July 1, 2026
Daredevil Couple Gets Engaged (And Arrested) On Top Of Empire State Building
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RSS Feed It was a remarkable spectacle here in New York City this afternoon! A well known daredevil duo scaled the needle of the Empire State Building from the Observation Deck to first unfurl a banner about love…. And then, he put a ring on it. 32-year-old Ivan Beerkus proposed to his girlfriend 33-year-old Angela Nikolau as police and news helicopters surrounded the couple celebrating 1454 feet above Manhattan. They were both promptly arrested after they climbed down to a safe enough level for police to take them into custody.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, the folks, it is Wednesday, July. First. Call them what you want to call them, trespassers, call them daredevils, call them criminals. I would prefer to call them the happy couple that might, frankly, have just captured the greatest engagement photo that has ever been taken. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes. That's a hell of a proposal. Even though they got arrested right after, that was a good proposal.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: I was just gonna say, you got an engagement photo like nobody else, coupled with a mugshot photo to follow.
00:00:38
Speaker 1: This is a this is a fascinating and interesting story. It's New York, so it's all like for a lot of us, we're like, yeah, sounds about right. But what just happened as we sit here, folks, we are just coming off a spectacle here in New York, the likes of which we rarely see. Two people just climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building and got engaged.
00:01:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're not just talking to the observation deck. No, no, no, no no. They went up to the spire, like to the point where I feel sick to my stomach just looking at where they're standing, and then when you see it from their perspective from the Wow, there were shots of them from every angle because they had helicopters up and they were videoed and photographed, and they've got they've got an album. They can show their kids it is and their grand kids.
00:01:31
Speaker 1: It is incredible and it is illegal. So these two folks, well, you said, climb the spire to give an idea here of folks that we're talking about. Yes, the Empire State Building is a certain height right, twelve hundred and fifty feet, but when you add the spire, right that antenna that you see at the top is actually fourteen hundred and fifty four feet. They climbed that extra spire. They essentially robes climbed to where you can't climb any higher to the Empire State Building. That's fair to say.
00:01:59
Speaker 2: Yes, there's a tiny grate, like a circular grate that you can stand on, but there isn't a lot of room. And not only did they climb up there by the way in unbelievable seat that we just have come back from being out and we were actually in that very area probably what an hour before this all was wit. It feels like ninety seven when we got back. I don't know what it felt like up on top of that spire, but it couldn't have felt breezy. I mean, even though you might have got some winds up there, that had to be hot, That had to be frightening, knowing that the whole city is literally buzzing below you and around you because you are, yes doing something very illegal and exceptionally dangerous. But he not only did they both stand up there, he then got down on one knee and proposed. Can you imagine carrying a diamond ring forget? I mean, obviously there are a million safety issues, but I would also have the added fear as a I would think people act like it's so nerve wrecking to carry an engagement ring anywhere on your body when you're about to propose, Now imagine scaling the Empire State Building with that.
00:03:09
Speaker 1: I would say he was smart enough that until that thing got on her finger, it was in some way a rope or something attached. The entire time, you can't take that risk. Just nervous up there because you're climbing, and nervous because you're proposing to serve somebody and you're doing it in front of the world. I bet it was attached to something.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: That's my first question, right, because think about how many people we've seen the engagement fails where people women drop the ring then they have to try to go find it because you're nervous and maybe you weren't expecting this, and I don't think she was expecting it, so she might have actually gotten a little thrown at the whole proposal. So that's scary.
00:03:49
Speaker 1: We've seen guys fumble them into the sand, into the water down. Haven't a guy did it here in New York? I think once in one of the the wait, great, he's done that, it happens es he's way up to that. Part of it is the additional terrifying part. But I cannot explain enough, We cannot put this into enough terms. Robes just how dangerous, how scary, how much of a spectacle, how yes, they calling them daredevils, but the spectacle that this created now here in New York City on an otherwise normal but a hot summer day, Robes just had the city buzzing today. And and a part of this robes, Yes, this was criminal activity, but there is an asterisk but the aster the robes is they went up there. We haven't even mentioned. They put a banner up. We'll tell you what the message said, but it was a banner of love. It was a banner about peace and robes. They got engaged. They didn't hurt anybody else. You could argue, may, okay, yes, they cost the police of man hours, and I understand all that rose, but there is some part of all of us that sees a victory, that sees love, that sees an accomplishment, that sees to sees something, and you're not necessarily mad at them.
00:05:09
Speaker 2: Look it all turned out okay, and they are going to pay the price. They were arrested, they were booked, they're going to face charges, and they're going to have to pay back something to the community for the rockest they caused. However, I agree with you also, so kind of them not to upstage Travis and Taylor, who are in town and the whole city's a buzz about what's going to be happening later in the week with them, So they chose the day before all the festivities begin for Taylor and Travis to have their moment. Do you think that they consider that I bet you they might have, because now all focus was on them, their story and their message. This banner, which reads, when the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace. People are attributing that to a Jimmy Hendrick.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: Song, but then they say it came from somewhere.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: Else, an actual a poet from way back when that Jimmy Hendrix took it from.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: I wasn't familiar with the saying when I saw it up there on the sign. It was a actually huge spanner, good size sign.
00:06:06
Speaker 2: I didn't see enormous.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: They carried that sucker up there, So between that and carrying a ring, it was stressful times up there for this couple. But they were dressed. Yes, this happened around noontime, around lunchtime, I should say, but yes, around noon. Other people reported seeing these two up on the observation deck. They didn't have masks on. But they end up going into some door somewhere where they shouldn't have been going. I guess to climb up and say, they just kind of walked away through a door, and it sounded a little easy how they described it.
