I am an avid gardener, a trait I inherited from my Sicilian grandfather. Herb, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, and tomato varietals fill my yard each Summer. I am the only person in my neighborhood bold enough to plant vegetables in the front yard (best sun).  Get me talking about growing tomatoes and the conversation might never end. The garden is a special place for my two daughters and me. We chase each other around the eggplants, search for cucumbers hiding under the vine, dig for worms, and pluck tomatoes just as they show a tint of ripeness. I also like to fish (salt and freshwater, spin or fly). And to complete the circle, I really love to cook. There’s something magical and fulfilling about consuming a tomato harvested or fish caught that same day. My ginger bluefish, grilled pizza, and seared tuna with side aioli recipes count among my friends and family’s favorites.

My path to financial advisory can be traced back to one New York City morning in March 2001 when I woke up with a sense of clarity, realizing two things.  I wanted to live in Boston, close to my family and friends, and I wanted to have full control over my career for the rest of my working days.  You’ll hear me talk about “flexibility and control” when analyzing a situation or investment.  This is where that emanated from.  That same NYC day, I walked into my Goldman Sachs Managing Director’s office, submitted my resignation letter, and never looked back. But before I started on this new path and returned to Boston, I took some time to drive to California and back, on a mission to visit as many ballparks as possible. I completed this journey in over 2 ½ months with the help and hospitality of family and friends stationed across the country. Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Colorado’s Coors Field, and La Jolla, California are some of my fondest memories. Not making it to PNC Park, which had just opened in the great city of Pittsburgh, and missing Hideo Nomo’s Red Sox no-hitter at Camden Yards by one day are a couple of my few regrets. At the end of the trip, I knew starting my own financial planning practice would be my next step. I had always enjoyed the conversations with friends in the banking field as they navigated the financial markets, gaining some real perspective on how the typical person thinks and feels about risk, investing, and retirement while still in their working years.

As I worked and gained experience in the field, I wanted to better understand some of the different situations and challenges a couple or family might encounter, so I obtained my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) designation.  This involved a lot of case study work on unique situations and the many different avenues to help one solve a financial planning problem.  Much of the training I did during this multi-year certification process is helpful in recognizing the blindspots and opportunities while working with high income professionals and business owners in real estate, banking, and life sciences.

While I don’t talk much about “Haavaahhd,” I am proud that I graduated with an Economics degree and was a walk-on, starting catcher for the university’s baseball team. There’s a few funny Fenway Park home run and ”wall ball” stories that go along with my college baseball years.  Feel free to ask me about them.  My coach at Harvard, the late Joe Walsh, a great friend and confidant, would often joke: “Thank God you attended Harvard when you did because you would never get in today,” as I laughed and nodded my head in agreement. Coaches were always looked up to in my family. My dad was a long-time high school basketball coach in Belmont and Burlington. I always enjoyed being around and part of a team, whether professionally or personally. I help out my friends and coach their children (and my own) when my time allows for it.  They all get a chuckle when I tell them that I played baseball (or some version of it) in a night league up until a few years ago. I believe it was Shoeless Joe Jackson that once said “I’ve never seen anyone get old playing baseball.” Cheers to that! 

My wife Valerie and I are active in raising funds and awareness for any non-profit dedicated to improving the health and mortality of babies. This is done in memory of our son Mason whom we lost in 2013. “You never get over it.  You just get through it,” is some of the best advice I have ever received.   We also support and raise funds for Big Brother/Big Sister as Valerie was a Big Sister to an Arlington teen, Amanda, for 12+ years. And our entire family loves get their hands dirty in Burlington’s food bank garden.  We live in Winchester with our two beautiful, happy daughters. When not at the office, I also enjoy playing golf, over-researching the quickest way to break 80, and witnessing the smiles on my daughters faces when I drop them off at horse camp. 

Now you know about me. If you decide to work with DLFG, I look forward to finding out more about you and your hobbies, career, and family.