Gary started his wine and spirits journey in a place where most do not - the library. Fascinated by the behind-the-scenes aspects of the industry, he earned his Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) certification from the Society of Wine Educators and promptly began work as a Craft Spirits Specialist for New York-based distributor, Empire Merchants, working with Manhattan and Brooklyn's elite wine and spirits retail accounts. This job led to a position in Brown-Forman's newly-established Emerging Brands division as a Market Manager for the state of New Jersey. While at Brown-Forman, Gary was also the United States point person for their global Old & Rare Whisky project. Currently, Gary is employed at Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits as the Regional Manager for the Northeast American market.

Along the way, Gary has earned other certifications, including his Level 3 Award in Wine and Level 2 Award in Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and his Executive Bourbon Stewardship from Moonshine University. Most recently, Gary has earned his Diploma in Single Malt Whisky from Edinburgh Whisky Academy and his Certified Spirits Educator (CSE) certification from the Society of Wine Educators.

He has been a wine and spirits judge for various competitions and publications over the past decade, including the The Tasting Alliance's World Spirits Competitions in San Francisco and New York, World Drinks Awards/World Whiskies Awards, The Fifty Best, Winemaker Magazine, and others. He also currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Society of Wine Educators.

Gary's travels to learn more about wine and spirits have taken him to Portugal, Hungary, Austria, Mexico, Scotland, Ireland, France, England, Iceland, The Netherlands, and around the United States, among other places. He resides in Jersey City, USA with a sizable bottle collection and a very understanding family.