00:06:34
Speaker 2: Get up there, these two and we'll get into their history and who they are and let's just say this isn't and wasn't their first rodeo.
00:06:42
Speaker 1: Second third, or twelveth.
00:06:43
Speaker 2: Even these folks, this couple is unreal and so they have done this. They have continuously broken the law all around the world to scale and climb some of the highest buildings in the world and video the whole thing. They document their daredevil illegal activities around the world. And I obviously believe they knew what they were doing, They knew where they were going, They somehow got a hold of something to study where they knew how to get up to that top. Bit I wouldn't know how to do it, but I'm sure it's not probably that hard to internet sleute this thing and figure out how to get up.
00:07:24
Speaker 1: Shouldn't be that easy, baby.
00:07:26
Speaker 2: Well, who wants to do it?
00:07:28
Speaker 1: I mean, aren't there some implication security implications of some kind if somebody want to get up there and try to jump. There have been a tempt suicide attempts from that building before.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Oh no, this is deeply concervatives.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Cannot happen that.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: People know and that they were able to figure out how to do this and how to get up to the top before anyone could stop them or notice them. Police were obviously climbing up after them and eventually reached them. But they had plenty of time up there.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: Okay, which which officer volunteered to go after them? You know, I got a capin.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: I'm not afraid of heights.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: I'm good, So I don't know how that worked. They ended up climbing down, Yes, they sent officers up. Obviously, no officers climbed up to the very top dragged them down. They knew they had to come down, but they did put them in custody. But Ropes the incident started him, I say, around lunch time. They end up up there. But the first time we as the public see them, they're wearing all black and they have masks on and Ropes. She's wearing a mask.
00:08:21
Speaker 2: She looks like, look, they look like badasses.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: He had what he has, his guns out right, and she's like a sexy catwoman.
00:08:28
Speaker 2: They're amazing. I've seen other photos of her doing yoga poses on incredibly thin metal beams overseeing huge cities. I mean, she and he both do some pretty remarkable, pretty scary stuff, and they've done it often, and they do it really beautifully. To be honest, like it's gorgeous watching them. They looked like they were in a movie, in an action movie, and this was all planned and choreographed and they had to do this.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: And if you haven't seen the pictures yet, you just have to. They are incredible, stunning. You have and I guess it's probably a new state. I know the helicopter. They had the police helicopter up as well. But the images we're seeing are these incredible that you cannot beat this roswasar as a picture. Yeah, two people at the top of New York dangling off one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and you have helicopter with the camera trained on them, circling the building. It is an incredible shots.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: Well, he's proposing at one point.
00:09:35
Speaker 1: Awesome and illegal, I understand, but it is an incredible image. I was brother say all the time, Alex Hanold. Of course with the Taiwan that the building he just climbed. Skill is one thing I admire, the nerve of people who go up and do this and they looked comfortable.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we didn't say their names, by the way. It's thirty three year old Angela Nicolau and thirty two year old Ivan Birkus and look, they do happen to have a Netflix show up now. I just watched the trailer and my heart was pounding. It's stunning, it's beautiful, it's spectacular, and it's called Skywalker's a Love Story. So it's a hell of a promotion for that Netflix series and wow, a pretty amazing spectacular proposal on top. So it was kind of a win win except for the arrest. H Well, I mean, they knew that was coming.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: They knew, and I'm sure I've probably been arrested before. I'm sure they probably haven't spent any prison time. This isn't what normally what trustpassing. It was a very public trespassing. But beyond that, they're not accused of anything necessarily criminal. Skywalker's a Love Story. You probably won't have to go looking for it. It's probably going to be trending in the top ten.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: There's a link to it in almost every news article. Lucky them and honestly, lucky Netflix. I wouldn't be surprised to see their story now this Netflix show, so skyrocket pardon the pun to the top.
00:11:03
Speaker 1: They haven't yet Netflix officially, I haven't seen at least as of this Recording said officially any hand they had in this, but Deadline is reporting that they do have people at Netflix telling them that we ain't have nothing to do with this. This had nothing to do with us shooting something, promoting something, no documentary we're doing, or even yes, trying to promote the previous documentary. They did this on their own. And the images are spectacular. And if you don't believe us, go to Instagram, their Instagram and look at these photos. I please, anybody show me better engagement photos.
00:11:46
Speaker 2: They should blow those up for sure.
00:11:48
Speaker 1: These photos. Please, somebody should.
00:11:50
Speaker 2: Where are they going to get married? That's what I want to know. How do they top that.
00:11:53
Speaker 1: On the ground? Hopefully? My god, but he lays on one knee on this little thin disk.
00:12:02
Speaker 2: It's insane, it is, it's impressive.
00:12:04
Speaker 1: It is so impressive. I keep saying, so illegal to talking about criminals. I am actually applauding criminals right now. But we need to give it context. It's just you got to see these.
00:12:14
Speaker 2: Pictures, and I loved how the Empire State Building reacted to it. I thought this was cool, to the point where we're all saying, yes, it's criminal, Yes it was risky, and it could have posed a danger. It seems as if it could, at least to the people on the ground, to the folks on the ground, and certainly to the two people who were up on top. But the Empire State Building said this there was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Desk deck guests. It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck atop the world's most famous building in the center of New York City does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.
00:12:52
Speaker 1: And those pictures are gonna suck compared to what you can get if you climb to the top.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: But then they put a link so that if you want to get married, or you want to get if you want to be proposed to your girlfriend or your boyfriend on top of the Empire State Building, they actually give you a happily Ever Empire proposal package starting in one thousand dollars. I mean, it's hilarious. They're capitalizing on the attention of these.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: Two And you know what, I think, doesn't this suggest Robes that they're taking it the same way we are? Yes, okay, absolutely, they're not mad and they're using these people as a promotional opportunity.
