I was born in Schuylkill Haven Pa. a small town between farms and coal mining areas. I lived in a funeral home that my Grandfather owned and worked with him growing up, this is the start of a strange plight to end up where I am today.

I am married with one son who is 11 and a very understanding wife who puts up with me never being home on holidays and special events. My brother would pay me $.25 to make him a chocolate cake when I was about 9 years old and I also watched my grandparents and mother in the kitchen while I was growing up.

     I didn't start working in restaurants until 1989 after graduating from The French Culinary Institute in NYC. I worked as an EMT on an ambulance from the time I left high school. I then went to school to become a Paramedic and ended up moving to NJ and worked in several hospitals, still cooking and baking on the side until I found a cooking school and be able to attend school and still work as a Paramedic. I would work a 12 hour shift then go to FCI and leave there to go to another hospital and work all night before going to the first hospital for another 12 hours. This went on for 11 months until I quit the Paramedic jobs to work in restaurants. 

        I worked the hot line for several years in NJ until I got the opportunity to snag a pastry position. I worked at Lafayette in The Drake Hotel in NYC as well as The Sign Of The Dove,and Arizona 206 as PasrtyChef. I then went to NJ again where I am currently at The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly. I have been there for almost 5 years now and the job and co-workers are the reason I am still there. This is by far the nicest placeI have ever worked.