Iannece hosts TV show, explores council run

Former Community Board 11 chair and attorney Jerry Iannece has two new titles to add to his extensive list - talk show host and possible City Council candidate.
Iannece’s show, titled “What’s the story, Jerry?” is slated to begin airing on cable’s Queens Public Television (QPTV) channel 56 on Thursday, January 24 at noon and repeat on QPTV channel 35 on Sunday, January 27, at 8:30 p.m.
He also revealed to The Queens Courier that he is filing the necessary papers in advance of a bid for the Democratic nomination for the 19th City Council District, a primary race he lost to term-limited Councilmember Tony Avella seven years ago.
The show will focus on issues of concern to residents of northeast Queens, according to its host, who got the idea recalling the highly-popular TV commercials of the 1970’s which starred local appliance dealer Jerry Rosenberg.
Rosenberg became famous for starring in his own ads for discount-chain JGE (Jamaica Gas and Electric) stores, one of which was located in Bayside.
The pot-bellied Rosenberg would react to an offstage voice repeating the query and the phrase “What’s the story?” became part of the New York argot.
Iannece said that there are already three shows “in the can” and that he intends to continue booking guests who are involved in the community, to get local issues in the public eye.
“They didn’t have studio space for me, so we had to set up in the basement of my offices,” Iannece said. “I had to hang a lot of stuff on the wall to make it look like a studio.
Iannece said that he got a large map of “northeast Queens” from the Board of Elections to form the backdrop for his discussions. A close examination reveals that it is a map of the Council District he seeks to represent.
Among the awards and memorabilia surrounding the map is a lawn-sign from Iannece’s unsuccessful City Council campaign, but Iannece said it wasn’t part of a plan for free political advertising.
“It’s way down in the corner where the camera never sees it,” Iannece said. “I needed something to cover an ugly spot on the wall.”