This was in the september issue of "GiRly ThiNG" Magazine & Part of the article can be found in the March 2000 issue of "Popstar!" magazine!
GiRLy ThiNG chats with the guys of Gotti XIII! BY: Anna & Christina Olivo, Editors *EXCLUSIVE: Only seen in GiRLy ThiNG*
It's like Saturday Night Live creating a band...Okay, maybe not, but, Gotti XIII, which consists of New York natives Chris Gotti and Tommy Naddeo, North Carolina's Mike Reymont and Henry Bullard of Massachusetts, are four comedians all their own.
Here we are -- waiting for hours in the boiling sun for the guys in front of the House of Blues, located in Orlando, Florida. While we check our watches, flocks of pre-teenage and teenage girls fill the entrance in hopes of reaching the WXXL concert featuring LFO and Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough. We're patiently waiting for the late, yet worth the wait, Gotti XIII
Knowing only what we've seen in photos of the guys, we hold up a sheet of paper that reads "GOTTI XIII?" in a blue permanent marker as passerbys look at us like we're getting our teeth pulled in the middle of Downtown Disney. Finally, we see it -- the blonde spikes we remember all too well from pictures. Chris, 19, who now resides in Orlando, Florida, is graciously signing autographs and posing for photos with fans for the band on the brink of stardom.
"The definite answer [on the band's whereabouts in five years] is taking over the world! I'm actually serious about this," Chris tells us -- and he looks serious, which is an unusual trait for this always-smiling lead singer. Mike, 20, agrees, "In five years, we do plan on taking over the world!" Hey -- we sure wouldn't mind!
Sitting in the world-known Virgin Megastore, the guys begin to open up. With a pile of books atop the table where we're all seated, they jokingly attempt to convince us that they're a world-class polka band. Soon enough, they begin to tell us the story of the pop-rock group that's been hitting Orlando's radio waves at the speed of sound. "The name Gotti XIII...well, my name's Chris Gotti, and we figured that it sounded better than Gotti-Reymont-Bullard-Naddeo-13. But, '13' is the symbol for change, like a new beginning. And, like how a clock goes from one to twelve, '13' is the next level," explains Chris.
A new beginning is right -- all the guys made sacrifices to begin the group. Two examples that fit this criteria are Tommy, 21, who gave up his dream of becoming a baseball player, while Henry, 24, dropped the chance to play drums live for LFO.
Here, GiRLy ThiNG magazine gets personal with the four newest talents in Orlando's well-respected music industry -- Gotti XIII!
group analysis:
stresses most about their appearance:
The guys chose
Mike, explaining a situation concerning sunglasses that we
didn't quite understand -- but they had a good laugh!
has had the most girlfriends:
Henry, who
clarified that he had seven girlfriends in college.
most romantic:
Tommy was chosen, followed
by a bashful look showing that he agreed.
most energetic on stage:
They all
decided that the energy was a group thing.
largest CD collection:
Henry owns
the most CDs out of the group!
mama's boy:
Tommy, again, was chosen, followed by another
bashful look, when all fingers were pointed at him unanimously.
loudest in public:
Henry, who insisted he show us by
yelling out "Hey" and causing confused shoppers to turn!
laziest:
Chris, who is a night hawk, explaining
he sleeps in really late -- think: afternoon.
comparison shopping
*N SYNC or Backstreet Boys?
The band agreed
that they enjoy the sounds of both groups!
The Blair Witch Project or The Haunting?
The Blair
Witch Project won their votes in the box office category!
Boxers or Briefs?
"Boxer-briefs," they explained in
the crowded Virgin Megastore's second floor.
Pierce your nose or tongue?
All the guys currently
have no facial piercings, but would choose to pierce
their tongues over their noses.
M&M's or Skittles?
Chris, Henry, and Tommy
love M&M's while Mike prefers to taste the rainbow.
Sunrise or Sunset?
Since the group isn't a morning
crowd, they chose watching the sunset over the sunrise.
Which came first -- Chicken or the Egg?
Henry
jokes, "The chicken crawled out of the sand."
getting personal
The wackiest outfit I've ever dared to wear was...
