Geraldo Rivera Wiki Biography

Geraldo Michael Rivera was born on 4 July 1943, in Brooklyn, New York City USA, of Catholic Puerto Rican (father) and Ashkenazi Russian-Jewish (mother) ancestry, He is a journalist, talk show host, writer and also an attorney, probably best known for the talk show called “Geraldo”, and television news magazine, “Geraldo at Large”. In addition to his career as a host, Rivera has also written several books.

So just how rich is Geraldo Rivera? It has been estimated by authoritative sources that Geraldo’s net worth is over $20 million, mostly coming from Rivera’s career as a TV talk show host and journalist. In 2013 he briefly considered an opportunity to become a politician, but is still working as a television host, so there is a high chance that his net worth will become higher.

Geraldo Rivera Net Worth $20 Million

Gerald  Rivera was raised “mostly Jewish” and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony; both his parents worked in the restaurant business, but Geraldo finished Brooklyn Law School, and later attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and the University of Pennsylvania. Geraldo Rivera’s net worth began to grow when he started work first as an investigator and later as an attorney. While Rivera worked as an attorney for Young Lords, he was noticed by Al Primo, television news executive, who suggested Rivera become a reporter.

Geraldo’s career as a reporter started with WABC-TV, in Eyewitness News. This not only added to Rivera’s net worth, but also gained him acclaim among others in the industry, and made him more famous generally, even winning a Peabody Award for one of his reports. Later Rivera started to work in “20/20” and “Nightline”, which made him even more popular and acclaimed, as well as adding to his net worth.

In addition, Geraldo was a part of the movie called “The US vs. John Lennon”, directed by David Leaf and John Scheinfeld. Other shows that Rivera appeared in during the beginning of his career were “Good Morning America” and “Good Night America”. These of course increased Geraldo Rivera’s net worth too.

In 1987 Geraldo became a host and producer of his own show – “Geraldo” – which eventually ran for 11 years, and many guests were interviewed during that time. In in 1994 Geraldo became the host for another show, “Rivera Live”. Unfortunately the show was cancelled in 1998, but it still added to Rivera’s net worth.

In 2001 Geraldo became a part of Fox News Channel as one of their war correspondents. He traveled in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was certainly in danger during these travels. In 2012 Rivera became a host of several radio shows and recently it has been announced that he will continue his career as a host.

As mentioned, in addition to Rivera’s career as a journalist and host, he also writes books. Some of them include “Miguel Robles – So Far”, “Exposing Myself”, “A Special Kind of Courage: Profiles of Young Americans” among others. These books also had a significant impact on the growth of Geraldo Rivera’s net worth.

In his personal life, Geraldo has married five times, to Linda Coblentz (1965–69); Edith Vonnegut (1971–75); Sherryl Raymond (1976–84(with whom he has a son; Cynthia Cruickshank (1987 – 2000) with two daughters; and to Erica Michelle Levy since 2003, with another daughter. He is known as a keen sailor in his spare time.



