Cosmo DeNicola Companies News


Monday, August 10, 2015

FX Networks Gives Series Orders to Comedies ‘Better Things,’ ‘Cassius and Clay’

Cynthia Littleton, Variety

FX has given a series pickup to “Better Things,” a comedy from “Louie” vets Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon, while FXX has ordered the animated series “Cassius and Clay.”

“Better Things,” which has a 10-episode order, revolves around the life of a single mother and working actress who is struggling to raise three daughters. Adlon stars and co-created the series with C.K. for his Pig Newton production banner and FX Prods. C.K. directed the pilot.

“Pamela is one of the sharpest and most endearing actresses working in television today and we are thrilled she has joined forces with Louis to create a series that is raw, personal and incredibly funny,” said Eric Schrier, president of original programming at FX Networks and FX Prods.

Adlon said she was grateful for the chance to “explore the real and funny truths of being a single working mom.” She’s nommed this year for an Emmy as guest actress for her work on “Louie.”

“Better Things” co-starsMikey Madison, Riley Watson, and Olivia Edward as Adlon’s daughters. C.K. and Adlon exec produce alongside Blair Breard, Dave Becky and 3 Arts Entertainment.

read more ...
Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Leigh Steinberg an Agent for Change

John Smallwood, Philadelphia Daily News

Last Saturday high above Philadelphia at the top of One Liberty Place, Steinberg hosted his Leigh Steinberg's Agent Academy.

The one-day agent educational boot camp, which was run by Chris Cabott, a partner in the Philadelphia law firm Remick & Cabott, who is also the COO of Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, had 23 participants ranging from college students to practicing attorneys looking to transition into sports agency.

"Our agency is very new," said Benjamin Khabie, the co-founder of Vision Quest Agency, in New York. "We do only basketball for now."I've always had a dream to get into this business, but I've learned that it is not something that you can just wake up one day and say, 'I'm going to be a sports agent.'"I've never interned. I've never really learned anything from anyone about being an agent from an unbiased point of view. Leigh Steinberg is one of the legends in this industry."I figured it was a 1 1/2 hour train ride to learn from someone who knows the business really well."

"There is no programs in college that focus on preparing you to be a sports agent," said Cabott, who graduated from La Salle and then got his J.D. from the Widener School of Law in 2005. "These people will learn more about being an agent in one day with [Steinberg] than in an entire semester in a sports management program in college."

That opportunity is why Philadelphia Soul co-owner and Temple graduate Cosmo DeNicola gave four students - Kristen Kemnitzer, Erin Johnson, JaCarl J. Smith and Matthew Swiren - from Temple's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management scholarships for the academy.

"I think it's a good opportunity to give young professionals a look into the life of the sports agent," DeNicola, a self-described "serial entrepreneur," whose holding company has portfolios of businesses ranging from healthcare, technology, professional sports and entertainment. "It's a very dynamic field and profession in a space I think it is fun to be involved in which is sports and entertainment.

"I've been a partner of [Steinberg] for about a year and I admired what he did in really inventing the professional sports agent but more importantly creating in the young athletes a responsibility to give back to their communities."

read more ...
Monday, June 29, 2015

Steinberg: More to being a sports agent than "show me the money"

Stephanie Kuzydym, Houston Chronical

So you want to be a sports agent?

But you're not quite sure what it takes to become one or how to break into the cutthroat profession. The only thing you do know is that it seems like the words agent and money are synonymous. But to someone who is just starting off - and even for those who have been in the profession for decades - being an agent is more about providing service than it is about making money.

That's the Leigh Steinberg way.

Steinberg, a sports agent who has represented 60 first-round NFL draft picks, including eight No. 1 selections, and seven Pro Football Hall of Famers, also is known for being the inspiration for the title character in the film "Jerry Maguire." How do you become Leigh Steinberg? You start by creating a profile of the kind of athlete you want to represent, he says.

