About Me

I grew up in Marlboro, NJ as the youngest of 3 kids (Mom-Esther, Dad-Abe, Brother-Scott and Sister-Stacey), but it felt more like the youngest of 6 kids. My mom's sister, Rosy, who also has 3 kids, lives down the road from my parents in Marlboro and our families grew up doing everything together. They have all had a major influence on my life. I have had lots of examples set for me and a lot of paths cleared for me. Trust me, it is nice being the youngest. I am very close with all of my family and they are the most important people in the world to me.

My childhood was mostly dominated by sports, and I loved every second of it. I grew up playing basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, and football. I give my parents so much credit for getting me from practice to practice, and hardly ever missing a game through all the years. I am extremely passionate about the teams I follow: Giants, Knicks, Yankees, and Rangers. And of course, I support all Maryland Terrapins sports.

I was always very entrepreneurial, constantly finding ways to make a dollar. My first venture was in 5th grade when I sold the candy Airheads at lunch for a quarter. I would buy them wholesale at Sam's Club and sell them individually at lunch. I eventually got caught and stopped, but that was about the time I started collecting basketball cards. I would buy packs of cards at local stores and card shows and sell the valuable ones on the internet. I then moved on to selling sneakers and event tickets online (thank you ebay).

I graduated from the University of Maryland - College Park in 2006 with a degree in Finance. While there, I was in a fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu, and spent a semester abroad in the Spring of 2005 in Barcelona, Spain. It was the most eye opening experience of my life. To see how other countries live in comparison to America is quite refreshing. I am all for capitalism, but it was nice to see people live their lives differently from ours and be perfectly happy. It was from this experience that I developed an interest in traveling.

In addition to sports and traveling, 3 other things I love are food, music, and animals.

I love cooking, but I like eating even better. I am open to trying all kinds of food, but deep down, I am a steak and potatoes guy. Peter Luger's is my all time favorite restaurant. I was very spoiled growing up because my mom definitely knows how to cook. She always fed me well with 5 course meals and I can't think of one meal she makes that I don't like. Plenty of my friends ate over at my house growing up and they can attest to the big event that dinner is every night.

I am a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, having attended 30+ concerts over the past 10 years. I have also seen Pearl Jam several times. Overall, I like all kinds of music except for country (sorry Schultzy) and opera (sorry Dad). Most often, I like listening to hip-hop music, especially when I am out at a bar or a club so I can break it down on the dance floor.

I always wanted a dog growing up. Finally, in November of 1999, after years of begging, my brother brought home my dog Shea.Shea is short for Shayna Punim, which in Yiddish means beautiful face. She is the light of my household. Unfortunately, we only got to live together for a few years before I left for college and now New York City, so she is officially my Mom and Dad's dog now. I know she remembers who was walking her at 4 in the morning when she was a little pup though. There is nothing better than coming home to a dog (or cat) that greets you with unconditional love.

I believe in treating people fairly, being honest, and always trying to do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

I am generally a private person who does not feel comfortable confiding in people or feel the need to broadcast my life to lots of people. Pretty ironic then that I would do a reality show and write this bio :-)

I currently live in New York City, where I work for a commercial real estate firm, NAI Global.