Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. The traditional family home and living environment with both parents, a brother, an aunt, and two grandparents. Evening meals together, regular communication with family, and a realization of the value of that type of stability and familial gatherings helped mold me into the person that enlisted in the Marine Corps to serve a higher purpose in life, become the adult I’ve become, and eventually to replicate the childhood I was blessed with as I raised my own family. All is described in greater detail in my autobiography, Tenacity.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

Listen more and talk less.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

When people throw in the towel with a “You can’t fight City Hall” mentality, I’ve had good luck fighting a City and corrupt Councilman, described it all in my book, and hope to motivate people to not be bullied and always fight for what they want.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

Catching a thieving waiter at one of my restaurants. The life-altering consequences of dealing with him that, at the time, were seemingly inconsequential but would ultimately cause me unimaginable grief and a threat to all I had achieved.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

Surrounding myself with great friends, employees, and business partners. The relationships we develop in life will have immeasurable impacts on the level of success we hope to achieve.

What is your morning routine?

I wake between 4:30 and 6:00 am.

A workout routine I began in the Marines and continued throughout life. Alternating cardio and weight training for a well-balanced weekly regime served me well when cancer with an 8% survival rate attacked me. The 11-hour surgery and the recovery period were impactful on my prior routine but if not for the conditioning I regularly maintained, I fully believe cancer would have prevailed and killed me.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

See #6. Regular exercise.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

Early to bed, regular exercise, stay in touch with friends, and plan to see them with regularity over lunch or dinner. Communicating with people helps me stay informed and gives me purpose as I maneuver through the day or week.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

Killing The Rising Sun by Bill O’Reilly. It is an in-depth look at what our nation and the world faced during World War II. This book focuses on the battle with Japan. We should never forget what our military did to save us from what was close to a world takeover by Japan and Germany, what life would have been like under their world order, and how lucky we are to have had the leaders and military we did back then to keep us free. Only by recognizing and learning from history can we expect to avoid the mistakes of the past. Good lessons, particularly in light of the challenges our nation faces today and the leadership or lack thereof that a weak America causes to occur on a world result basis.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

Evil flourishes when good men do nothing.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.