The full account of the July 7, 1989 US Marshals & FCC raid on Pirate Radio WHOT Brooklyn.

6:41 – Origin story: housing project, first Penny Lane broadcast proof 8:40 – Scaling power, Radio New York International ship (1987) 9:05 – Arch-nemesis FCC engineer Judah Mansbach introduced 11:15 – Local talk radio vs. syndicated Larry King takeover 12:35 – Classic WFAT station IDs & sweepers 17:48 – Hank’s time as producer/screener on the syndicated Lionel show 22:06 – July 7, 1989 raid begins (7:30 a.m. pajamas story) 24:46 – Agent Rolph kicks in the door with gun drawn 26:26 – Judah Mansbach enters the bedroom; warrant & equipment seizure 29:44 – FCC agent gets shocked by the tube transmitter 35:33 – Rooftop antenna cut-down with Judah 40:00 – Later letter from Assistant US Attorney & court appearance 57:03 – Parents notice Channel 7 interference → recording Judah’s stakeout 1:00:05 – Binoculars view of the FCC car outside the window 1:01:35 – Play & breakdown of Judah’s surveillance tape (ice-ball window, 100-watt claims, Van Wyck, audience reports) 1:06:08 – FOIA file revelations: near-misses, building painting, goodbye-for-now show 1:10:04 – Ham radio operator’s false “overthrow the government” letter in the file 1:14:12 – Judah’s compliment: clean signal, no interference with licensed stations 1:17:05 – Henry Paulison (NY field office chief) mentioned; earlier bust visit 1:19:57 – East Coast task force (47–49 agents), World Trade Center stakeout, helicopter standby

00:00 – The pirate radio origin story08:00 – Buying the first real Electro-Voice microphone28:00 – The Beatles breakup that sparked the radio dream38:00 – Broadcasting to neighbor Mary46:00 – The FCC bust stories & dramatic escapes1:01:00 – The Golden Era of marathon shows & ship radio1:18:00 – Pete’s Pizza Hake Program & Jim’s Tuesday show info

After the FCC shut them down 50 years ago, the duo turned to late-night prank calls, lighting up Long John Nebel & Candy Jones on WMCA, Larry King, phone operators, random strangers, and more.

0:00 – Intro1:15 – “Penny Lane” by The Beatles3:00 – Full AM station8:30 – 50+ years of pirate radio12:00 – The FCC: Judah Mansbach16:00 – Classic Judah Mansbach answering-machine threat18:00 – Filling the gap in commercial radio20:00 – Hank’s stint in legal radio and why it failed27:00 – Salumeria sympathy after CBS appearance32:40 – CBS No Holds Barred segment 1:31:00 – Radio New York International (RNI) footage1:34:00 – The ship tower, FM antennas1:35:45 – Below decks: the studio, WPIX mixing board1:56:00 – News coverage: all charges against RNI dropped after the raid1:59:00 – Aftermath – Al Weiner gets legal license (WBCQ Monticello, Maine)2:03:00 – Closing, subscribe calls & classic RNI-style sign-off

After the FCC shut them down the duo turned to late-night prank calls, lighting up Long John Nebel & Candy Jones on WMCA, Larry King, phone operators, random strangers, and more.

0:00 – Intro & who Hank Hayes and Jim Nasium are1:15 – The first pirate transmission experiment (“Penny Lane” by The Beatles)3:00 – Growing into a full AM station heard across the eastern U.S.8:30 – 50+ years of pirate radio (December 1975 beginnings)12:00 – The FCC takes notice & introduction of Judah Mansbach16:00 – Classic Judah Mansbach answering-machine threat18:00 – Why they did pirate radio (fun + filling the gap in commercial radio)20:00 – Hank’s short stint in legal radio and why it failed27:00 – The salumeria “sympathy?” story after the CBS appearance32:40 – Watching the full CBS No Holds Barred segment (Hank as Hal Hall, Jim as Larry McCrae, Judah Mansbach & Alexander Zimny)1:31:00 – Radio New York International (RNI) ship footage begins – boarding The Wave and the Sarah1:34:00 – The ship tower, FM antennas (103.1), and transmission line1:35:45 – Below decks: the studio, WPIX mixing board, and row of transmitters1:45:00 – Pete’s Sake calls in (GeoCities, Judah email, RNI memories)1:56:00 – News coverage: all charges against RNI dropped after the raid1:59:00 – Aftermath – Al Weiner gets legal license (WBCQ Monticello, Maine)2:03:00 – Closing, subscribe calls & classic RNI-style sign-off