Chris: "A leopard-skin bikini."
Henry: "A Tarzan outfit."
Mike: "Nightgown."
Tommy: "Nothing but skin."
The guys mock me when...
Chris: "I feed the squirrels and swans."
Henry: "I go on a tangent!"
Mike: "I'm over-ecstatic!"
Tommy: "I come up with a crazy suggestion!"
The word I overuse is...
Chris: "For crying out loud!"
Henry: "Dude!"
Mike: "Naw..."
Tommy: "Dudette!"
A song I like, but hate to admit, is...
Chris: "The Monkees song 'Daydream Believer.'"
Henry: "The new Shania Twain song."
Mike: "Bryan Adams, 'Everything I Do!'"
Tommy: "I honestly like and appreciate all songs!"
People would be shocked to learn that...
Chris: "I also bartend in my spare time."
Henry: "I graduated from college!"
Mike: "I taught myself to play guitar."
Tommy: "I played baseball in college."
My ideal date would be...
Chris: "An entire girls' sorority!"
Henry: "A perfect evening!"
Mike: "With the entire staff of Hooters, except the cooks."
Tommy: "Any girl with a great personality!"
If I could meet any celebrity on MTV's FANatic, it would be...
Chris: "Charlize Theron!"
Henry: "Billy Joel!"
Mike: "Jennifer Love Hewitt!"
Tommy: "Rob Thomas!"
A wise man once said...
Chris: "Don't tax my gig so hardcore cruster!"
Henry: "Don't eat yellow snow!"
Mike: "Whatever you feel, do."
Tommy: "If you're here, then there you are."
We couldn't leave the guys without asking them the common question -- what is going on in their love lives and what kind of girls take their breath away?
Says Chris, "We're all single. We date around, though, you know -- just having a good time with all the wrong girls, I guess you could say! What catches my eye? Somebody who knows how to have fun. Somebody who has a good sense of humor and who can put up with me. Anybody who can put up with me definitely catches my eye!"
Mike adds, "I go for a sense of humor, but that really doesn't catch my eye right away. So, I don't know...just a nice smile. Someone who looks like I can trust them."
Henry continues, "Along with the guys, personality is very important. I need a girl who is gonna laugh at all the stupid stuff I say. Because, you know, I'm silly. Looks? Just...a smile and eyes, I guess...and, a happy face!"
Jokes Tommy, "I'm with Henry on that -- we date the same girls!"
If you, like us, have become instant fans and are wondering about any upcoming tour dates, Tommy fills you in on the scoop: "Well, pretty soon we're going to be doing another school tour, which is in November in Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky. We finished our first school tour, and we played twenty-one shows in fourteen days. That was a great experience for us, and pretty soon, there's talk about touring with Dave Matthews Band for a little while in January or February. It'll be like a benefit show," he says. Chris jumps in, "It's not definite, but we're hoping!"
The guys may put on a tough image up front, but deep down, they're a sensitive bunch. Mike explains to us something not too many people know, {until now}: "I love animals -- mostly dogs. I just love playing around with animals! I wanted to be a zookeeper...no, just kidding! I have a soft spot for animals!" Chris agrees, "I love monkeys. I've always wanted to have a monkey! Mike's always wanted a chimp, and I've always wanted one of those big monkeys...have it walk around in Superman underwear!" They may treat animals with respect, but what about the friendship in the group itself? "A lot of people ask us if we don't get along that much. We get along great -- we're best friends. We've gotten a lot closer with the tour and all. So, no, there's no hostility at all between us," Mike tells us, and we can't help but to "Aww..."
As for now, you can keep updated at the group's official website, www.gotti13.net. For Orlando residents, you can tune into WXXL 106.7 to catch and request their latest single, "Flying Around!" These four musical wonders may be all you ever hear about soon, and that can only be a good thing.
THANKS SO MUCH TO "GiRLy ThiNG" MAGAZINE!
"Article written by Anna and Christina Olivo of GiRLy ThiNG magazine. To subscribe, e-mailGLITTER5@aol.com or visit www.girlything.com
