Checking Out Hardcore Pawn in Detroit


After mapping out the My Cousin Vinny filming-location tour in Georgia and then heading up to North Carolina to visit my favorite tow-truck-driving repo team, Lizard Lick Towing, I thought it would be neat to create a list of a few other filming locations that would be fun to visit. First up: Detroit’s circus-filled pawn shop, Hardcore Pawn, otherwise known as American Jewelry and Loan.

Although you might have caught an episode or two of the reality series, let me give you a brief summary just in case you’re not familiar with the show. Hardcore Pawn is a reality TV series which airs on TruTV and follows the daily antics of the Gold family as they haggle with obnoxious customers in order to earn a buck or two on the items they buy and sell in their real-life pawn shop. Regardless if the show is scripted, reality, or a combination of both, this show is entertaining.

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My Cousin Vinny Filming Locations

My Cousin Vinny Filming Locations
Last September I published a blog post titled “My Cousin Vinny: Then and Now 20th Anniversary” after I visited more than 10 filming locations in July 2012. I wrote the blog post to share my experience with family and friends who like the movie, as well as all the My Cousin Vinny fans around the Web. After all, it was the film’s 20th anniversary so I thought it would be a nice treat for everyone.

The blog post received an overwhelming positive response from people all across the country. I’ve received countless messages on Twitter, Facebook, and via the Contact form on this website telling me how much they enjoyed reading the blog post and seeing all the then-and-now photos. The guys over at Adventure Club Podcast even invited me on their show to do an interview. Although I received a lot of awesome feedback, several readers wanted to know the physical address of many of the filming locations so they could visit them as well.

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Talking My Cousin Vinny With Adventure Club Podcast

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Earlier this week I was contacted by podcaster, Guy Hutchinson, who runs the show at Adventure Club Podcast. If you aren’t familiar with the podcast I encourage you to swing over to their website to check them out. Guy and his team interview all sorts of people including actors, authors, recording artists, and a long list of other interesting people.

After reading my blog post titled “My Cousin Vinny: Then and Now 20th Anniversary,” Guy sent me a tweet expressing interest in having me on his show so I could share my experience about the My Cousin Vinny filming locations tour I put together in 2012. You can read the brief Twitter exchange below. Read More

My Visit To Lizard Lick Towing

While I typically only watch television shows that air on my favorite networks such as ESPN, History, A&E, Nat Geo, Animal Planet and a couple of others, there are times when I slip a few train-wreck reality shows onto my DVR for later viewing. Enter: Lizard Lick Towing.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, Lizard Lick Towing is a reality series that airs on TruTV every Monday at 10:00 p.m. and follows the daily high-octane escapades of the Lizard Lick crew as they attempt to repossess vehicles, boats, construction equipment, animals, and a laundry list of other crazy things. The crew, lead by owners Ron & Amy Shirley and their best buddy, Bobby Brantley, always seem to get caught up in some of the most insanely-dangerous situations that turn ugly – in a hurry.

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My Cousin Vinny: Then and Now 20th Anniversary

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Let me start this post by saying that I’m not a huge movie buff, but like anyone else I do enjoy watching movies and also have a list of movies that I call my favorites. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Breakfast Club, Casino, and Heat are just a few of the movie titles that hold a comfortable spot on my all-time favorite list. However, My Cousin Vinny, a 1992 comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, definitely rounds out the top ten on my all-time favorite list of movies. Perhaps you’ve seen it, heard of it? Ok, well, if you fall into the very small group of movie-goers who have missed this hilarious film here’s the plot in a nutshell.

Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, and Chris Credendino (Ok, I kid. I kid. You can strike my name from the list of actors, but my last name does end in the letter “o,” I am Italian, come from New York, and think I would have added something a little extra to the film – just sayin’.) are among the actors who headline the star-studded cast in this hilarious comedy about two New Yorkers who are accused of murder in rural Alabama while traveling back to college. Vincent “Vinny” Gambini, a loudmouth, obnoxious personal injury attorney from Brooklyn with zero trial experience heads south to defend the “two yutes.” Oh, excuse me… I mean… two YOUUUTHS! And so the laughs begin!

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