On Saturday at the University of Houston, Steinberg and fellow Steinberg Sports and Entertainment agent Chris Cabott addressed 32 attendees at the Leigh Steinberg Agent Academy, a one-day sports agent boot camp. Steinberg, 66, spent nearly seven hours telling stories, dispensing advice, answering questions and encouraging the 29 men and three women that becoming a sports agent is possible, but the road is not easy.

read more ...
Monday, June 8, 2015

MKSD client Tristan 'Mack' Wilds Cast in VH1 original movie 'The Breaks'

Deadline.com

MKSD client Tristan 'Mack' Wilds has been cast as a leading role in The Breaks, a VH1 original movie that chronicles the journey of three friends in 1990 crime-ridden New York City, who are united by their love of hip-hop and work to make their mark in the music industry.

Wilds will play the role of Daryl ‘DeeVee’ Van Putten Jr., an aspiring producer on the hunt to find the next big rapper. A George Washington University dropout, DeeVee faces constant disappointment and pressure from his dad on his decision to forego his academic career in favor of one in music.

Seith Mann (The Wire) writes, directs, and executive produces the film, which is set to premiere on VH1 in fall 2015.

read more ...
Monday, June 8, 2015

The Tony Awards Phone Home

Michael Schulman, The New Yorker

The Tony Awards broadcast is an act of contortion, in which one medium (live theatre) simultaneously puffs itself up and scrunches itself down to fit into another (television). Every once in a while, the ceremony pulls off something that neither medium could have done on its own. Last night, it came courtesy of the eleven-year-old Sydney Lucas, who was nominated for “Fun Home,” which later won the award for Best Musical.

Lucas, one of three outstanding actresses who play the cartoonist Alison Bechdel at different ages, sang “Ring of Keys,” a reverie of sexual self-discovery, as the young Alison spots a butch woman in a diner and experiences a flush of eroticism and identification she can’t yet articulate. (“I feel….”) The stirring of pubescent lesbian desire is seldom represented in pop culture, yet here it was, reaching audiences far beyond Manhattan. Even in front of the cameras at Radio City Music Hall, Lucas transmitted the same texture and intimacy she has since the musical began at the Public.

read more ...
Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Philadelphia Soul owner hits 'Entourage' premiere in L.A.

Jenny DeHuff, Philadelphia Daily News

Black carpet premiere.

Cosmo DeNicola, Philly entrepreneur and owner of the Philadelphia Soul, rubbed elbows Monday with cast members of the highly anticipated new "Entourage" movie, which hits the big screen today.

Cast and cohorts made their way down the black carpet, posing for pictures at Monday's premiere in Los Angeles. Celebs included Mark Wahlberg, Kid Cudi, Wiz Kahlifa, T.I., Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven, Billy Bob Thornton, Emily Ratajkowski, Jermaine Dupri and Lil Bow Wow, as well as our own DeNicola.

read more ...
Saturday, May 30, 2015

A.C. students ready to watch Arena Football with free tickets

Christina Hetrick, The Press of Atlantic City

Philadelphia-based entrepreneur Cosmo DeNicola donated 1,000 tickets earlier this week to the children and families of the Atlantic City school system for Saturday's DraftKings Boardwalk Bowl arena football game at Boardwalk Hall. The students got the news on the playground of the Pennsylvania Avenue Elementary School.

DeNicola is co-owner of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul, which will play against the Las Vegas Outlaws. "The fact that this game is being played in Atlantic City is special and unique. It is only right that the children and families that reside in this city are there to experience it," DeNicola said. "I have been fortunate to see a lot of opportunity and success in my life, so it has been my personal mission to provide inspiration and opportunities to others."