00:13:27
Speaker 2: I think it's kind of awesome.
00:13:28
Speaker 1: So I don't know Robes if it was already booked up. But you hear that I want to get proposed to at the top of the Empire State Building. Who wants to do that? Apparently a lot of people.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's booked until August thirty. First, there is not.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: A date available for you to go propose and get engaged at the Empire State Building before August. It's the only date available. Now it opens up in September and October because well, engagement season's over.
00:13:51
Speaker 2: I guess, but I didn't even I didn't know you had to get a proposal package or I guess it's just offered. Can't you just anyone go up there and just go down on one knee?
00:14:00
Speaker 1: Oh, yes you can do that. But if you want the wine and.
00:14:03
Speaker 2: The champagne and the photograph and.
00:14:05
Speaker 1: The picnic and the private area, and yes they are cool though it used to sound cool.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: Now it's yeah that we game.
00:14:16
Speaker 1: But on the observation deck, you mean on the eighty six floor. I want to go to the top.
00:14:21
Speaker 2: You do not? I know you all too well, and I never will forget when the two of us were hanging off the edge there with ropes, and that was one of this I mean, that was scary to me. That was frightening. Can you imagine not having ropes, not being harnessed, standing on the edge right there? Oh my goodness.
00:14:43
Speaker 1: And again, Rose, I do I have that moment? Just my god? What if anything had gone wrong? And you mentioned the wind earlier today, I don't know if they took that into account, but there were low winds yep today, So on the.
00:14:55
Speaker 2: Ground, don't know what it was like up there, fifteen hundred feet up.
00:14:58
Speaker 1: That's a good qunch is obviously more. But they seemed to be steady, seemed to be doing fund seemed to be calm. They were less nervous than I was. On the ground. When I proposed to you, I was in a seat. I was comfortable.
00:15:09
Speaker 2: You were seated.
00:15:10
Speaker 1: I was seated when I proposed to you. Yes, folks, there was no knee involved. We'll get into that later. That this is not our party today because they have trumped all proposals that I have ever ever seen. But robes. We are used to spectacles. So much of the conversation today the local reports and whatnot. And again for folks who don't know, can you know the Empire State Building, but to give you an idea of where it is, Robes, we drove past Madison Square Garden today where there's some event happening this weekend.
00:15:40
Speaker 2: Maybe you've heard about it.
00:15:42
Speaker 1: So the Empire State It took us how long would you say to drive around the block of Madison Square Garden At.
00:15:50
Speaker 2: Least twenty five minutes.
00:15:52
Speaker 1: Just to go around what is that one.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: City blocks around? It was crazy traffic, crazy pack. I took some video is actually of how insane. This was one of those days where you're like, if people who don't live here were just to find themselves driving in these streets, they would be like, who in the hell could ever live? For? It was chaos.
00:16:13
Speaker 1: So that area, that chaotic area, to give you some perspective, is what two avenues.
00:16:21
Speaker 2: Over correct seventh and eighth Avenue and this took place. It's around fifth Avenue is where the Empire State Building is.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: These areas are in you can't get when they say the heart of Manhattan, this is what they're talking about. These areas and the Empire State Building ropes. It's in an area on Fifth between thirty third and thirty four, very busy area. But if you're right there at the Empire State Building, it's actually impossible to see. You can't see it the time.
00:16:47
Speaker 2: Yes, and I saw the line funny enough because I've never gone up to the top of the Empire State Building. I've lived in the city board twenty three years and I have never been to the top. We should probably do that one day.
00:16:59
Speaker 1: It is cool. I took the being ones when she was three. Never been something like that.
00:17:03
Speaker 2: But I saw the line funny enough because I had plenty of time to look around because we were stuck in such crazy traffic. I actually saw the line for people lining up to go onto the Empire Stable thing.
00:17:12
Speaker 1: It was.
00:17:12
Speaker 2: It was far insane.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: So this is happening, So people started collecting on the ground. But it was interesting to hear local reporters talking to local folks who they said, a bunch of New Yorkers in line.
00:17:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, another day in New York.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: It kind of is baby. We see some of the weirdest stuff here and it.
00:17:29
Speaker 2: Does do regis, we really do.
00:17:31
Speaker 1: It doesn't even register. But we've seen things like this. A few daredevils in the past, and yes, somebody has climbed the Empire State Building before. Yeah he got arrested. To stay here.
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ. Look, we know it was illegal, we know it's criminal, but we kind of kind of just loved what happened today because everybody's okay, nobody got injured, and we all just kind of felt the love up there on top of the Empire State Building.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: I'm going to give folks a little bit behind the curtain here. We have with our podcasts that we do, we put them sometimes in certain categories for where they get posted, and we have anytime there's a crime story, we can put it in a particular feed where it goes into a crime section, and then we have a love story or a romance or if anything about relationships. Yeah, we have a relationship section you can go into. And when we do that full disclosure, we'll get more downloads and it's essentially going out to more people who might be interested in those particular things. So it's either a crime or a relationship. Robes gets on today tells our editor Jonathan, this is both, baby.
00:18:50
Speaker 2: This is both. We got a crime and we got a relationship and it's rare. Honestly, this is one of those stories where it actually fits both categories without a doubt.
00:19:00
Speaker 1: Usually when it happens is because a spouse murdered the other.
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, yep, it's usually for all the bad reasons. Usually a crime and romance don't go well together. But this is one of those rare moments where a crime in romance actually worked out well. And they probably are smiling in their damn mug shots because they actually some of the reporters who could see, you know, they had cameras trained on them with the helicopters saying she was admiring her ring as she was headed down.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: Yes, the shot of her her hands out and you see the entire New York City, Scotland she.
