From 1989 through 1992 I worked for mentertainment magazine and studios besides having my own studio, In the three-year period i usually was in two or three different strip clubs a night between New York and New Jersey and during the day I was doing beautiful exotic dancers portfolios at the end of my career I ended up with 20,000 proofs of the whole world of gogo and 35,000 negatives, I even have 25 hours of micro tape because there were so many things going on I couldn’t remember everything the micro recorder actually became my psychiatrist it was good therapy for me I really use to love talking into the micro recorder when I was driving in the car from club to club I would talk about the girls I’ve met and the really wacky customers but the real wacky ones were the ones that worked in the club the managers an bouncers I won’t talk about the owners but they were at top of the list they were all like my grandfather Captain Tony’s that’s how come I got along with them so well I’ve been to that rodeo

There was a great camera store on the corner of Prince and Broadway in Soho, I was a part-time manager there on and off for 10 years I also had a little office there and always kept at least 10 masks hanging in the store, I think they like that, This was an amazing location for taking pictures of people outside but one of the best things was I had access to the roof actually three different buildings roofs, did lots of portfolios up there and at night time we had some pretty wild parties I even slept up there in a sleeping bag a couple times 18 stories up

I took a little trip to Seaside Heights New Jersey last year my old stomping grounds as far back as the 60s, I even lost my virginity under that boardwalk in 1971, as I was standing there looking out at the ocean and listening to the waves crashing on the beach I seen this silhouette of this old couple coming toward me , As I got closer I could see that they were very old and the dress and shoes she was wearing was right out of the 40s she was 85 years old still very attractive and she was black her husband was 10 years older and white we started talking and I did some portraits of them that’s when they told me how old they were and they were married 68 years The funny thing they were originally from Elizabeth New Jersey moved out of there in the 60s I have a couple of their portraits somewhere I hope to find them So I could post them

In 1947 when my grandfather Captain Tony fled Elizabeth New Jersey to go to Key West his little brother my great uncle Joey joined up with the Paladino crew on 2nd Ave. A great bunch of guys ha ha actually great uncle Sal was friends with them also

Before moving back to Florida Three years ago I decided to do one more last website topnewyork.com I decided to cover Coney Island so I got an apartment put together a little photography studio and of course had a blast check that site out

Let me brag for one minute when I left Key West in 1983, I went right to the Jersey shore to photograph hotels, brochures, and tiki bars I got very lucky at a tiki bar in point Pleasant I asked The manager if I could borrow a ladder so I could shoot down on the beach The image came out spectacular I went back down to Key West to show Bob Kennedy The owner of 9 galleries he loved the image, He decided to do a poster and call it Beach shadows we sold to all his galleries and up and down the Jersey shore I was now a known Jersey photographer I made more money from that image and all the other photographs I’ve ever taken in 44 years

Even though I lived in Key West and partied with everybody I’m not a rum guy Usually tequila all the way but every once in a while I want to hang out with captain Morgan And drink a lot of rum the sugar in it makes me crazy and I get in to all kinds of trouble The last time we were together I woke up under my car with my keys in my ass

The guy at the camera store convinced me I should shoot Kodachrome slides for color saturation Shot this sun set picture from Simonton Street 1978

There’s not many photos of me an my great uncle Sal this one was taken by my grandfather Captain Tony That’s my little brother with the captain tony T-shirt on and of course great uncle Sal The year 1976 I was 20 years old there was a parade coming down Truman I just did some crazy drug deal on Olivia Street by the graveyard I was high as fuck

If you go back to the homepage go to published articles there’s an incredible story In American photo about Sal a five page Feature story , editors choice that went worldwide Great photos and stories