Alongside DeNicola for this announcement was Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, who introduced the school's fifth-grade class. Other attendees included representatives from the Police Department, Police Chief Henry White, community relations unit supervisor Monica McMenamin and officers Will Santiago, Kevin Law, Michael Broxton and Dayton Brown.

read more ...
Thursday, May 14, 2015

HDI teams up with Canadian Philanthropists to Deliver Aid to Nepal Earthquake Victims

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

The Humpty Dumpty Institute is pleased to announce the delivery of $400,000 worth of vital medicines to Nepal following the devastating earthquake that took place on April 25, 2015. The medicines, donated by HDI Board Director Walter Arbib and the State of Israel have been distributed to Bir Hospital, the major trauma facility in downtown Kathmandu

The hospital is treating thousands of patients injured by the earthquake. Normally, it provides free medical care to a mainly local indigent population. Directors of the hospital informed the Humpty Dumpty Institute that they were "very, very pleased with the supplies, especially the antibiotic choice." The hospital directors went on to say that they were "very grateful for the donation of these crucial medicines, which are very badly needed. The people of Nepal are very grateful to the Humpty Dumpty Institute for making this generous donation possible."

In 2014, Sydney became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious Obie Award for her role as Alison in the off-Broadway production of the acclaimed musical, and in March 2015, she reprised her role in on the Broadway stage.

Walter Arbib and his son Stephen, Canadian philanthropists with strong ties to Israel, Libya and Italy, have been sending shipments of medicines to countries in need all over the world over the past five years. In 2013, Mr. Arbib asked the Humpty Dumpty Institute to help facilitate a shipment of medicines to the State of Kachin in northern Myanmar. Mr. Arbib said "When a small developing nation gets hit by a major natural disaster, a little medicine can go a long, long, way. There is so much work to do in a nation like Nepal which has been so closed off to the West for such a long time. I am very pleased to provide this medicine to the people of Nepal and I want to thank the Humpty Dumpty Institute for the use of their good offices to make sure that the medicines reached their final destination."

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

MKSD Client Sydney Lucas Nominated for 2015 Tony Award

MKSD

The 69th Annual Tony Awards nominations have been announced, and MKS&D client Sydney Lucas has been nominated in the category of “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for her work in the hit Broadway musical, Fun Home.

Fun Home has been acclaimed as the best reviewed musical of the 2015 season, and tied for most Tony nominations with 12 nods.

In 2014, Sydney became the youngest-ever winner of the prestigious Obie Award for her role as Alison in the off-Broadway production of the acclaimed musical, and in March 2015, she reprised her role in on the Broadway stage.

The 69th Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS June 7 at 8PM and will be hosted by Tony winners Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Amtech's Cosmo DeNicola pledges $250,000 donation to International Corrugated Packaging Foundation

PPI Mills and Technology

The international Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) is pleased to announce that Amtech Software has committed to a partnership pledge of $250,000 to support ICPF’s education initiatives.

In his announcement of the contribution to ICPF, Amtech software owner Cosmo DeNicola stated “Amtech is excited to become an ICFP corporate partner and we are looking forward to supporting ICPF initiatives. As I celebrate my 40th year in the packaging industry, I fully understand the importance of giving back, especially to a program that plays such a large role in developing the future of our industry. The DeNicola family looks forward to contributing to the industry and ICPF for decades to come.”

As a leading provider of business software to the corrugated packaging industry Amtech has a unique opportunity to contribute to the education among ICFP’s college and university partners. Since its establishment in 1981, Amtech has been installed in over 1,000 packaging facilities."

ICPF Board member Ben DeSollar, CEO of Sumter Packaging, welcomed Amtech to the ICPF Partnership and thanked Cosmo for the corporation’s pledge. “We appreciate this pledge of support from Amtech.”

"The firm’s investment at the Guarantor level further supports ICPF's work to enhance corrugated curricula at colleges and universities and attract the most qualified students to the corrugated packaging and displays industry", added Richard Flaherty, ICPF President. "Amtech’s donation serves as another example of the special spirit many suppliers have in supporting the corrugated packaging and displays industry by stepping up with their assistance to ensure its bright future".

read more ...

Contact Us

Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Email: info@cosmodenicola.com

Copyright 2018 by Cosmo DeNicola Companies