Brooklyn Pirate Radio Giants Hank Hayes, Jim Nazium, and Pete Sayek reunite for an epic Episode 17 of The Pirate Radio Guy Podcast! Dive into their wild stories from Brooklyn pirate WHOT, WFAT, WCPR to professional gigs at the ABC Radio Networks!They share hilarious tales of satellite rollouts with StarGuide receivers, Chris Tobin's legendary $50/hour hustle that launched Hank's freelance career, near-misses programming real stations including WGCH's Dennis Jackson bowing to hank on his knees, broken promises at weddings, DIY mixing with tape decks and a Gemini board, and the chaotic day the FCC busted their plans.From pirate radio freedom to corporate radio constraints, "yellow notepad" pre-approved bits .vs spontaneous comedy, and endless equipment fails—this nostalgic conversation is packed with laughs, radio history, and Brooklyn grit. Perfect for fans of classic radio, pirate broadcasting, 70s/80s DJ culture, and behind-the-scenes engineering stories.Insight: Hank & friends' detailed proposal to turn WVNJ (future Z100) into a top 40 hit station with Empire State transmitter—elements of which were later adopted—dismissed as too risky by the brain surgeon owner.New York City in the early 80s had no true contemporary hit radio station. Hank Hayes and crew spotted the gap and delivered a sharp proposal for WVNJ (which became Z100): launch Top 40, move the transmitter to the Empire State Building (license in NJ be damned), and dominate within months.The owner—a top brain surgeon—called it "spitting in the wind" and stuck with his "radio guy." Months later, Z100 launched with Top 40 and the Zoo format, borrowing elements from the pirates' energetic WHOT Brooklyn style. Episode 17 is full of these "we were right" radio war stories, the tension between bold innovation and risk aversion, and how pirate creativity influenced mainstream broadcasting.Timestamps (approximate):00:00 Intro & ABC Radio Days07:00 ABC StarGuide Satellite Project & Chris Tobin Stories22:00 Pirate Radio Roots & Kingsborough College29:00 Real Radio Reality Check at 1400 WSTC37:00 Dennis Jackson, WNYQ & Kneeling Moment50:00 Z100 Proposal & "Spitting in the Wind"1:05:00 FCC Busts & Missed Opportunities1:12:00 Early Equipment: Tape Deck Mixing to Gemini Board1:30:00 Stromboli Cam & Future PlansSubscribe for more pirate radio history, rare airchecks, and unfiltered radio stories!

Real-life pirates Hank Hayes and Jim Nazium react to the classic 1949 gangster film White Heat starring James Cagney! Watch as these veteran radio pirates break down the Hollywood version of the FCC and FBI going guns blazing, direction-finding a hidden transmitter signal, and hunting down Cody Jarrett in one of the most intense tracking scenes of all time.From real-world signal hunting and pirate radio tactics to how the feds actually operated in the late 1940s vs. the dramatic Hollywood portrayal — this reaction is packed with laughs, insights, and pirate commentary you won’t find anywhere else.If you love classic movies, radio history, pirate radio stories, or just want to see real operators react to vintage FCC & FBI takedowns, this one’s for you!Drop a comment: What did you think of the signal tracing scene? Have you ever dealt with the FCC? 👇Timestamps:0:00 - Intro & Setup1:45 - First FCC/FBI Scene Reaction