In 1988, Dell'Abate made a videotaped bid to win back an ex-girlfriend, which came to light in the late 1990s when an ex-boyfriend of the woman called Howard's show claiming to have seen the tape. On the tape, Gary frequently refers to his ex as "man" (e.g.,
"I miss you, man"), states that his professional life is a 9 (pronounced like "newine") while his personal life is at a 2, and since their split, she has gained a lover and a best friend while he has gained a couple of lovers but has no friends. He also points out that his hair had grown longer during their time apart and that he is wearing his favorite
t-shirt, one he often wore while they were together. Such proclamations invited much ridicule from Stern fans and regulars, and snippets of the audio from the tape became oft-used
soundbites on the show. While his bid to win back his lady love proved successful, they ultimately broke up for good the following year. He was paid over $25,000 by members of Stern's audience and staff to hand over the tape.