Full Name Geraldo Rivera
Net Worth $20 Million
Date Of Birth July 4, 1943
Place Of Birth Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.765 m)
Profession Lawyer, Journalist, Talk show host, Author, Actor, Police officer, Sailor, Cinematographer
Education Brooklyn Law School (1969), State University of New York Maritime College (1961–1963), University of Arizona, Columbia University
Nationality American
Spouse Erica Michelle Levy (m. 2003), Cynthia Cruickshank (m. 1987–2000), Sherryl Raymond (m. 1976–1984), Edith Vonnegut (m. 1971–1975), Linda Coblentz (m. 1965–1969)
Children Cruz Grant Rivera, Solita Liliana Rivera
Parents Lillian Friedman, Cruz “Allen” Rivera
Siblings Craig Rivera, Sharon Rivera, Irene Rivera, Wilfredo Rivera
Nicknames Gerald Michael Riviera , Geraldo , Gerald Rivera , Gerald Riveria , Jerry , Gerald Michael Rivera
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GeraldoRivera
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/geraldorivera
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/geraldorivera/?hl=en
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729273
Allmusic www.allmusic.com/song/geraldo-rivera-mt0028248191
Awards ALMA Award for Outstanding Host in a National Information Program (2001)
Nominations ALMA Awards
Movies All About Steve (2009), Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo (TV film, 1992), Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies (1994), Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook (1995, documentary)
TV Shows 20/20, Nightline, Geraldo (1987-1998), Dancing with the Stars, Geraldo at Large (2007-2014), The Apprentice (2004-2010), The Five (since 2011)
Trademark
1 His glasses.
2 His moustache
Quote
1 We have no right to complain about any condition affecting the quality of our lives, unless we are doing something about it.
Fact
1 His first granddaughter, Ella Rose Rivera, was born on June 30, 2015. Ella Rose is the sister of his grandson Jace.
2 His son, Cruz Rivera, became the father of a girl, who was born on June 30, 2015. She is Geraldo’s first granddaughter.
3 Inducted into the International Mustache Hall of Fame in 2015 (inaugural class) in the category Film & Television.
4 He and his family differ on what his greatest accomplishment is. He even, according to him, had to remind them that he won a Peabody and an Emmy Award because they were very enamored that he guest starred on [error].
5 On Hannity (2009) on February 4, 2015, he mentioned that his long-since-ex-wife C.C. Dyer miscarried six IVF-conceived children during their attempts to have children. Their seventh-IVF-conceived child was born full term and named Isabella.
6 Longtime friend of nearly 35 years is the late Joan Rivers. Rivera attended her funeral, when the comedienne passed away on September 7, 2014.
7 Since his maternal granddad’s side is a Friedman from Dolhinov, Belarus, he may be related to economist Milton Friedman.
8 On his January 6, 2014 show, he mentioned that he went to P.S. 119 in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He also mentioned that his son Gabriel lived in the neighborhood for a time as well.
9 As of January 1, 2014, he will broadcast his radio show exclusively on WABC and WABCRadio.com. On WABCRadio.com, he will have live-stream video of himself, his sidekick Noam Laden, and others play during the show.
10 Hosted ABC’s Good Night America: Episode dated 6 March 1975 (1975) the very night Abraham Zapruder’s film footage of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was first televised for the public in 1975.
11 New York, USA: He joined 77 WABC (in New York) and 77 KABC (WABC’s sister station in Los Angeles) as a radio talk show host. He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife and their daughter Sol. [January 2012]
12 Release of his book, “A Special Kind of Courage: Profiles of Young Americans”. [1976]
13 Release of his book, “The Great Progression: How Hispanics Will Lead America to a New Era of Prosperity”. [September 2009]
14 Release of his autobiography, “Exposing Myself” by Geraldo with Daniel Paisiner. [1991]
15 Release of his book, “His Panic: Why America Fear Hispanics in the U.S.”. [2008]
16 His first grandchild is Jace Rivera, and his second grandchild is Desmond Samuel Rivera (b. September 2014). The respective fathers are Cruz and Gabriel Rivera.
17 His niece lost her Lindenhurst, NJ home in Hurricane Sandy, Oct 2012. His nephew also lost his home in Bay Shore.
18 Pets: Dogs Elvis and Hudson (Golden Retrievers), a cat (who’s owned by daughter Simone), and Maltipoos Ricky and Lucy (who he states that he “never wanted”, but who Erica and Sol wanted; and with whom he lives in Apartment 17 in his Manhattan Apartment Complex as of October 11, 2012).
19 On his KABC radio show on October 1, 2012, he identified his family as the following in terms of political affiliation: Isabella as a Republican, Simone, Gabe, and Erica Levy as Democrats; and Cruz as not even registered to vote.
20 Good friend of Alana Stewart, since her first marriage to George Hamilton, and they were neighbors in Malibu, California.
21 He stated that he will not play himself in a Lifetime Television movie about the Casey Anthony case.
22 Radio talk show host, WABC in New York City.
23 Joined Fox News Channel in November 2001 as a war correspondent.
24 Graduate of the University of Arizona and Brooklyn Law School.
