Michael DeConzo has had the exceptionally good fortune to teach in the same schools that he attended as a student: IS 49, Curtis High School, and the College of Staten Island. Before he became an e...view moreMichael DeConzo has had the exceptionally good fortune to teach in the same schools that he attended as a student: IS 49, Curtis High School, and the College of Staten Island. Before he became an educator, he owned a candy store, a video store, drove a truck for a bar and restaurant supply, and kept uneven tempos in a few rock and roll bands. He has had an original screenplay optioned and a play produced on Staten Island. In 2022, he was awarded a grant from Staten Island Arts. TWO NICKELS, his first novel, was published in 2021. Always the optimist, he still lives on Staten Island, where he enjoys spending time with his wife and children and walking Gatsby, his Labrador rescue.view less