00:19:32
Speaker 2: Is admiring her ringle it's crazy. Anyway, we've got a smile on our face talking about it. It was it was kind of cool. I'm not gonna lie. I thought it was pretty damn cool.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, and again we have to we're smiling because it worked out, and maybe that's okay to smile. But Rose, what if a police officer, oh, hey, gud I get her, Yes, what if one of them had fallen in and kids in New York have to watch somebody fall to their death right talking about a different story. That is why it does Robes have You got to take this stuff a little more seriously. But Romes. We have to look. We are romantics, we all are, and we we recognize something that we saw is daring and beautiful and interesting Robes and it took guts. I just this is something I think, more so than anything, New York is applaud and you know, it's given attention to something that is ours here in New York. The Empire State Building, it's like a romantic place. It really is a special, special, iconic it is.
00:20:34
Speaker 2: I know you're not a big sleepless in Seattle lover and rom comms in general, but that is one of the most iconic moments in that movie, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks at the airport. No, well, eventually I think, do they run to the airport, but there's the whole Empire State Building and the observation deck and the whole Yeah, they were supposed to meet, and then yes, it's a whole thing.
00:20:56
Speaker 1: Is it in there? The whole climax of the movie.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: I honestly i'd have to watch it, but they're one of the major climaxes in the movie. It's all about the Empire States.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Quack aside, isn't there some romant ormcom where somebody's in the airport the whole time or something?
00:21:09
Speaker 2: Well, there's always.
00:21:10
Speaker 1: Okay, sorry forget it. I'm okay, I just got got sidetracked that. Let's get back on the track here. Yes, with the Empire State Building, it has been scaled before a French they called him the French spider Man road. But he did it back in nineteen ninety four. He free climbed this sucker on the outside, no ropes, no nothing.
00:21:29
Speaker 2: That's hard to even imagine. That's remarkable. But he was a professional, correct, I mean, much like these two daredevils were. I mean, they're not quite doing the same thing. Well, they're not doing the same thing at all that those folks that done. But yeah, this was a remarkable spectacle that took place in nineteen ninety ninety four.
00:21:49
Speaker 1: That was it still the tallest building in the world at the time.
00:21:52
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be able to tell you.
00:21:53
Speaker 1: I can't remember that. But anyway, he pulled this off. But he promptly arrested, no jail.
00:21:58
Speaker 2: Down, bare hands and feet, without ropes or safety nets, and yes was met with handcuffs at the end.
00:22:05
Speaker 1: No jail time. But that tells you robe what the punishment might be for these folks. No, they don't end up in prison necessarily any other them. They pay some fines, they have to pay some money back. They who knows whatever, but ropes whatever they hit them with that Instagram photo, I have to say, it's worse.
00:22:24
Speaker 2: It's remarkable.
00:22:25
Speaker 1: His price, it's remarkable.
00:22:27
Speaker 2: And then there was nineteen seventy four Philippe Petite.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: That's famous one, right, the.
00:22:32
Speaker 2: French high wire artist. He performed an unauthorized tight rope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center back in August of nineteen seventy four. But he also just is known for doing these daring, daring feats robes.
00:22:52
Speaker 1: That was. If you haven't seen the movie, I can think it's called The Walk. I never met. I never get his name, right, Jordan Gordon, Joseph it.
00:23:01
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I don't please, Now that you just said it that way, I'm never gonna.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: Remember Jordan Goes, Gordon.
00:23:08
Speaker 2: Jordan Joseph Levitt.
00:23:09
Speaker 1: I believe yes, he's starting that played the French tightrope walker, but that was one robes the whole city because it took him a while and he had to plan this thing out. He had to get the rope from one tower to another. He had a whole team involved, and sure by the time police realized what he was doing, he was already out on the rope and they were waiting on each side to arrest him. But nobody's gonna go out and get him.
00:23:32
Speaker 2: He's that's I can't even get my head around that. That's crazy.
00:23:35
Speaker 1: But at that time, the whole city just stopped and was looking up and you could see this guy. That was a hell of a spectacle. If you haven't seen that movie, check it out. Yes, fun Watch, I've seen it.
00:23:45
Speaker 2: It's it's been a while since I've seen it. But I mean, you're like on the edge of your seat watching this. But no, I mean, congratulations. We should say on the take a couple to the engagement. And by the way, I know the sleepless and Seattle thing. I wanted to just say because I know so many women listening are like, hello, you're an affair to remember was the original where they're supposed to meet if he still loves her. They're supposed to meet at the observation deck at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. This is an affair to remember. It's it's no but but that is what that is what the sleeps Is in Seattle movie is based on because she's they're saying, she's saying how much she loves that movie, and they talk about how basically she gets hit and is paralyzed and can't go up and doesn't meet him, and he doesn't know why she didn't meet him, and then at the end he finds out that basically she doesn't want to saddle him with this horror of actually, yes, having to meet her and get engaged. But anyway, Tom Hanks does end up with Meg Ryan, and it's just one of those moments. So people when they go up to the observation deck, they're remembering an affair to remember, and they're remembering Sleepless in Seattle there because that's his kid and they lost the mom. The mom died. And then Meg Ryan falls in love with him because he calls into a radio show.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: You recognize us, Oh yes, I'm showing her the image.
00:25:07
Speaker 2: We should watch sleepless. Yes, maybe instead of watching Team USA play in the World Cup, we can watch sleepless.
00:25:17
Speaker 1: Folks who just wanted to let you know about love and crime. But a hello story here that happened in New York today. It's always something, ain't it here in New York? Who knew all eyes on Madison Square Garden we should have been looking at the Empire State.
