John Montone

You never know where John Montone will spend his morning.

It may be in midtown interviewing irate cabbies and truckers about the latest ticket blitz. Or at a noisy diner chatting up patrons about taxes, Bloomberg or baseball. Or in the bowels of the subways shouting to strap-hangers as the A-train roars by.

Montone is 1010 WINS morning street reporter. His tape recorder is like a giant stethoscope taking the pulse of the city and its suburbs. Too much snow? Not enough sex? The President is coming to town? The LIRR can’t make it into town? Trump said what? Excuse me sir, do you use Viagra?

When buildings burn, Montone is there. When a serial rapist is on the loose, Montone is there. When editor Maloney barks, “Bed-sty,” Montone doesn’t ask why.

At 4 A.M. when the wind-chill is 30-below he’s talking to homeless men around a trash can fire. When the snow drifts across the BQE he’s in the 1010 WINS Mobile Unit jumping out to get the sound of cars spinning their wheels and drivers cursing their fate.

He can be sarcastic or outrageous, solemn or angry. His tongue is never far from his cheek and he pours his heart into his notebook. To Montone news and life are one and the same. He writes movies to play in the listener’s mind.

And once in a while Montone even wails on his harmonica.

But as a blues man, he’s a pretty good news man.

Wonder where he’ll be tomorrow morning?

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You can send John tips and story ideas at: montone@wins.com.

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