Geraldo Rivera

American talk show host, journalist and attorney. Rivera has won the Columbia-Dupont Award and the George Foster Peabody Award for Distinguished Achievement in Broadcast Journalism, seven local and three national Emmys.

One of five children born to Cruz Rivera and Lilly Friedman, his heritage is Puerto Rican and his religion, although he doesn't practice, is Jewish. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, his parents were cafeteria workers who moved to Long Island when he was 12. Returning to Brooklyn after high school, he lived with an aunt and took remedial math and English to get into the NY State Merchant Marine Academy which he attended for two years. Feeling there was no excitement there, he dropped out, going to California. Rivera attended the University of Arizona graduating in 1963, later attending Brooklyn Law School at age 23. He was considered the class flirt.

After being an anti-poverty attorney for two years, he decided he was here to be a crusader. The New York City affiliate of ABC, WABC, was looking for a Puerto Rican to send to Columbia School of Journalism for New York's "Eyewitness News" in 1970. In 1971 Rivera's report, "Drug Crisis in East Harlem" won the Columbia-Dupont Award and in 1972 WABC won the George Foster Peabody Award for the report he did, "Willowbrook: The Last Disgrace," an expose of a state home for the retarded. Rivera left WABC in 1974, then worked for the entertainment division of ABC doing some specialty pieces, including 12 on various wars, on "20/20." His eight-year contract ended December 1985 and wasn't renewed.

"Geraldo," his daytime talk show, began in 1987, pioneering tabloid journalism on TV. Featuring offbeat topics and odd individuals, he had more than one scuffle with guests. This show lasted until 8 May 1998, his 2,163 episode, when NBC gave him a nightly legal-oriented news show which proved successful, making him one of their highest paid employees at $6 million per year allowing him to purchase several homes and yachts.