dr. Stefanelli brings his wealth of knowledge and experience to The Suffering Podcast. Doc. Is the past Exec. Dir. of the Boland Rehabilitation Center for Catholic Charities, W. Essex Voc. Rehabilitation center, Past Dir. of the…

Michele Traina is a stand up comedian and creator of Divorce Diaries a national one woman comedy show and TV series in development. Michele has performed all over the country and made appearances on Tamron Hall, Wendy Williams, Tea with Gary Vee, and onstage with Chippendales Las Vegas- for the Ultimate Divorce Party. Michele uses humor to poke fun…

When John Capone was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at the young age of 39, he never imagined acting in a movie with A-list celebrities. The news of his diagnosis was tough to handle at first, and he quickly became overwhelmed overwhelmed by depression and anxiety. But this tough guy was determined to not let PD get the best of him. …

Angela Pisano grew up in Rutherford New Jersey during the 1960's and '70's. Rutherford was a tree lined bedroom community of NYC. She was an only child who lived with her mom and dad, and their terrier, Cindy. She had a typical suburban childhood filled with all the trimmings; Mitzie and Larry made sure of that. There was one exception, that was a …

While doing the Suffering Podcast, Kevin and Mike, have taken a journey through some of the deepest, darkest traumas that humans can experience. As a commemoration to this very somber time of year, the guys revisit their personal 9/11 experiences. From the day of till the present day, the loss of friends and family haunt them forever. Find The Suff…

Bill MAZUR is a 25-year law enforcement veteran and retired in 2017 at the rank of Deputy Chief of Police. Bill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Stockton University and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Training and Development in the Police Graduate Studies Program from Seton Hall University. Bill is a graduate of the FBI Nati…

Blake Rosell grew up in South Jersey near the Atlantic City area in a little shore town called Margate attending high school at Saint Augustine Prep in Richland , NJ were he played basketball and baseball. Basketball came out on top as his dominate sport and Blake received a scholarship to play basketball at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA …

Tom Flynn has been around lawn enforcement since January 1997 starting as a civilian dispatcher. Tom was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and then to Lieutenant in 2015. His most enjoyable assignment was being a member of the swat team from 2002 to 2004. Most of Tom‘s experience was in uniform but for 7 1/2 years Tom worked as the agencies accreditatio…

Matt Stanislao just wanted to be a cop. His father warned him, and after serving 27 years himself, he knew exactly what the problems Matt would face, which had nothing to do with the public or criminals. After two wrongful terminations rooted in discrimination for being gay, Matt fought back and won. However, he’s not the same officer or the same p…

Tom Smith began in the NYPD in 1990 and after the Academy was assigned to the 30 Pct in West Harlem. One of the busiest Pct in the NYPD at the time. While at the 3-0 he was assigned to Anti Crime Unit (Plainclothes) and handled all the gun runs, in progress calls, and Robbery patterns. 1996-1999 Tom was transferred to the Bronx Narcotics Unit. Invo…

Stanley (Tony) Woods was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He is a proud graduate of Seton Hall Prep High School and the University of Pittsburgh with a B. A. in Communications. Tony had a successful NFL career from 1987 to 1996. Stanley (Tony) Woods is a member of the Seton Hall Prep Hall of Fame, the Newark Hall of Fame and the New Jersey St…

James Gardner lives in New Jersey with his wife of forty years, Kelly. Together they have three daughters and five grandchildren. James had a lengthy career in corporate finance, accounting and auditing before retiring in 2019. In 2020, James began substitute teaching at a local elementary school. In the same year he and Kelly launched their podcas…

John Sullivan was born January 1, 1960 and was raised on the tough streets of Yorkville on the East Side of NYC. His father was killed when he was 2 years old his Mother left his sister and John to be raised by his Grandmother. Raising a young child was tough in that neighborhood and John’s Grandmother did her best until the streets got the best of…

Gene Hauburger grew up, and raised his family, in Orangeburg NY located in Rockland County. He married his wife, Noreen O’Shea, in 1993. Gene worked as a Supreme Court Officer for 31 years and retired in 2014. He has two daughters, Amanda and Kelly and a son, Jimmy, who was tragically lost to suicide at the age of 17 after being bullied and cyber b…

Mark Hettinger Jr (Firefighter, EMT, Fire, Inspector, Arson Investigator, Firearms Instructor, ECT.) is a highly decorated first responder with over 20+ years of experience with numerous Awards, comondations and citations for his work and life-saving efforts. When not saving or protecting lives, he's teaching other people how to, as an educator. Bo…

Dennis Benigno is the founder and CEO of Street Cop Training and began formal police instruction in 2012. His law enforcement career began in 2001 at 19 years of age as an NJ Corrections Officer. In 2004, Benigno became a police officer with the US Park Police Dept. in Washington, DC, and in 2005 moved over to the position of a police officer in on…

Chance meetings are never by chance. Lavana Wilson and Tashiann Yasmine are two strong and spirited women who empower their community in all the positive ways possible. Together they create to change the face of empowerment in the face of adversity through love and life’s purpose. Lavana (Slayer V) Wilson is a Mom, YouTube Podcaster, creative direc…

Bobby Crudele comes from a family that has deep roots in Jersey City and Belleville and as a kid moved to North Arlington. After living in Jersey City for a decade as an adult, Bobby met his wife Kara and eventually bought a house in North Arlington where he currently resides and raises his 3 children. Bobby has served honorably as a Sergeant in th…

Part 2 Mike Arena began his law enforcement career in 2011 at 19 years of age starting out as a Special Law Enforcement Officer with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department. He was then hired by The New Jersey Department of Corrections and became a Corrections Officer and worked in multiple prisons throughout the state. After a few years of work…

Part 1 Mike Arena began his law enforcement career in 2011 at 19 years of age starting out as a Special Law Enforcement Officer with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department. He was then hired by The New Jersey Department of Corrections and became a Corrections Officer and worked in multiple prisons throughout the state. After a few years of work…

Jose L. Medina is currently a 27-year veteran and leader of Law Enforcement and 20 year owner of Awareness Protective consultants, doing business as Team APC-Medina Tactical Dynamics. Jose has an extensive background in training and consulting for various groups such as Law Enforcement, Military, School Educators, and Corporate Industries. Jose Med…

Tammie Starnes has taken a journey with multiple traumas and found a new direction on healing. Finding an avenue of healing through the Harmonic Egg therapy. When hope was waining for her 11 year old daughter to come out of her shell, Tammie was out of options and sought help in any place that was offered. Almost non-verbal, a new therapy method wa…

Episode 129: The Suffering of Bullying with Jay Aponte We welcome back Jay Aponte to The Suffering Podcast. Jay gave a second chance to Kevin in Episode 12 (original air date 3/7/21). (Original show notes) We get a second chance to right a wrong in the episode of The Suffering Podcast. We talk with Jay Aponte who 34 years ago I put through hell. Ja…

Nick Ricciotti attended Chestnut Hill College to play Division 2 baseball and received my BA in Criminal Justice. Nick worked as a cop in Morris County NJ for 6 years before losing my job due to substance and alcohol abuse. Prior to losing his job Nick’s mental health was at a decline which got worse during the process of losing the job he loved. E…

Mary Sciarrone (née Valastro) is one of the owners of the world famous Carlos Bakery and featured on the reality show Cake Boss alongside her family and brother Buddy Valestro. Her unique personality shines through and has become a fan favorite for her insight and savvy business skills. Mary has been able to keep a business running for such a long …