Bio: NUNYO DEMASIO

I was born the day after Christmas in New York Hospital, mainly because my dad, a Ghanaian diplomat, lived in Manhattan's Upper East Side during an extensive assignment to the United Nations. I soon started to notice my relatives and their friends muttering "Nunyo" while looking at me, often grinning and making the goofiest faces. After returning to Ghana in West Africa, my parents split up in 1975: Despite being virtually penniless, Dorcas Demasio moved back to New York City with her five children, including three boys. George Carlin had lived on the second floor of the apartment building where I grew up: 519 West 121st ST between Amsterdam and Broadway. (New York City would name part of a nearby street after the legendary comic amid resistance from the Catholic school that we had both attended as boys.) 

Starting when I was in  junior high school, neighborhood kids and classmates often ridiculed me with nicknames such as"Numblo," "Numnuts " -- even "Kunta Kinte." Worse, they dissed me for my tattered clothes, including sneakers one size too small with matching holes -- and torn socks -- under my big toes. To defend myself, I sharpened my "snapping" skills: using comedy to skewer people. My mother was no joke: She attended graduate school at Columbia University -- and would earn a Master's in Nutrition -- while working full-time as a nutritionist. Queen Dorcas ruled the household like a dictator -- requiring her children to attend church at least five days per week. Our family made up most of the orchestra at a Pentecostal church near Bloomingdale's on the East Side -- Rock Church -- where I played lead trumpet. (John DeLorean, the automobile legend, lived down the block and occasionally attended.) The last thing I imagined was one day being a successful journalist with a broad writing portfolio at top publications.

During some sermons, out of boredom, I surreptitiously jotted down jokes on a napkin and then looseleaf paper. Enjoying the process as a teenager, I purchased a notebook and became prolific. One day, I turned the raw jokes into a routine, recording it on a cassette tape. A friend of mine visited me and laughed hard at most of the material.  I obliged his request to take the tape home for entertainment. He shared it with another pal, who then asked to borrow it. They decided to dub my 60-minute routine using a double-cassette tape recorder -- a luxury that I lacked. Eventually, copies of the tape spread around the neighborhood. Guys would come up to me and toothily repeat jokes. Because of my shyness, I declined suggestions to go into stand-up comedy or, at least, comedy writing.

Instead, steered by a college professor who insisted that my future lay in news writing, I pursued a career in sports journalism. After graduating from St. John's, I worked at the New York Times. the New York Daily News, the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, and Sports Illustrated. In my late 30s, I finally acted on my long-time ambition to write a book: Parcells: A Football Life -- an authorized biography of the iconic coach. The 544-page tome turned into a New York Times bestseller. But one of the coolest things was getting a note from Warren Buffett after he had received the book.

I was flattered by several inquiries to collaborate. I looked into a couple of my own ambitious ideas. But David Stern, the NBA commissioner emeritus, resisted my proposal: delivering unique revelations in business, sports, and politics during his decades-long tenure. Stern had promised NBA owners he would never collaborate on a book — to their relief. So during several visits to his Fifth Avenue office, I conveyed my backup plan: a new media company featuring a podcast. Stern committed to the debut of the NUNYO & COMPANY Podcast: notable guests on topical subjects with a touch of humor. “Just so you don’t think I’m an asshole,” he bellowed in his office, “I’ll do your first podcast.”

The podcast earned listeners/streamers in more than 60 countries while spurring coverage at dozens of major news organizations, including ABC News, The Washington Post, USA Today, CNBC, ESPN, and foreign outlets. Every several weeks, Stern contacted me for occasional lunches: I took notes on his life and insights while he made cryptic remarks about my book idea. But tragically, Stern passed away from a stroke on January 1, 2020.

As the NUNYO & COMPANY Podcast reboots, some notable guests have made commitments. Multiple episodes for an intriguing series combining history and art are in the can. Content on my Facebook media page is enhanced by original artwork based on collaborations with caricaturists. Each post on the newsfeed has averaged more than 3,800 emoji reactions, 750 shares, and 670 comments. A handful of related videos have generated more than 2 million total views. More -- much more -- to come!