Education

• Fordham University, double major of political science and anthropology, 1978-1981

Business Career

• 2008 Helped Vanity Fair Magazine disprove the claim of an individual posing as President John F. Kennedy’s son.
• 2008 Featured in New York Times article
• 2007-2008 Hired by private individual in handwriting case involving Earthlink with $300,000,000 at dispute
• 2006-Present Hired by State Government as handwriting expert in 3 murder cases, one of them a Death Penalty case.
• 2007 Authenticator and consultant and guest on "History Detectives", a PBS television program.
• 2006-present Expert for the 2nd largest concern of its kind, James Spence Authentication.   Only authenticator to opine for both #1 PSA/DNA and # 2 JSA.
• 2006-present Trained with forensic experts on the most advanced document examination machine available the Video Spectral Comparator .  Purchased the VSC4plus, not available to the general public, making him the only individual dealer in the trade to employ such a device.
• Expert witness for Collectors Universe in $10 Million lawsuit William Miller vs. Collectors Universe. Case adjudicated favorably leaving plaintiff owing defendant.
• 2005-present Authenticator and consultant for Bauman Rare Books, Madison Avenue, the largest rare book dealer in the world.
• 2005 Authenticator for the Henry Luhrs collection, a multi-million dollar auction at Heritage Americana, focusing primarily on Abraham Lincoln.
• 2006 First approved authenticator/appraiser for UACC, the largest trade organization in the field. Sole person designated to opine on "Famous figures", 2006
• Designated authenticator for American and Historical Autographs for the largest and most respected service of its kind, PSA/DNA...the last word in authenticity.
• Authenticator and consultant for R&R Auctions, one of the largest concerns of its kind,
  2003-present
• Consulted by CNN, ESPN, The Boston Herald, and The St. Petersburg Times, regarding the authenticity of the Ted Williams bio-stasis preservation document. - 2002
• Authenticator and consultant for MastroNet, Inc., a conglomerate of memorabilia auctioneers with an excess of $30 million in annual sales, 2001 - present.
• Engaged by The Albert Schweitzer Institute for Humanities to value and market their huge archive of materials to be de-accessioned. Marketed and arranged a sale that grossed a six-figure payment from another institution in 2001.
• Plaintiff's expert witness in Joey Giardello vs. Universal Pictures et al. Evaluated harm caused Giardello by misrepresentation in the hit movie "The Hurricane". Report was instrumental in achieving a major financial settlement.
• Expert for the United States Department of Justice in one of the largest civil actions ever filed against the Government, in which the Nixon family sought $210 million in compensation for the taking of his papers. Consulted on authenticity and value, 1998-1999. In a report used in testimony, appraised the archive at $1.5 million, which approximated the June, 2000 settlement of $18 million (accounting for 25 years of compounded interest). Instrumental in saving U.S. Taxpayers $190 million.
• Expert witness on behalf of George Pickett V, involving a dispute concerning the papers and artifacts of Gen. George Pickett of "Pickett’s Charge" fame. Testified on authenticity and value. Our client won a verdict approaching seven figures, which matched our appraisal, 1999.
• Agent and spokesperson for Peggy Davis, owner of moon rock valued at $1 million. Successfully challenged NASA, who seized the artifact, and helped secure its return, 2000.
• Appraised the Johnson family papers, a historically important archive containing multiple letters of Abigail and John Adams, for IRS donation purposes.
• Authenticated and appraised the Hemingway Papers of A.E. Hotchner.
• Authenticated and appraised Hemingway’s first book, signed and inscribed to his first wife, on behalf of Jack Hemingway and the Library of Congress.
• Appraised the Charles A. Lindbergh checks which purchased the "Spirit of St. Louis".
• Aided the New York Grand Jury in securing an indictment and conviction of the perpetrator of a major manuscript fraud in 1998.
• Purchased the largest Presidential bill-signing pen collection in private hands, including pens used by Lincoln, FDR, JFK, and LBJ.
• Purchased and marketed the papers of Constitution signer John Langdon, which realized $700,000.00 in sales in 1997-1998.
• Purchased and marketed the papers of Congressman Neal Smith, Robert Bauman, Albert Quie, Sam Devine and several others, 1995-present.
• Have purchased and marketed dozens of collections in the six and seven figure range.
• Expert witness for numerous civil and criminal cases, including the Bartlett Tree Company embezzlement case.
• Expert witness for the defense of Historical Documents, Inc. regarding the famous John Paul Getty diaries. Helped in setting the archives value at approximately $2 million. Report was instrumental in causing the Getty family to settle before trial in 1996.
• Worked undercover in a sting operation with postal inspectors to apprehend a postal felon in 1985.

Publications, Press and Lectures

• Contributing editor of Autograph Collector. Authored dozens of articles from 1995-present.
• Authored complete chapters in The Sanders Price Guide to Autographs, both third and fourth editions in 1994 and 1996.
• Authored numerous articles in Manuscripts, Pen and Quill, Linn’s, American Philatelist and other trade publications from 1985-present.
• Appeared on Good Morning, America, Extra, Court TV and other television media 1985-present.
• Appeared on hundreds of radio stations worldwide, currently host of What’s It Worth? on WICC radio.
• Have appeared in hundreds of publications worldwide including The New York Times, Smithsonian, Millionaire, and Newsweek from 1980-present.
• Have lectured extensively on manuscripts to various groups from 1985-present.
• Have Guinness Book of World’s Records entry for related field.

Associations

• President of the International Autograph Dealers Association, 2001-2002.
• Vice President of the International Autograph Dealers Association, 1998-2000.
• Recipient of the Mary A. Benjamin Outstanding Achievement Award for Establishing the IACC/DA Authenticating Service, 1999
• Conceived and founded the Professional Autographs Dealers Association. Past Vice-President 1993-1997.
• (candidate), New England Association of Appraisers
• Charter member of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club.
• Member, American College of Forensic Examiners.
• One of the select few in the industry to be chosen as a Sotheby’s Associate for Internet Auctions.