00:25:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, we had our eyes in the wrong famous building, all right, But we'll be looking at msg U Thursday. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robot alongside DJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey, the folks, it is Wednesday, July. First. Call them what you want to call them, trespassers, call them daredevils, call them criminals. I would prefer to call them the happy couple that might, frankly, have just captured the greatest engagement photo that has ever been taken. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes. That's a hell of a proposal. Even though they got arrested right after, that was a good proposal.
00:00:31
Speaker 2: I was just gonna say, you got an engagement photo like nobody else, coupled with a mugshot photo to follow.
00:00:38
Speaker 1: This is a this is a fascinating and interesting story. It's New York, so it's all like for a lot of us, we're like, yeah, sounds about right. But what just happened as we sit here, folks, we are just coming off a spectacle here in New York, the likes of which we rarely see. Two people just climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building and got engaged.
00:01:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're not just talking to the observation deck. No, no, no, no no. They went up to the spire, like to the point where I feel sick to my stomach just looking at where they're standing, and then when you see it from their perspective from the Wow, there were shots of them from every angle because they had helicopters up and they were videoed and photographed, and they've got they've got an album. They can show their kids it is and their grand kids.
00:01:31
Speaker 1: It is incredible and it is illegal. So these two folks, well, you said, climb the spire to give an idea here of folks that we're talking about. Yes, the Empire State Building is a certain height right, twelve hundred and fifty feet, but when you add the spire, right that antenna that you see at the top is actually fourteen hundred and fifty four feet. They climbed that extra spire. They essentially robes climbed to where you can't climb any higher to the Empire State Building. That's fair to say.
00:01:59
Speaker 2: Yes, there's a tiny grate, like a circular grate that you can stand on, but there isn't a lot of room. And not only did they climb up there by the way in unbelievable seat that we just have come back from being out and we were actually in that very area probably what an hour before this all was wit. It feels like ninety seven when we got back. I don't know what it felt like up on top of that spire, but it couldn't have felt breezy. I mean, even though you might have got some winds up there, that had to be hot, That had to be frightening, knowing that the whole city is literally buzzing below you and around you because you are, yes doing something very illegal and exceptionally dangerous. But he not only did they both stand up there, he then got down on one knee and proposed. Can you imagine carrying a diamond ring forget? I mean, obviously there are a million safety issues, but I would also have the added fear as a I would think people act like it's so nerve wrecking to carry an engagement ring anywhere on your body when you're about to propose, Now imagine scaling the Empire State Building with that.
00:03:09
Speaker 1: I would say he was smart enough that until that thing got on her finger, it was in some way a rope or something attached. The entire time, you can't take that risk. Just nervous up there because you're climbing, and nervous because you're proposing to serve somebody and you're doing it in front of the world. I bet it was attached to something.
00:03:28
Speaker 2: That's my first question, right, because think about how many people we've seen the engagement fails where people women drop the ring then they have to try to go find it because you're nervous and maybe you weren't expecting this, and I don't think she was expecting it, so she might have actually gotten a little thrown at the whole proposal. So that's scary.
00:03:49
Speaker 1: We've seen guys fumble them into the sand, into the water down. Haven't a guy did it here in New York? I think once in one of the the wait, great, he's done that, it happens es he's way up to that. Part of it is the additional terrifying part. But I cannot explain enough, We cannot put this into enough terms. Robes just how dangerous, how scary, how much of a spectacle, how yes, they calling them daredevils, but the spectacle that this created now here in New York City on an otherwise normal but a hot summer day, Robes just had the city buzzing today. And and a part of this robes, Yes, this was criminal activity, but there is an asterisk but the aster the robes is they went up there. We haven't even mentioned. They put a banner up. We'll tell you what the message said, but it was a banner of love. It was a banner about peace and robes. They got engaged. They didn't hurt anybody else. You could argue, may, okay, yes, they cost the police of man hours, and I understand all that rose, but there is some part of all of us that sees a victory, that sees love, that sees an accomplishment, that sees to sees something, and you're not necessarily mad at them.
00:05:09
Speaker 2: Look it all turned out okay, and they are going to pay the price. They were arrested, they were booked, they're going to face charges, and they're going to have to pay back something to the community for the rockest they caused. However, I agree with you also, so kind of them not to upstage Travis and Taylor, who are in town and the whole city's a buzz about what's going to be happening later in the week with them, So they chose the day before all the festivities begin for Taylor and Travis to have their moment. Do you think that they consider that I bet you they might have, because now all focus was on them, their story and their message. This banner, which reads, when the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace. People are attributing that to a Jimmy Hendrick.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: Song, but then they say it came from somewhere.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: Else, an actual a poet from way back when that Jimmy Hendrix took it from.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: I wasn't familiar with the saying when I saw it up there on the sign. It was a actually huge spanner, good size sign.
00:06:06
Speaker 2: I didn't see enormous.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: They carried that sucker up there, So between that and carrying a ring, it was stressful times up there for this couple. But they were dressed. Yes, this happened around noontime, around lunchtime, I should say, but yes, around noon. Other people reported seeing these two up on the observation deck. They didn't have masks on. But they end up going into some door somewhere where they shouldn't have been going. I guess to climb up and say, they just kind of walked away through a door, and it sounded a little easy how they described it.
00:06:34
Speaker 2: Get up there, these two and we'll get into their history and who they are and let's just say this isn't and wasn't their first rodeo.
00:06:42
Speaker 1: Second third, or twelveth.
