Bill was born in Port Jefferson, New York, in 1952 and grew up in Smithtown, NY, where he was actively involved in student government starting in seventh grade. Interested in politics, he seized an opportunity to speak to Robert F. Kennedy in 1964 at a campaign stop in Smithtown.

 

In 1970, Bill received a Congressional Recommendation to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. He was sent out to sea in 1971, sailing to various ports in the Far East, including Yokohama, Kobe, Inchon, Pusan, and Hong Kong. Although he found his months at sea exciting, Bill resigned to pursue another academic path. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1974, where he majored in journalism and minored in philosophy.  Bill went on to graduate from St. John’s University School of Law in 1982.

 

From 1975 to 1978, Bill was an active duty member of the United States Army and served as a reporter and photo-journalist. At Fort Knox, Kentucky, he was part of a post newspaper staff that won the Thomas Jefferson Award from the Department of Defense. At Camp Zama, Bill was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his reporting on the activities of members of the United States Army Communications Command - Japan.

 

After his service in the Army and graduation from law school, he was employed for several years by CBS in Manhattan as a litigator and broadcast counsel. During his career, Bill was appointed to several governmental positions on Long Island and was twice elected to the Suffolk County Legislature.

 

Bill and Laura, his wife of forty-two years, have lived in Queens County, Manhattan, and Long Island.  They have a daughter and son, as well as three grandsons.