I get these struggles because I dealt with them for 40 years, until I found what I believe to be my calling as a mediator serving some of the best attorneys in the business with my Relational Mediation Method.

You see, from the time I was very young, I always knew that I wanted to be an attorney.

As a kid growing up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, attorneys were the people we looked up to. They really were the good guys in our neighborhood and were highly-respected because they were the problem-solvers, the peace-keepers, and the people that everyone in the neighborhood went to when they needed feuds resolved. Seeing how respected they were and how pivotal they were to the community, I knew that’s exactly what I wanted to be.

But what I didn’t realize was how the core premise of what I would be taught in law school was how to fight to get my way. And while I actually loved the thrill of court, having court as our only means of settlement can take a toll on us, and I soon came to find out that it was taking more of a toll on me than I realized.

I’ll never forget when my doctor looked at me and said, “Tony, unless you stop working NOW, you aren’t going to survive.” See, a year prior to that doctor appointment, I actually suffered a heart attack, but was determined to heal and keep going at the same pace. And one year later in court, out of nowhere, a feeling of tightness and anxiety came over me that sent me right back to the doctor. When he showed me my test results and levels, I knew something had to change.

I decided I would try retirement, but about one year into it, I knew my work in the world did not feel complete. And when a series of events led me to mediation and I got to complete my first resolution, I knew I had found a passion and calling.

I realized that mediation wasn’t just something that I was good at; it’s something that is a part of who I am. As I continued to reflect on my life’s journey, I realized that mediation was an art I had learned in my childhood from my father.

My father was a strong force in my extended family, and even in our community. When there was a dispute that needed to be resolved, my father was often the person people came to. To my dad, family and relationships were the most valuable things you could have, and they needed to be taken care of. And one of the things I saw him do time and time again was help people work through conflict. If there was a family conflict, he would find the time to casually pull each of us aside and have one-on-one conversations with each of us. He would make us each feel valued and that he understood our needs, and he also helped us see the needs of the rest of the family members. Ultimately, he was able to help us all come to a solution that we all felt great about. And I saw him do that for not only our family, but for other families, for business partners, and for people in our community at large. I’ll never forget that at his funeral, one of the attendees said, “Your father saved our family."

That same sense of personal understanding, collaboration, and advocating for each party's highest good is a part of who I am. I’ve come to realize that it’s my honor to carry forward his legacy, seeking to bring peace and joy to situations that could otherwise be very stressful.

My passion is helping attorneys and adjusters get to successful resolutions they feel proud of, and ultimately, helping them have freedom and energy to enjoy their most valuable and important relationships.

I would love to help you discover which cases you have that we could resolve quickly and successfully together so you have more time and freedom.