25 Brother-in-law of Cordelia Bowe.
26 Married at Central Synagogue in Manhattan.
27 He is selling shares in his yacht “Voyager” and his private island, El Cayo, in Puerto Rico.
28 Senior columnist for FoxNewsLatino.com.
29 Good friend of John Lennon and Jose Baez.
30 His son Gabe Rivera married Dr. Deborah Rish in May 2009. Thus, Gabe is the son-in-law of one of the doctors who investigated Michael Jackson in Jackson’s 1993 criminal case.
31 Ex-brother-in-law of Nanny Vonnegut.
32 He underwent knee replacement surgery on his left knee on September 28, 2009. He also underwent back surgery after a trip to Afghanistan, and was off work for two weeks.
33 Siblings are Craig Rivera, Sharon Rivera, and Irene Rivera Hurst. Cousin is Wilfredo Rivera, adopted by Geraldo’s parents.
34 Wife Erica Levy’s mother is Nancy and father is Howard Levy, who was a prostate cancer survivor; but died recently.
35 Geraldo Rivera and Erica Levy welcomed their daughter, Solita Liliana, on August 2, 2005. He was 62, and she was 30 at the time of Sol’s birth. This was his fifth child and third daughter, while it was her first and only child. He has also since said that after having five children, he’s “done” .
36 The fictional news anchorman character Hector Ramirez which appeared in several popular cartoon series during the 1980s (G.I. Joe (1985), The Transformers (1984), Jem (1985) and InHumanoids (1986), all produced by Marvel-Sunbow Production) was a parody of Rivera.
37 His fourth wife, C.C. Dyer, did not take his last name when they married.
38 NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff once said of him: “There are two words that serve as a signal that you’re operating in an area of questionable taste. Those words are ‘Geraldo Rivera.’”
39 Listed on his birth certificate as Gerald Michael Riviera, he was born to Cruz “Allen” and Lillian Friedman Rivera. In his autobiography “Exposing Myself,” Rivera said that he believed his mother was attempting to deflect future discrimination from her children by misspelling their surname on their birth certificates, as they were the products of a mixed marriage. The marriage was “mixed” because Cruz was a Puerto Rican and Roman Catholic who (as Geraldo later explained) never “got around to” converting to Judaism because of his work as a church layman; and Lillian (born Lillie Friedman, a daughter of Isaac Michael and Tillie Krivel Friedman) was both ethnically and religiously Jewish.
40 His mother, Lilian Friedman, was a Jewish American of Russian Jewish ancestry; she was born in New Jersey, to an Orthodox Jewish family from Dolhinov, Belarus, which had recently lived in various provinces in Canada. His father, Cruz “Allen” Rivera, was a Puerto Rican of Spanish ancestry, who was raised Roman Catholic. Lilian and Cruz moved to Florida, where Cruz had a fatal heart attack on Thanksgiving Day of 1987 and, as Geraldo mentioned in light of the British Petrolum disaster, where his ashes were scattered. The widowed Lillian Rivera lived in Florida, and was close to her children, who were raised Jewish. She appeared with Craig on one episode of ‘Geraldo at Large’ from Florida, via satellite. Meanwhile, Geraldo named his youngest son, Cruz, in honor of his father, and his youngest child, Solita Liliana, in honor of his Judaism and his mother.
41 Exposed deplorable conditions in “Willowbrook State School”, an institution for people with developmental disabilities, in early 1972. Publicity from the class-action lawsuit against the state of New York that soon followed was a major contributing factor in the passing of a federal law called “Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.”
42 Children: Isabella Holmes (b. 7 November 1992) and Simone Cruickshank (b. September 1994) by C. C. Dyer; Gabriel Miguel (b. 2 July 1979) by Sherryl Raymond; Cruz (b. 1987) by a previous relationship; Solita Liliana (b. August 2005) by Erica Levy.
43 Allegedly married first wife Linda Coblentz in part to avoid the Vietnam War draft.
44 His most famous program was The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults (1986) that aired in April 1986. When Chicago’s Lexington Hotel was being demolished, a sealed vault was discovered. Rivera hosted the live program that was going to climax with the opening of the vault, supposedly revealing Al Capone’s treasure or a more gruesome find. The biggest find was an empty whiskey bottle. The hype generated a record rating of 57 with an estimated audience of 30,000,000. The term “Al Capone’s Vault” has come to mean any overhyped event that leads to nothing.
45 He hosted the television segment that gave the American public the first chance of seeing the Zapruder film of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
46 In his autobiography, he revealed his affairs with Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Judy Collins, Chris Evert, Margaret Trudeau, Marion Javits, and at least 1000 other women. He first made a name for himself as a lawyer defending Harlems’s largely Hispanic Young Lords gang. His brother is newscaster Craig Rivera, who previously gained experience as Geraldo’s producer at ABC News.
47 His ex-wife, Edie Vonnegut, is Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s daughter. His autobiography, written in 1991, is “Exposing Myself”.
48 Chosen by People magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in the world. [1991]

