Charlie Finnigan was born in 1895 in Tonawanda NY in, a predominantly Irish neighborhood called Black Rock along the Niagara River near Niagara Falls.  Charlie was the eldest of seven children that lost their Mother Gertrude when Charlie was twelve year old.  His Dad Thomas worked as a conductor for the NY Central railroad and traveled daily so Charlie, as the eldest, had to  manage the family in his absence.

Charlie attended Buffalo Technical Institute and upon graduation joined the  NY Telephone company. He also joined the Buffalo Canoe Club where he met Marie Florence Jacobs, a debutant who lived on Bryant St, an upper class neighborhood near the city center in Buffalo.

Charilie and Marie were married and raising seven children when misfortune took the lives of newborn Shelia and mother Marie a week later. Charlie dedicated the rest of his life striving to give his family a chance to earn front seats in the theatre of life.  All of the children were successful, several simply incredible!   How did it happen?  Read this book!