The Tragedy
If you’re looking for something to tell you that Mister Tony was dreamed up by a high-powered ad agency for the next auto or beer commercial, forget it. Far from being crafted with heavy market research and corporate strategies, Mister Tony was first and foremost a crazy accident. And that accident lifted Tony out of one life and into another.

Two years after moving from Germany to the Upstate, to work as an automotive engineer, Tony saw his beloved cat of 13 years suffer and die from stomach cancer. Ten days later, his dog of eight years died after a routine surgery. Tony had never felt so angry and hurt, but it was about to get worse. The next year, his wife of nine years decided to go back to Germany for a visit, citing homesickness, only to call a month later to say that she wanted out of their marriage.

Suddenly, Tony was alone in a foreign country, in a foreign culture, with no immediate or extended family. That loneliness and loss of control over his life worsened the next year when he lost his job, with no prospects for another one.

Two upsetting years, four heavy losses. All of them unexpected and now with him every moment of every day.

The Triumph
So one evening, to get away from it all for a while, Tony-the-engineer went to a nightclub. He had no idea if it would help, especially since he didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone yet. But needing some kind of relief, he got up to dance, by himself. Then something unexpected happened.

Tony was smiling again, for the first time in a long time – and while the troubles remained, he now felt something inside trying to fight them. Little by little over time, he felt better, and soon he was going to more clubs – dancing longer and crazier in front of strange crowds. While there were certainly more than a few odd looks thrown his way, especially by “macho” guys, many women starting dancing with or applauding this guy who frequently wore a soccer jersey with the name “Tony” on the back.

Suddenly, he was no longer sad and lonely Tony-the-engineer, he was drawing crowds to the dance floor, being referred to as “Tony The Dance Machine.” The name stuck – and proved to be a turning point for his future.

The Entertainer
Almost without intending it, this dancing Tony was bringing some crazy fun to a lot of people – something Tony-the-engineer had long wished for but never really been able to realize until he started dancing. Not only was his life fun again, but he was also bringing fun and laughter to a lot of peoples’ lives. So much so that after testing the waters with a few paid gigs, he came away so convinced of his new career path that he dipped into his savings to take singing and dancing lessons, to create a new, adaptable pop culture entertainer that has now become Mister Tony.