I grew up in a large Italian family in the Northeast. No one had money, so for entertainment we played board games and told stories. I loved the city--the noise, the people, but it was the storytelling most of all that stuck with me.

My wife and I live in Texas, where we run an animal sanctuary with 41 loving "friends." Sometimes I miss the early days, but not much. Now I enjoy the solitude and the noise of the animals.