Marvin Zindler
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Marvin Harold Zindler (born August 10, 1921) in Houston, is a news reporter for KTRK ABC-13 in Houston, Texas, USA. His hard-hitting investigative journalism, where he has mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, has made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities. Marvin is also famed in Houston for his self-described "Rat and Roach Report," where he reads details from his controversial City of Houston Food Inspection Program restaurant reports on the air. These reports conclude with what Marvin calls The big-big-big-big-S ("Sliiiime in the Ice Machine!").
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[edit] Career
In 1941 at the beginning of World War II, Marvin joined the Marines and later received an honorable discharge.
Marvin began his broadcasting career in 1943 as a part-time radio disc jockey while working for his family's clothing store which his father founded. In 1950 he became a reporter and cameraman for Southwest Film Production Company which produced the 6pm news for KPRC-TV. Two years later, Marvin joined the Scripps Howard Houston Press to work part-time as a Crime Reporter and Photographer. While working for the newspaper and his father's store, Marvin became dissatisfied with the retail business and in 1962 took a huge career detour to join the Harris County Sheriff's Department. He handled Civil Process for two years and then joined the Fugitive Squad where his work took him all over the world to extradite fugitives.
Two years before joining KTRK-TV, Marvin was assigned by the Sheriff and District Attorney to establish a Consumer Fraud Division with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. This Division is still in operation today. It was during this time of his career that he got his first taste of working on behalf of people.
Zindler joined KTRK on January 1, 1973, and in September 1988, Marvin made history when he signed an unprecedented lifetime contract with Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and KTRK-TV.
Marvin made local and national headlines when he closed down the infamous and legendary Chicken Ranch in Fayette County, Texas, near La Grange, after he made a news report on it in 1973. In fact this story was so spectacular it was featured in two 1974 issues of Playboy magazine, was the basis for the Broadway and film musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, as well as the song La Grange by ZZ Top.
Zindler is also known for wearing makeup continually, plastic surgery (he has had fifteen plastic surgeries, with his first in 1954), and his love of cigars. Wayne Dolcefino, a coworker at KTRK-TV, has described his egregious behavior in the office, including loud phone conversations (attributed by Dolcefino to Marvin's poor hearing) and trademark zealous pursuit of reports. His trademark signoff at the end of each report is, nearly shouting, "Marvin Zindler -- Eyewitness News!"
[edit] Personal
Zindler has had two wives. The same year Marvin joined the Marines, he married his first wife Gertrude, who died in November 1997. The Zindlers were married for 56 years. Marvin is the parent of five children and in Marvin's words, "a whole bunch of grandkids and great-grandkids." Zindler vowed he would never marry again, yet he fell in love with another woman at a bat mitzvah. In 2006, he married Niki Devine. Marvin and Niki live in Houston's Meyerland neighborhood with their dog, Magic, a bichon frisé.
[edit] Honors
He has received hundreds of awards. One honor of which he is particularly proud is when the Scottish Rite (he is a Freemason) conferred the 33rd Degree upon him - the highest honor one can receive in the Masonry. The 33rd Degree is given to only a few. Among those who have received this honor are former Presidents George Washington and Harry Truman.
Marvin has also been awarded recognition from every news organization, many charity groups and even from many in the medical fields. One of these medical awards was presented to Marvin from the Plastic Surgeons of America. They honored Marvin for his openness and honesty in talking about his cosmetic surgeries and for the help he successfully gets for charity patients who desperately need reconstructive surgery.
[edit] Education
Zindler attended middle school at Pershing Middle School, high school at Lamar High School in Houston, and college at John Tarleton Agricultural College in Stephenville, Texas.
[edit] Hobbies
Marvin is a golf aficionado.
