Meet Mike
Mike's Early Life
To Serve & Protect
To Serve & Protect
Born on September 1, 1962, Mike’s childhood was far from the American Dream. He and his seven siblings grew up in poverty in the projects of New York City’s West Side, Manhattan. Unlike many children in 1960s working middle-class America, Michael never experienced the love and security of a stable family life. At age five, due to his pare
Born on September 1, 1962, Mike’s childhood was far from the American Dream. He and his seven siblings grew up in poverty in the projects of New York City’s West Side, Manhattan. Unlike many children in 1960s working middle-class America, Michael never experienced the love and security of a stable family life. At age five, due to his parents’ indigence, he was removed from their custody and placed in an orphanage on Staten Island, shattering his hopes for a normal childhood. While there, Mike was placed in foster care with his three-year-old youngest brother, only to suffer years of abuse from his foster father between the ages of seven and fifteen. Instead of confiding in his social worker about the violent beatings, Mike requested to be moved to a group home, but after eight months in one in the Bronx, he was returned to the foster home. This return would once again alter his future. By sixteen, his oldest sister allowed him to live with her in Manhattan, but he left after only three months. Facing another turning point, Mike dropped out of high school at seventeen, studying for his G.E.D. while working double shifts as a dishwasher to survive. Soon after, he became homeless, living out of a worn suitcase and cycling through menial jobs, unprepared for the life ahead. Many adolescents face such crossroads, but the choices Mike made in this period are what make his story both miraculous and inspiring.
To Serve & Protect
To Serve & Protect
To Serve & Protect
Future stories could begin with the journey of a homeless teen who became a police officer, only to be part of a national tragedy of epic proportions that impacted our country’s security and way of life. On September 11th, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., two into
Future stories could begin with the journey of a homeless teen who became a police officer, only to be part of a national tragedy of epic proportions that impacted our country’s security and way of life. On September 11th, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., two into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and the fourth into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all on board. The total death toll that day was 2,996, including 82 police officers. 37 Police Officers from the Port Authority Police department. The most police officers lost in a single day in the History of Law Enforcement going back to 1838. 23 Police Officers from N.Y.P.D. 11 agents and officers from other city enforcement agencies.
343 F.D.N.Y firefighters.
2,753 civilians including
415 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey civilian employees.
Life After Service
To Serve & Protect
Life After Service
I am preparing to return to the public speaking world, despite how much my ADHD tries to dissuade me. In December 2024, I was medically diagnosed with ADHD. Initially devastated, I eventually learned to manage it, though not before reliving countless childhood and adult memories filled with trauma and humiliation—a common experience for t
I am preparing to return to the public speaking world, despite how much my ADHD tries to dissuade me. In December 2024, I was medically diagnosed with ADHD. Initially devastated, I eventually learned to manage it, though not before reliving countless childhood and adult memories filled with trauma and humiliation—a common experience for those diagnosed later in life. It felt like an endless mini-series playing in my mind every waking moment until it subsided on its own, which was mentally exhausting. After a career in law enforcement, my life has been hectic, unpredictable, and often deeply challenging.