From Milkshakes to Manuscripts: My Unexpected Journey into the Autograph Industry

Many in the autograph industry might not know this because I rarely talk about it with other collectors—I grew up in the restaurant business. My father opened countless restaurants, and it was always my dream to follow in his footsteps. In 2016, I finally made that dream a reality and opened my own restaurant. It was a massive success—at least at first. Our insane milkshakes went viral, and for a while, it felt like I was living my dream.

It wasn’t just local buzz—we were everywhere. Even Instagram called me, and Kevin Systrom, the CEO and founder of Instagram, flew in to make milkshakes with us. We were featured on Good Day NY, the Today Show, and countless other media outlets. One night on my way home in a cab, I couldn’t believe it when Taxi TV played a clip of Late Night with Seth Meyers joking about our shakes. It was absolute insanity—something I never could have imagined.

But as with many dreams, reality had other plans. Due to a deal I made with my business partners, our restaurant was tied to a second concept that I was also tasked to manage. While my side of the restaurant thrived, packed every night with people clamoring for our over-the-top creations, the other side was a disaster—a bad concept that the neighborhood outright hated. Night after night, their dining room sat empty. Eventually, despite our success, the restaurant closed.

It was a tough time for me. I’d poured everything into the restaurant, only to watch it fail because of decisions outside my control. But in the middle of that chaos, something unexpected happened. Shortly after the restaurant opened, I stumbled upon an old document—a vintage liquor license signed by Richard Varick.

For those unfamiliar, Richard Varick was a Revolutionary War veteran, aide to George Washington, and later, the mayor of New York City. Varick Street in Manhattan is named after him. As a New Yorker, I was intrigued. Who was this man whose name I passed almost daily? The more I dug into his story, the more fascinated I became. This one document sent me down a rabbit hole of research, and suddenly, I found myself immersed in history.

I’d always been a collector—baseball cards were my first love—but now I started looking at history through the lens of value and significance. Why were certain names or artifacts worth more than others? How did history’s greatest figures leave their mark, not just in stories but in tangible objects?

A few months later, with money I’d saved from the restaurant, I made a bold move: I bought an Abraham Lincoln autograph from Brigandi Coin Company on 57th Street. It cost $8,000—a life-changing amount for me at the time. I didn’t know it yet, but that moment marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

Running the restaurant had been miserable. It was, without a doubt, the lowest point in my life. But even during those dark days, there were small moments of joy. On my way home, I’d often stop by Brigandi Coin to admire the signatures I dreamed of owning. Or I’d pick up a box of baseball cards, finding comfort in the nostalgia of my first collecting passion. Little did I know that those small moments of happiness were pointing me toward something much bigger.

Fast forward a few years, and my passion for collecting autographs and historical artifacts had fully taken over. The restaurant might have closed, but it had given me an invaluable gift: a new path. During the COVID pandemic, I made a tough but strategic decision. I sold that Lincoln signature I’d bought for $8,000—for $12,000. With the profits, I bought my first car: a Tesla Model 3.

Looking back, I see that the restaurant’s failure wasn’t the end of the story—it was the beginning of something greater. That one signature sparked a journey into the world of autographs, artifacts, and history, a journey that’s still evolving today. Sometimes, life’s setbacks pave the way for your greatest opportunities. And for me, it all started with a milkshake and a signature.