40 January 24 • 2019
jn

continued from page 38

Siegel’
s old girlfriend. Carlos called 
me up and said something about 
making a record. 
I knew nothing about the 
business, but I went ahead and 
started a record company with 
my friend Al Marks. Our record 
labels were “Seville” and “Lorelei.
” 
Carlos cut his tune and I had him 
sing a Duke Ellington song on the 
reverse side. Th
 e local disc jockeys 
were playing it left
 and right. An 
exec from Mercury Records hap-
pened to be in town, heard it on 
the radio and bought the rights to 
it. But, nationally, it went nowhere.
I don’
t remember how many 
records our company sold. All I 
can say is we papered the walls of 
my rec room with all the unsold 
records.
One day, Les and Sam Gruber 
at the Caucus Club in Downtown 
Detroit wanted me to hear this 
unknown young singer from 
New York, Barbra Streisand. So, 
I listened to her. I didn’
t like her 
voice at fi
 rst — I thought she was 
yelling. I told my friends she’
d nev-
er make it. Later, she went on Jack 
Paar’
s late-night TV show and hit 
the big time. What a dope I was! 
I also had an advertising agency, 
and I used to produce TV com-
mercials. 

I was good friends with Bill 
Kennedy over at CKLW television 
in Windsor. I fi
 lmed commer-
cials for various companies, and 
Kennedy loved them! For one 
of my clients, we did a spot with 
Tigers announcers Ernie Harwell 
and George Kell, and I was in the 
booth. 

Tell me about your personal life.
I was married the fi
 rst time for 
about six months. Next, I was 
married to Gerrie Katz for about 
10 years, and we had a son, Scott. 
Th
 en, I was married for 35 years 
to Frieda, who passed away about 
eight years ago.
Scott now lives in San Francis-
co. He’
s the CEO of an internet 
company and has two children, 
Matthew and Hannah.

Can eating well explain 
your longevity?
I can’
t explain it. Maybe, it’
s good 
living. I try to eat smart whenever 
possible.
Every morning for breakfast, I’
d 
have cereal. It could be three, four 
or fi
 ve cereals together. I put in a 
banana, maybe some blueberries 
and raspberries in a nice big bowl 
because I didn’
t have time to have 
lunch. Th
 en, I’
d have a full belly 
and no hunger pangs all day. 

Danny’
s son, Scott Raskin, with his daughter Hannah and son Matthew in 2006

100 years young!

continued on page 42

Hours: M-F 10am to 9pm
Sat & Sun 9am to 9pm

Located @ 6724 Orchard Lk Rd 
Just South of Maple 

This special day calls for a 

celebration.

Like a bottle of the finest wine, 

you’ve gone past 

‘’Old’’ and became ‘’Vintage’’.

Happy 100th Birthday, 
Danny
and many more.

Best wishes,

Team Pickles and Rye Deli