00:06:43
Speaker 2: Even these folks, this couple is unreal and so they have done this. They have continuously broken the law all around the world to scale and climb some of the highest buildings in the world and video the whole thing. They document their daredevil illegal activities around the world. And I obviously believe they knew what they were doing, They knew where they were going, They somehow got a hold of something to study where they knew how to get up to that top. Bit I wouldn't know how to do it, but I'm sure it's not probably that hard to internet sleute this thing and figure out how to get up.
00:07:24
Speaker 1: Shouldn't be that easy, baby.
00:07:26
Speaker 2: Well, who wants to do it?
00:07:28
Speaker 1: I mean, aren't there some implication security implications of some kind if somebody want to get up there and try to jump. There have been a tempt suicide attempts from that building before.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Oh no, this is deeply concervatives.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Cannot happen that.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: People know and that they were able to figure out how to do this and how to get up to the top before anyone could stop them or notice them. Police were obviously climbing up after them and eventually reached them. But they had plenty of time up there.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: Okay, which which officer volunteered to go after them? You know, I got a capin.
00:07:57
Speaker 2: I'm not afraid of heights.
00:07:58
Speaker 1: I'm good, So I don't know how that worked. They ended up climbing down, Yes, they sent officers up. Obviously, no officers climbed up to the very top dragged them down. They knew they had to come down, but they did put them in custody. But Ropes the incident started him, I say, around lunch time. They end up up there. But the first time we as the public see them, they're wearing all black and they have masks on and Ropes. She's wearing a mask.
00:08:21
Speaker 2: She looks like, look, they look like badasses.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: He had what he has, his guns out right, and she's like a sexy catwoman.
00:08:28
Speaker 2: They're amazing. I've seen other photos of her doing yoga poses on incredibly thin metal beams overseeing huge cities. I mean, she and he both do some pretty remarkable, pretty scary stuff, and they've done it often, and they do it really beautifully. To be honest, like it's gorgeous watching them. They looked like they were in a movie, in an action movie, and this was all planned and choreographed and they had to do this.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: And if you haven't seen the pictures yet, you just have to. They are incredible, stunning. You have and I guess it's probably a new state. I know the helicopter. They had the police helicopter up as well. But the images we're seeing are these incredible that you cannot beat this roswasar as a picture. Yeah, two people at the top of New York dangling off one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and you have helicopter with the camera trained on them, circling the building. It is an incredible shots.
00:09:33
Speaker 2: Well, he's proposing at one point.
00:09:35
Speaker 1: Awesome and illegal, I understand, but it is an incredible image. I was brother say all the time, Alex Hanold. Of course with the Taiwan that the building he just climbed. Skill is one thing I admire, the nerve of people who go up and do this and they looked comfortable.
00:09:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we didn't say their names, by the way. It's thirty three year old Angela Nicolau and thirty two year old Ivan Birkus and look, they do happen to have a Netflix show up now. I just watched the trailer and my heart was pounding. It's stunning, it's beautiful, it's spectacular, and it's called Skywalker's a Love Story. So it's a hell of a promotion for that Netflix series and wow, a pretty amazing spectacular proposal on top. So it was kind of a win win except for the arrest. H Well, I mean, they knew that was coming.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: They knew, and I'm sure I've probably been arrested before. I'm sure they probably haven't spent any prison time. This isn't what normally what trustpassing. It was a very public trespassing. But beyond that, they're not accused of anything necessarily criminal. Skywalker's a Love Story. You probably won't have to go looking for it. It's probably going to be trending in the top ten.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: There's a link to it in almost every news article. Lucky them and honestly, lucky Netflix. I wouldn't be surprised to see their story now this Netflix show, so skyrocket pardon the pun to the top.
00:11:03
Speaker 1: They haven't yet Netflix officially, I haven't seen at least as of this Recording said officially any hand they had in this, but Deadline is reporting that they do have people at Netflix telling them that we ain't have nothing to do with this. This had nothing to do with us shooting something, promoting something, no documentary we're doing, or even yes, trying to promote the previous documentary. They did this on their own. And the images are spectacular. And if you don't believe us, go to Instagram, their Instagram and look at these photos. I please, anybody show me better engagement photos.
00:11:46
Speaker 2: They should blow those up for sure.
00:11:48
Speaker 1: These photos. Please, somebody should.
00:11:50
Speaker 2: Where are they going to get married? That's what I want to know. How do they top that.
00:11:53
Speaker 1: On the ground? Hopefully? My god, but he lays on one knee on this little thin disk.
00:12:02
Speaker 2: It's insane, it is, it's impressive.
00:12:04
Speaker 1: It is so impressive. I keep saying, so illegal to talking about criminals. I am actually applauding criminals right now. But we need to give it context. It's just you got to see these.
00:12:14
Speaker 2: Pictures, and I loved how the Empire State Building reacted to it. I thought this was cool, to the point where we're all saying, yes, it's criminal, Yes it was risky, and it could have posed a danger. It seems as if it could, at least to the people on the ground, to the folks on the ground, and certainly to the two people who were up on top. But the Empire State Building said this there was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Desk deck guests. It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck atop the world's most famous building in the center of New York City does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.
00:12:52
Speaker 1: And those pictures are gonna suck compared to what you can get if you climb to the top.
00:12:57
Speaker 2: But then they put a link so that if you want to get married, or you want to get if you want to be proposed to your girlfriend or your boyfriend on top of the Empire State Building, they actually give you a happily Ever Empire proposal package starting in one thousand dollars. I mean, it's hilarious. They're capitalizing on the attention of these.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: Two And you know what, I think, doesn't this suggest Robes that they're taking it the same way we are? Yes, okay, absolutely, they're not mad and they're using these people as a promotional opportunity.
00:13:27
Speaker 2: I think it's kind of awesome.
