Photo by H.E. Yhoman.
On March 30, 2025, David Rothenberg, radio host, activist, author, founder of the Fortune Society, legendary theater publicist, and beloved WBAI Radio broadcaster, celebrated the release of his new book, Manhattan Mayhem, with a release party at Fortune Society’s Castle Gardens.
Special guests included were former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, and two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole, who surprised the packed room with an impromptu a cappella performance of one of Rothenberg’s favorite songs, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
Hosted by Fortune Society CEO Stanley Richards, guests included former CEO of Fortune Society JoAnne Page; from the cast of Rothenberg’s The Castle, Casimiro Torres; and a performance by actor Richard Hoehler and The Fortune Society Choir.
Mr. Rothenberg is the founder of the Fortune Society, widely recognized as the country’s foremost organization dedicated to prisoners’ rights. He watched the Attica Prison Uprising, Rikers incarcerated prisoners, civil rights protests, was shot at a Central American Civil War – he’d seen it all. But according to him, his toughest year was the one he spent working with Lauren Bacall.
Endorsed with the moniker “The Gay White Hope,” his campaign for Manhattan city council coincided with his early advocacy for AIDS awareness.
Mr. Rothenberg has hosted a live, weekly radio broadcast for nearly 60 years.
In his latest project, David Rothenberg, a true New York character with a big personality and insightful mind, offers a compelling look at the city in “Manhattan Mayhem”. This collection of 18 stories captures the essence of Manhattan, its energy and its soul. With honesty and heart, Rothenberg shares personal urban fables, weaving together themes of friendship, faith, family, and fortune, and revealing the heartbreak, humor, and hope that define the New York experience.
To be released at April 2nd, 2025.
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