Biography
An Unbroken American Odyssey
First and foremost, I am an American. Although I carry the blood of Europe within me, I was born on American soil — Syracuse, New York, in March of 1982 — and I am proud of the nation that shaped my character and gave me purpose.
From my father’s side, I inherit German and Polish endurance—lands marked by conflict yet defined by strength.
First and foremost, I am an American. Although I carry the blood of Europe within me, I was born on American soil — Syracuse, New York, in March of 1982 — and I am proud of the nation that shaped my character and gave me purpose.
From my father’s side, I inherit German and Polish endurance—lands marked by conflict yet defined by strength. From my mother’s side comes the warmth and Mediterranean fire of Southern Italy, rich in creativity, passion, and expression. Interwoven through my lineage is also a thread of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, carrying with it a legacy of survival and faith through hardship. Together, these roots forged me: a man shaped by discipline, resilience, and heart—tempered by both the iron of Europe and the flame of the Mediterranean, yet grounded always in the spirit of America.
In December 2000, I enlisted in the United States Navy through the Delayed Enlistment Program, shipping off to boot camp in August 2001, just before the attacks of 9/11. My service began in that moment of global upheaval, continued through the War on Terror, and defined my early manhood. Aboard the flagship of Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet in Italy, I learned discipline, leadership, and pride in service. Yet when I returned to the mainland, I saw a Navy far different from the one overseas—a contrast that shifted my understanding of duty and integrity.
My career ended in 2011, not by choice but through betrayal and systemic failure. The discharge took recognition but not honor. The Navy was my crucible—it forged me, tested me, and then broke me. But honor, I came to learn, is not bestowed by rank or institution; it is carried by those who refuse to give in.
When the uniform came off, I fell hard—into alcohol, recklessness, and despair—until pain forced reflection. From that darkness, I began rebuilding my life piece by piece. In 2013, I founded a veterans service organization and served as executive director of United Soldiers and Sailors of America (USASOA), a nonprofit supporting wounded service members/veterans and their families. For a brief time, I attended Georgetown University, but eventually left to confront deeper personal battles that no classroom could resolve.
In 2014, I returned to Syracuse, seeking reconciliation after a difficult childhood. Writing became my way back. I had written since childhood and throughout my Navy service, but in 2017 I returned to it with discipline and purpose.
My first works were published through BookBaby, beginning with The Church of the Fetishist (2018), co-authored with Clifford Lee Crenshaw. That collaboration evolved into The Dualverse Saga (2022 & 2024) and The Omega Edition (2024)—mythic reflections of truth, deception, and redemption drawn from lived experience.
In 2025, I became a solo author, publishing exclusively under my own name through KDP Publishing on Amazon.com. That same year, I unified my flagship works into a single hardcover volume titled An Unbroken American Odyssey. This collection brings together An American Dream: Echoes of Resilience, my life as a veteran, advocate, and survivor; The Odyssey of Existence, a poetic journey through pain, endurance, and faith; and Unbroken: Stoic Truths in an Age of Collapse, a philosophical testament written as The Stoic Teacher, forged through scars and reflection.
These books are not merely literature—they are evidence of survival, proof that God’s mercy kept me alive to testify through words. My Ashkenazi Jewish heritage deepens that truth, connecting me to a people who endured exile, persecution, and hardship yet never surrendered their identity or faith. That legacy of resilience reinforced what I had already learned through my own journey: strength and survival are sacred.
I’ve often said that the Bible is not completely factual, but its stories carry truth—survival, covenant, and resilience. Those lessons live not only in scripture but in the human spirit itself.
Today, I stand with purpose: to advocate for veterans abandoned by broken systems, to write fearlessly against moral and cultural decay, and to embody discipline, truth, and responsibility, regardless of consequence.
As I wrote in Unbroken, “You were not born to disappear into the chaos. You were born to rise through it.”
From my ancestry came the strength to endure. From my faith came the will to persist. Together they affirm one truth: Resilience is the inheritance of those who refuse to surrender.
”Choosing to remain broken is the ultimate form of surrender.” ~ Christopher McDonald