Actor

Title Year Status Character
Glee 2015 TV Series Geraldo Rivera
A Miracle in Spanish Harlem 2013 Geraldo
All About Steve 2009 Geraldo Rivera
Phineas and Ferb 2009 TV Series Monty Williams
Roots: The Hair-Raising Story of a Guy Named Sy 2007 Short
Sail to the Century 1999 TV Movie Geraldo
Primary Colors 1998 Geraldo Rivera
Contact 1997 Geraldo Rivera
Meet Wally Sparks 1997 Geraldo Rivera
Baywatch Nights 1996 TV Series Albert Romero
Baywatch 1994 TV Series Albert Romero
Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo 1992 TV Movie Ted Mayne
The Bonfire of the Vanities 1990 Robert Corso (uncredited)

Director

Title Year Status Character
Sail to the Century 1999 TV Movie
Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace 1972 TV Movie documentary

Writer

Title Year Status Character
Geraldo Voyager: The Journey Home 2000 TV Movie documentary original script
Sail to the Century 1999 TV Movie

Cinematographer

Title Year Status Character
Geraldo Voyager: The Journey Home 2000 TV Movie documentary
Sail to the Century 1999 TV Movie

Producer

Title Year Status Character
If the Trees Could Talk 2014 Short associate producer
Geraldo Voyager: The Journey Home 2000 TV Movie documentary producer

Miscellaneous

Title Year Status Character
Poodle Samizdat 2006 Short archival footage
Salsa 1976 Documentary dialogue coach

Thanks

Title Year Status Character
A Miracle in Spanish Harlem 2013 special thanks
Salmagundi 2009 Documentary short special thanks
Shine a Light 2008 Documentary the producers wish to thank
The Concert in Central Park 1982 TV Movie documentary special thanks – as Gerald Rivera

