I was born in Wollongong, Australia, and raised in Palisades Park, New Jersey, where I attended Lindbergh Elementary School and Palisades Park High School.  I studied Business and Psychology at Ramapo College, but later withdrew to pursue a career in construction management and follow in my father's footsteps.  It didn't take long to find my true calling and passion - food.  With the help of my father and Uncle Bill, I opened my first 60-seat delicatessen.  Starting from scratch, my passion for food grew and within 5 years I moved into fine dinning with my long time best friend Jamie Milkman and his family at their French American Restaurant, Jamie's in Bergen County, NJ.  I trained at Jamie's for 13 years, and with great guidance from Jamie and all of the unique chefs that worked there, I eventually became Head Chef.  Jamie's will always be a special place for me, not only for the experience I gained, but because that is where I met my wife of 25 years, Debbie Reduce. 

2000, I received a phone call from my high school friend and college roommate, William Cleary.  He had plans to open a restaurant and was looking for an executive chef.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect, so we teamed up and together we opened Shipwreck Grill in Brielle, NJ.  It was here that we realized our perfect formula: use the freshest seafood and the best local ingredients paired with attentive service and small-town hospitality.

2016 I launched my bottled steak sauce line, T-Bone's Steak Sauce, available for purchase online and in specialty grocery stores throughout NJ.  I'm also working on my first cookbook, and plan to share several recipes with you here on my blog!