00:13:28
Speaker 1: So I don't know Robes if it was already booked up. But you hear that I want to get proposed to at the top of the Empire State Building. Who wants to do that? Apparently a lot of people.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's booked until August thirty. First, there is not.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: A date available for you to go propose and get engaged at the Empire State Building before August. It's the only date available. Now it opens up in September and October because well, engagement season's over.
00:13:51
Speaker 2: I guess, but I didn't even I didn't know you had to get a proposal package or I guess it's just offered. Can't you just anyone go up there and just go down on one knee?
00:14:00
Speaker 1: Oh, yes you can do that. But if you want the wine and.
00:14:03
Speaker 2: The champagne and the photograph and.
00:14:05
Speaker 1: The picnic and the private area, and yes they are cool though it used to sound cool.
00:14:12
Speaker 2: Now it's yeah that we game.
00:14:16
Speaker 1: But on the observation deck, you mean on the eighty six floor. I want to go to the top.
00:14:21
Speaker 2: You do not? I know you all too well, and I never will forget when the two of us were hanging off the edge there with ropes, and that was one of this I mean, that was scary to me. That was frightening. Can you imagine not having ropes, not being harnessed, standing on the edge right there? Oh my goodness.
00:14:43
Speaker 1: And again, Rose, I do I have that moment? Just my god? What if anything had gone wrong? And you mentioned the wind earlier today, I don't know if they took that into account, but there were low winds yep today, So on the.
00:14:55
Speaker 2: Ground, don't know what it was like up there, fifteen hundred feet up.
00:14:58
Speaker 1: That's a good qunch is obviously more. But they seemed to be steady, seemed to be doing fund seemed to be calm. They were less nervous than I was. On the ground. When I proposed to you, I was in a seat. I was comfortable.
00:15:09
Speaker 2: You were seated.
00:15:10
Speaker 1: I was seated when I proposed to you. Yes, folks, there was no knee involved. We'll get into that later. That this is not our party today because they have trumped all proposals that I have ever ever seen. But robes. We are used to spectacles. So much of the conversation today the local reports and whatnot. And again for folks who don't know, can you know the Empire State Building, but to give you an idea of where it is, Robes, we drove past Madison Square Garden today where there's some event happening this weekend.
00:15:40
Speaker 2: Maybe you've heard about it.
00:15:42
Speaker 1: So the Empire State It took us how long would you say to drive around the block of Madison Square Garden At.
00:15:50
Speaker 2: Least twenty five minutes.
00:15:52
Speaker 1: Just to go around what is that one.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: City blocks around? It was crazy traffic, crazy pack. I took some video is actually of how insane. This was one of those days where you're like, if people who don't live here were just to find themselves driving in these streets, they would be like, who in the hell could ever live? For? It was chaos.
00:16:13
Speaker 1: So that area, that chaotic area, to give you some perspective, is what two avenues.
00:16:21
Speaker 2: Over correct seventh and eighth Avenue and this took place. It's around fifth Avenue is where the Empire State Building is.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: These areas are in you can't get when they say the heart of Manhattan, this is what they're talking about. These areas and the Empire State Building ropes. It's in an area on Fifth between thirty third and thirty four, very busy area. But if you're right there at the Empire State Building, it's actually impossible to see. You can't see it the time.
00:16:47
Speaker 2: Yes, and I saw the line funny enough because I've never gone up to the top of the Empire State Building. I've lived in the city board twenty three years and I have never been to the top. We should probably do that one day.
00:16:59
Speaker 1: It is cool. I took the being ones when she was three. Never been something like that.
00:17:03
Speaker 2: But I saw the line funny enough because I had plenty of time to look around because we were stuck in such crazy traffic. I actually saw the line for people lining up to go onto the Empire Stable thing.
00:17:12
Speaker 1: It was.
00:17:12
Speaker 2: It was far insane.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: So this is happening, So people started collecting on the ground. But it was interesting to hear local reporters talking to local folks who they said, a bunch of New Yorkers in line.
00:17:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, another day in New York.
00:17:25
Speaker 1: It kind of is baby. We see some of the weirdest stuff here and it.
00:17:29
Speaker 2: Does do regis, we really do.
00:17:31
Speaker 1: It doesn't even register. But we've seen things like this. A few daredevils in the past, and yes, somebody has climbed the Empire State Building before. Yeah he got arrested. To stay here.
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ. Look, we know it was illegal, we know it's criminal, but we kind of kind of just loved what happened today because everybody's okay, nobody got injured, and we all just kind of felt the love up there on top of the Empire State Building.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: I'm going to give folks a little bit behind the curtain here. We have with our podcasts that we do, we put them sometimes in certain categories for where they get posted, and we have anytime there's a crime story, we can put it in a particular feed where it goes into a crime section, and then we have a love story or a romance or if anything about relationships. Yeah, we have a relationship section you can go into. And when we do that full disclosure, we'll get more downloads and it's essentially going out to more people who might be interested in those particular things. So it's either a crime or a relationship. Robes gets on today tells our editor Jonathan, this is both, baby.
00:18:50
Speaker 2: This is both. We got a crime and we got a relationship and it's rare. Honestly, this is one of those stories where it actually fits both categories without a doubt.
00:19:00
Speaker 1: Usually when it happens is because a spouse murdered the other.
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, yep, it's usually for all the bad reasons. Usually a crime and romance don't go well together. But this is one of those rare moments where a crime in romance actually worked out well. And they probably are smiling in their damn mug shots because they actually some of the reporters who could see, you know, they had cameras trained on them with the helicopters saying she was admiring her ring as she was headed down.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: Yes, the shot of her her hands out and you see the entire New York City, Scotland she.
