Born in Western New York near Buffalo and raised between the Midwest and the East Coast, Tony grew up in constant motion. From farms to suburbs, trailer parks, and inner-city projects–each place beckoned for a different version of himself. Over time, he developed the ability to morph between worlds and read people quickly. That adaptability also yielded a restlessness that lives with him to this day. These dueling forces have shaped his perspective and songwriting.

At the young age of three, Tony survived a near-fatal house fire that left him and his brothers hospitalized with severe burns. It was his earliest close encounter with fire, and one that would echo throughout his life.

Tony joined the Coast Guard as a teenager, made a living in the trades, and eventually found success as a financial estate advisor, and founder of Frequency Group. Along the way, he battled addiction and built a life in recovery. He describes himself as a seeker, not in search of answers, but of an understanding of how the world works.

"I found God in the basement of the church," says Tony, recalling the early days of his recovery. But before then, I was an altar boy when I was a student in Catholic school. I've practiced Buddhism, attended Synagogue, and even participated in Native sweats. I have been curious about any and all spiritual teachings. Most of my real education came from diverse experiences. I am still seeking. But more and more, I seem to find God in everything and in everyone.”

Through it all, music has always been the throughline.

Performing as TRIPI, his music bridges rock and soul with a deeply personal, mission-driven voice. That intention comes into focus in Close to Fire: Roman’s Anthology Release Part I, his upcoming LP to be released in October of ‘26. The album was created in the wake of the loss of his grandson, Roman, who passed away just one day after his birth. Creating this album was an unveiling process for Tony, allowing him to process profound grief while inviting connection to others who have experienced similar tragedies. Close to Fire marks his most intimate and collaborative musical project to date.

In Tony’s words, “I realize I could probably write a novel about this album. The moments with the doctors at the hospital, the Priest, and the families who have reached out…this has touched so many lives and has grown into something I could never have imagined. There are so many stories to tell. It is my hope that by coming together in a shared musical community, we can lean on each other when the grief is too much to carry on our own.”

The album was forged mostly at Dug Deep Production and three other recording studios and brings together nearly two dozen acclaimed musicians from the Asbury Park area, such as executive producer Jack Daley, Johnny Gale, Ken Wallace, James Maddock, Emily Grove, Aaron Comess, Rob Clores, Marc Ribler, Jesse Wagner, Tommy Byrnes, Mike DelGuidice, and additional special guests. Falling within National Infant Loss Awareness Month, Tony has plans to extend Close to Fire into a live concert and benefit initiative supporting families affected by infant loss and communities navigating grief.

For Tony, grief is a flame. It is as much a roaring rage as it is a silent, lonesome burn. Grief brings about a full aliveness that requires us to walk directly into the fire. Not over or around, but straight through. It’s only then, when we’re consumed by it, that we can fully surrender to being alive. For Tony, that same aliveness can be felt in the room at a rock-and-roll show.

At the center of his life is still that quiet, persistent question: How does this work? Through Close to Fire, that question becomes an offering–an invitation to turn toward and into what we might otherwise avoid, to listen more closely, and to find connection in the presence of music, hope, and one another.