Self

Title Year Status Character
Watters’ World 2017 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Cashin’ In 2016 TV Series Himself – Panelist / Himself – Guest Panelist
Fox and Friends 1998-2016 TV Series Himself / Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent / Himself (‘Cooking with Friends’) / …
The Five 2015-2016 TV Series Himself – Guest Co-Host / Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent / Himself – Guest Co-Hostess
Justice w/Judge Jeanine 2015-2016 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Hannity 2009-2016 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent / Himself – Panelist / Himself / …
Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano 2010-2016 TV Series Himself
Outnumbered 2014-2016 TV Series Himself – Guest Co-Host / Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent / Himself – Fox News Senior Correpondent / …
The O’Reilly Factor 2004-2016 TV Series Himself / Himself (segment “Fridays with Geraldo”) / Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Dancing with the Stars 2016 TV Series Himself – Contestant
Fox Files 2016 TV Series Himself – Host
Fox News Reporting 2016 TV Series documentary Himself – Host
Media Buzz 2016 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Home & Family 2016 TV Series Himself
Good Morning America 1995-2016 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest
Access Hollywood 2016 TV Series Himself
Entertainment Tonight 2006-2016 TV Series Himself
Extra 2015-2016 TV Series Himself
Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf 2015 TV Series Himself
Steve Harvey 2015 TV Series Himself – Panelist
The Greg Gutfeld Show 2015 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Geraldo at Large 2006-2015 TV Series documentary Himself – Host / Himself
Tavis Smiley 2015 TV Series Himself
The Wendy Williams Show 2010-2015 TV Series Himself
Today 2015 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Apprentice 2015 TV Series Himself – Contestant / Himself – Finalist
Oprah: Where Are They Now? 2014 TV Series Himself
Deadliest Catch: The Bait 2014 TV Series Himself – Guest
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 2014 TV Series Himself
Boardwalk Hempire: The Rise and Fall of the Medical Kush Beach Club 2014 Documentary voice
PoliticKING with Larry King 2014 TV Series Himself – guest
The Independents 2014 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson 2014 TV Series Himself – Host, Geraldo at Large
Imus in the Morning 2014 TV Series Himself – Fox News Senior Correspondent
Weekend Today 2014 TV Series Himself – Guest
Live with Kelly and Michael 2009-2013 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest
Huckabee 2012 TV Series Himself
Harvest of Empire 2012 Documentary Himself (TV journalist )
Addicted to Fame 2012 Documentary FOX Reporter
America Live 2012 TV Series Himself
Real Talk 2011 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Oprah Winfrey Show 2010 TV Series Himself
Streisand: Live in Concert 2009 TV Special documentary Himself – Audience (uncredited)
Salmagundi 2009 Documentary short Himself
The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet 2008-2009 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest Interview
My Name Is Earl 2009 TV Series Himself
New World Order 2009 Documentary Himself
Glenn Beck 2009 TV Series Himself – Host of ‘At Large’
Cheech & Chong: Roasted 2008 TV Special Himself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1994-2008 TV Series Himself
The Colbert Report 2008 TV Series Himself
Loose Change: Final Cut 2007 Video documentary Himself (as Geraldo)
NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell 2007 TV Movie documentary Himself
Sherrie Lea Laird vs. Marilyn Monroe 2007 TV Movie Himself – moderator
Cease to Exist 2007 Documentary Himself
The Sopranos 2007 TV Series Himself
Jimmy Kimmel Live! 2005-2006 TV Series Himself
The U.S. vs. John Lennon 2006 Documentary Himself
Howard Stern on Demand 2006 TV Series Himself
The Tony Danza Show 2006 TV Series Himself
The O.J. Simpson Case: Unanswered Questions 2006 TV Movie Himself – Host
Heartland 2005 TV Series Himself
Hannity & Colmes 2005 TV Series Himself
The View 2005 TV Series Himself
E! True Hollywood Story 2004 TV Series documentary Himself
Dennis Miller Live 2002 TV Series Himself
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn 2002 TV Series Himself
The Pulse 2002 TV Series Himself
2001 ALMA Awards 2001 TV Special Himself – Presenter
The Rosie O’Donnell Show 1996-2001 TV Series Himself
The Howard Stern Radio Show 2000 TV Series Himself – Guest
Justice for All: A Geraldo Rivera Special 2000 TV Movie documentary Himself – Host
When It Was a Game 3 2000 TV Movie documentary Himself (voice)
Geraldo Voyager: The Journey Home 2000 TV Movie documentary
Back to Bedlam 1999 TV Movie documentary
Drug Bust: The Longest War 1999 TV Movie documentary Himself – Host
Late Night with Conan O’Brien 1994-1999 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest
Behind the Music 1998 TV Series documentary Himself
Up Front Tonight 1998 TV Series Host
The Geraldo Rivera Show 1987-1998 TV Series Himself – Host / Himself
Seinfeld 1998 TV Series Himself
Howard Stern 1998 TV Series Himself
Nash Bridges 1996-1998 TV Series Himself
Men Behaving Badly 1997 TV Series Himself
Cop Land 1997 Himself (uncredited)
Talked to Death 1997 TV Movie documentary Himself
Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook 1996 Documentary
Lauren Hutton and… 1996 TV Series Himself
Mi Puerto Rico 1995 Documentary Himself
Grumpier Old Men 1995 Himself
Charlie Rose 1994 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Price Is Right 1994 TV Series Himself – Guest
The Critic 1994 TV Series Himself
The Chevy Chase Show 1993 TV Series Himself
Rivera Live 1993 TV Series Himself
The Howard Stern Interview 1993 TV Series Himself
The Late Show 1993 TV Series documentary Himself
Empty Nest 1992 TV Series Himself
Nurses 1992 TV Series Himself
The Howard Stern Show 1991-1992 TV Series Himself
Now It Can Be Told 1991 TV Series Host
Night of 100 Stars III 1990 TV Movie Himself
Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years 1990 TV Movie documentary Himself
Hard to Kill 1990 Himself (uncredited)
The Arsenio Hall Show 1989-1990 TV Series Himself / Herself
Thirtysomething 1989 TV Series Himself
The Joan Rivers Show 1989 TV Series Himself
The Pat Sajak Show 1989 TV Series Himself
The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults 1986 TV Special documentary Himself – Host
Hour Magazine 1986 TV Series Himself
Al Capone: Chicago’s Scarface 1986 TV Movie documentary Himself
Larry King Live 1985 TV Series Subsitute Host (1985)
20/20 1978-1980 TV Series documentary Himself / Himself – Reporter
Dinah! 1976 TV Series Himself – Guest / Himself
The Mike Douglas Show 1975-1976 TV Series Himself – Journalist / Himself – Reporter
Salsa 1976 Documentary Himself
Good Night America 1973-1975 TV Series Himself – Host
ABC Late Night 1973 TV Series Host / Narrator
John Lennon and Yoko Ono Present the One-to-One Concert 1972 TV Movie Himself
Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace 1972 TV Movie documentary Himself – Investigative Reporter
Eyewitness News 1968 TV Series New York Correspondent (1970-1975)

Archive Footage

Won Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
2001 ALMA Award ALMA Awards Outstanding Correspondent or Anchor of a National News Program or Special

Nominated Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
2002 ALMA Award ALMA Awards Outstanding Correspondent or Anchor of National News Program Rivera Live (1993)
2000 ALMA Award ALMA Awards Outstanding Correspondent, Anchor and/or Host of a National News Program or Special Back to Bedlam (1999)
1999 ALMA Award ALMA Awards Outstanding Host in a National Information Program Up Front Tonight (1998)

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