00:19:32
Speaker 2: Is admiring her ringle it's crazy. Anyway, we've got a smile on our face talking about it. It was it was kind of cool. I'm not gonna lie. I thought it was pretty damn cool.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, and again we have to we're smiling because it worked out, and maybe that's okay to smile. But Rose, what if a police officer, oh, hey, gud I get her, Yes, what if one of them had fallen in and kids in New York have to watch somebody fall to their death right talking about a different story. That is why it does Robes have You got to take this stuff a little more seriously. But Romes. We have to look. We are romantics, we all are, and we we recognize something that we saw is daring and beautiful and interesting Robes and it took guts. I just this is something I think, more so than anything, New York is applaud and you know, it's given attention to something that is ours here in New York. The Empire State Building, it's like a romantic place. It really is a special, special, iconic it is.
00:20:34
Speaker 2: I know you're not a big sleepless in Seattle lover and rom comms in general, but that is one of the most iconic moments in that movie, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks at the airport. No, well, eventually I think, do they run to the airport, but there's the whole Empire State Building and the observation deck and the whole Yeah, they were supposed to meet, and then yes, it's a whole thing.
00:20:56
Speaker 1: Is it in there? The whole climax of the movie.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: I honestly i'd have to watch it, but they're one of the major climaxes in the movie. It's all about the Empire States.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Quack aside, isn't there some romant ormcom where somebody's in the airport the whole time or something?
00:21:09
Speaker 2: Well, there's always.
00:21:10
Speaker 1: Okay, sorry forget it. I'm okay, I just got got sidetracked that. Let's get back on the track here. Yes, with the Empire State Building, it has been scaled before a French they called him the French spider Man road. But he did it back in nineteen ninety four. He free climbed this sucker on the outside, no ropes, no nothing.
00:21:29
Speaker 2: That's hard to even imagine. That's remarkable. But he was a professional, correct, I mean, much like these two daredevils were. I mean, they're not quite doing the same thing. Well, they're not doing the same thing at all that those folks that done. But yeah, this was a remarkable spectacle that took place in nineteen ninety ninety four.
00:21:49
Speaker 1: That was it still the tallest building in the world at the time.
00:21:52
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be able to tell you.
00:21:53
Speaker 1: I can't remember that. But anyway, he pulled this off. But he promptly arrested, no jail.
00:21:58
Speaker 2: Down, bare hands and feet, without ropes or safety nets, and yes was met with handcuffs at the end.
00:22:05
Speaker 1: No jail time. But that tells you robe what the punishment might be for these folks. No, they don't end up in prison necessarily any other them. They pay some fines, they have to pay some money back. They who knows whatever, but ropes whatever they hit them with that Instagram photo, I have to say, it's worse.
00:22:24
Speaker 2: It's remarkable.
00:22:25
Speaker 1: His price, it's remarkable.
00:22:27
Speaker 2: And then there was nineteen seventy four Philippe Petite.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: That's famous one, right, the.
00:22:32
Speaker 2: French high wire artist. He performed an unauthorized tight rope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center back in August of nineteen seventy four. But he also just is known for doing these daring, daring feats robes.
00:22:52
Speaker 1: That was. If you haven't seen the movie, I can think it's called The Walk. I never met. I never get his name, right, Jordan Gordon, Joseph it.
00:23:01
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I don't please, Now that you just said it that way, I'm never gonna.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: Remember Jordan Goes, Gordon.
00:23:08
Speaker 2: Jordan Joseph Levitt.
00:23:09
Speaker 1: I believe yes, he's starting that played the French tightrope walker, but that was one robes the whole city because it took him a while and he had to plan this thing out. He had to get the rope from one tower to another. He had a whole team involved, and sure by the time police realized what he was doing, he was already out on the rope and they were waiting on each side to arrest him. But nobody's gonna go out and get him.
00:23:32
Speaker 2: He's that's I can't even get my head around that. That's crazy.
00:23:35
Speaker 1: But at that time, the whole city just stopped and was looking up and you could see this guy. That was a hell of a spectacle. If you haven't seen that movie, check it out. Yes, fun Watch, I've seen it.
00:23:45
Speaker 2: It's it's been a while since I've seen it. But I mean, you're like on the edge of your seat watching this. But no, I mean, congratulations. We should say on the take a couple to the engagement. And by the way, I know the sleepless and Seattle thing. I wanted to just say because I know so many women listening are like, hello, you're an affair to remember was the original where they're supposed to meet if he still loves her. They're supposed to meet at the observation deck at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. This is an affair to remember. It's it's no but but that is what that is what the sleeps Is in Seattle movie is based on because she's they're saying, she's saying how much she loves that movie, and they talk about how basically she gets hit and is paralyzed and can't go up and doesn't meet him, and he doesn't know why she didn't meet him, and then at the end he finds out that basically she doesn't want to saddle him with this horror of actually, yes, having to meet her and get engaged. But anyway, Tom Hanks does end up with Meg Ryan, and it's just one of those moments. So people when they go up to the observation deck, they're remembering an affair to remember, and they're remembering Sleepless in Seattle there because that's his kid and they lost the mom. The mom died. And then Meg Ryan falls in love with him because he calls into a radio show.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: You recognize us, Oh yes, I'm showing her the image.
00:25:07
Speaker 2: We should watch sleepless. Yes, maybe instead of watching Team USA play in the World Cup, we can watch sleepless.
00:25:17
Speaker 1: Folks who just wanted to let you know about love and crime. But a hello story here that happened in New York today. It's always something, ain't it here in New York? Who knew all eyes on Madison Square Garden we should have been looking at the Empire State.
00:25:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, we had our eyes in the wrong famous building, all right, But we'll be looking at msg U Thursday. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robot alongside DJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.