I was born in the Italian section of South Philadelphia in June of 1946. My family lived on the same block as or around the corner from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends. Some neighbors on Tree street, the street where I grew up, were as close as family. For a child, the block was like a small Italian village. My attraction to color started at an early age. In elementary school I was exposed to the paintings of the masters, especially the impressionists, . Also at this same time I started devouring Western movies. These two disparate influences melded into the foundation of my artistic vision. It wasn't until 1969 that I started using a camera to explore and develop this vision. I studied at the Tyler School of Art, The Philadelphia College of Art, the Fleisher Art Memorial, and the Community College of Philadelphia with leading photographers and theorists in the field including Ray K. Metzker, Jack Carnell, Thomas Goodman,Tom Porett, and Fred Osborne.