Growing up in Manhattan, Geraldo Rivera was raised mostly Jewish. His mother, Lillian Friedman, made sure he had his Bar Mitzvah. His Puerto Rican father, Cruz (which means cross), changed his name to Allen Rivera to assuage the in-laws. Early in his career, Rivera investigated the mystery surrounding the 1977 death of Elvis Presley.
His reporting concluded that Elvis’ death could have been prevented had his doctor not overprescribed medication. Tennessee medical authorities followed suit and later revoked the doctor’s medical license. Rivera is also notorious for being hit in the face by an airborne chair thrown by a white supremacist, and for his over-hyped TV special, “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault.” In search of buried treasure and other historical artifacts, Rivera excavated the vault on live television. Unfortunately, he found nothing but a few broken glass bottles.