I95 Radio Show Helped Grandma Pass The Time at Westchester Prison

My name is Lou Milano and I'm the co-host of the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Show.

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Describing the show would be a laborious trip down a dirt road so I'll just say it's funny and constantly dances outside the lines of what is considered "normal." If you are interested in learning more check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify 

Recently we got a text message from one of our listeners who goes by "The Jewish Felon" AKA Robin. Below is the first text she sent us through the I-95 Rock Mobile app:

"Guys!! Hey!! I'm 52, from Long Island, have 4 grandkids. I'm a Jewish grandmother who just left prison in upstate NY last week. You 3 idiots were the only thing to get me through it!! I was a fish out of water in a max prison which is now co-ed. I've been showering with strange franks and beans for 2 1/2 years and hearing classic rock and the banter between you Schmucks was the only thing that made me feel like myself!! And every time I would pass another inmate from Yonkers I would scream, "You from Westchestah! Holy sh--"!! Pray for my recovery."

We could not resist an opportunity to hear more of her story, it's not everyday we speak to someone who has been in a max prison. We asked Robin to join us on the Tuesday (10/10/23) edition of the I-95 Morning Show and she agreed. We've pulled some choice clips from that discussion and the entire thing is available to stream and download below.

What do we call you, Jewish Felon? 

"You can call me Jewish Felon or Robin." 

What's your story? 

"Here's the story I was in for a D Felony, assault domestic violence. Which in the grand scheme of things when you're surrounded by rapists, like serial killers literally it's like nothing so I was shell shocked the entire time, it was just bizarre. When Lou would talk about cocaine it just reminded me of the girl I once was in the 80's and 90's and cocaine became like an expletive to me. I would say you know what would be awesome right now, as they're fighting or some craziness was going on, I'd be like COCAINE! It just made me feel like I was saying the F word, like I was releasing some energy and I love you guys and appreciate you so much." 

There is a lot to unpack there. So domestic violence means you got in a fight with your ex? 

"Yes, one of many that ended badly but not terribly, no injuries."

So, tell us about this prison, you were in Westchester? 

"The other day you had Googled it I think it was Friday because you were wondering what prison I'd been in. First of all I heard you guys mention Danbury but that is a Federal prison that's like a camp, a white collar camp. I was in the most notorious women's max facility in the country. It's Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and you said it's not co-ed but I beg to differ. It's definitely co-ed so here is what happened, about two years ago some guys put in a bunch of lawsuits at Sing Sing, Attica, a bunch of max men's facilities in New York and they did in New Jersey too and if you identify as a woman, even if you have your man parts, you can now transfer to the women's facility. So there is about twenty of them as of today but on the list are sixty of them coming over. These are guys who have been down, some of them for 20-30 years for heinous crimes. Now they say well, I want to wear a skirt and I want to be in the women's facility, fantastic, they did it.

So you had to shower with these folks? 

"These people, their franks and their beans, everything. There is no privacy in the showers and not only that but what did you guys think? Not you guys, what did the State of New York think was going to happen? Did they think that only three legitimate transgender, that conversation is not what I'm into you know what I'm saying? I don't care whoever you love is none of my business, if you like to wear panties that is also none of my business. You know what is my business? You know what happens in prison? Violence, over stupidity over petty things all day, everyday. And now we have men who are inside beating up women everyday. Like, three weeks ago a girl got bit. 

I'm going to assume that there are relationships taking place? 

"It's crazy, of course I came home and Googled everyone, right? I want to know what they're there for. This one guy is a biter, let's just say his name is, Daryl, OK? Daryl, A long time ago 30 years ago he did eleven years in a prison, before he did tons and tons of time in out-of-state prisons, OK? He gets out after the eleven years, a week later he meets up with a guy that he met in prison, the guy takes him to his grandparents house, OK? Let's just say that the guy and both grandma and grandpa are no longer with us. Then, he goes on a huge tear of robberies and let's just say they gave him sixty years which they did and then he's got another 25-life waiting for him in an out-of-state prison. Now I'm sitting there watching the television, in front of the news, Roe V. Wade gets turned over, I'm the only one in front of the TV because I'm the only one aware of what's going on, I felt so alone. Unless, I was listening to you guys and then I didn't feel alone I felt like I was with my friends."

How did you accomplish that? How were you listening to us?

"Oh on the little radio, every morning at 6 am." 

What do you actually have physically, you don't have your own TV and radios do you? 

"Well, if you live on an honor floor or a privilege floor, you can have a TV in your cell. But everybody gets a tablet and there is a company that charges so much money. You can download music, movies, you can text your family as long as when they read the texts there is nothing fishy or funny in there, you can text your family." 

So, we just think, I imagined that in prison you're cut off from the outside world in every way because something can influence you from behind bars but they give you internet access? 

"Yeah and visits like I have four adult daughters and my oldest daughter came to visit one day and we're like gossiping and talking about what does she do? 

Did anyone try and roll you for your commissary? 

"Yes, it happened, it happened. I mean I don't normally consider myself a punk but a couple of months ago I came back in with my commissary into my cell and I'm dumping it all over the floor before I could put it away and this one tiny locker and a girl came in my cell and started tossing all of the stuff into the corridor. Thank God another girl....I froze, I froze" 

Dave and I watch a lot of prison shows like 60 Days In so I've got to get this question in. Congratulations on being hot by the way, we didn't know that until this morning when you sent us a picture of yourself. 

"You guys are so silly, I just didn't want you to think that I was some toothless crackhead so I said let me send a picture. But I've been in there, me, sitting in this rec room with the toothless crackheads, with the serial killers and the shock I was in 24/7." 

Well, in these TV shows these girls will go after somebody because they have all their teeth and they say you don't belong here, you're undercover or they want to hit on you and have sex with you. Did any of that happen? Because you do have all your teeth.

"It did not, I'm guessing because of my age and then my grey hair grew in over time but none of that happened to me. However, that's all that happens is them coupling up, girl on girl and guys and girls is exactly what I would have thought if you let guys into the prison."

The last few minutes of the interview was hilarious and surreal. Listen below to find out if Robin had to fight and why she screaming our I-95 Morning Show slogans in the prison shower. This is where we learned that our show helped her feel like she was not alone. 

Listen to the complete discussion with The Jewish Felon below.

Look, the Jewish Felon said a lot of things there and some, you may not agree with. I'm also aware that she committed and crime and that may bother some people  but she is a person who paid her debt to society and I believe people should have a second chance. I also love people who have the b---s to be that vulnerable and share their truth in such an unfiltered manner. I'm a storyteller, it's my job and there was no way I going to miss out on an opportunity to help Robin tell her story.

This is the greatest audio drop of all time.

P.S. This is not the first time we've corresponded with fans in prison. We have a very strong signal.