He was born and raised in the Passyunk and Moore area of South Philadelphia, a neighborhood noted for breeding Runyonesque characters. He practiced law for more than 30 years, both as a successful prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and as a criminal defense attorney in private practice. An automobile accident left him with a brain injury that forced him into retirement. This novel has served both as therapy and as a catharsis to the trauma from the accident. He currently lives in Margate, NJ with his wife Harriet.