Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, who brought the iconic jersey shore cocktail “ron ron juice” to America (a watermelon and a handle of vodka), has swapped “juice head” for “productive pothead.”
“A strange girl walks up to me and she’s like, ’You look like you fit the criteria for this TV show we’re doing. And I’m like, ‘What? Douchebag?’” Ortiz-Magro laughed. “Then on a Tuesday she gives me a call and says ‘Hey, would you come to Long Island and do an interview?’”
With a “why not” attitude, the Bronx native took the hour-long drive to Long Island with a friend. “I pull up to this house and there’s plywood on all the windows. And we’re like, ‘What? Where am I?’” Ortiz-Magro said. “It looked like Freddy Krueger’s house. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God. Am I on Elm Street?’”
Ortiz-Magro recalls the day clearly, with it being the day of Michael Jackson’s funeral service. “I see a guy walking out, tool bag. Just like Pauly, with the blowout. And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m in the right spot, obviously.’ He wasn’t murdered so I went to the back,” he said. “I said to my friend, ‘If I don’t text you in 10 minutes, call the cops.’”
Ortiz-Magro then got a second call from the producers, saying they would like to fly him out to California for a final round of video interviews.
“At that point, I was this 23-year-old Bronx kid that never really traveled. I thought, what do I have to lose? Free trip,” Ortiz-Magro said.
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Inked.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Inked.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Leaving Her Mark
Shina Novalinga discusses her entry into throat singing, going viral on TikTok and getting her face tattooed
A Phoenix Rising
Salice Rose turned to social media when she was at her lowest. In doing so, she found her true calling
A Flower Growing In Concrete
Creating art has helped Jose López navigate through the darkest periods of his life
Carolesdaughter
As tattooed people, we seldom consider how our body art will impact the people around us. But, it only takes a stranger seeing one tattoo, one time, to change their entire worldview.
Hit the Jackpot
Rapper Latto on breaking into hip-hop, representing Atlanta and making her next big move.
Tess Holliday – Bombshell
Model and body positivity activist Tess Holliday channels her inner Pamela Anderson for this sexy shoot.
Bhad Bhabie
Bhad Bhabie took her 15 minutes of viral fame and turned it into a viable career. The rapper dishes on her only fans and upcoming new music.
Building a Work of Art
To celebrate the release of the 2022 Indian Chief the legend-ary motorcycle company got together two of the world’s most sought after builders, Paul Cox and Keino Sasaki, to customize a bike for celebrated tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado.
Adam Weitsman
Social media forever altered our perception, in ways both large and small. Not only has it changed the way we look at other people, it changed the way we present ourselves to the world. With every post he makes on Instagram, Adam Weitsman is fully aware of the latter.
Problem – All The Answers
Problem has the perseverance and drive to make his dreams come true. We spoke with the rapper about his latest mixtape, entrepreneurship and how his tattoos remind him of what’s important in life.