Personal: Born July 18, 1947, in New York. Grew up on Long Island, where he attended Catholic elementary and high school. Vietnam War era veteran; one-time inner-city schoolteacher who first taught at St. Lucy's School in Spanish Harlem; later a professor of sociology, at La Roche College in Pittsburgh. PhD in sociology from New York University. Father of two daughters (Karyn, 14; Caitlin, 11); civilly divorced. Returned to New York in 1993 to take over the Catholic League.

Publications: Three books: The Politics of the American Civil Liberties Union (1985); The New Freedom: Individualism and Collectivism in the Social Lives of Americans (1990); Twilight of Liberty: The Legacy of the ACLU (1994). Countless articles, public statements, and conference papers related to the work of the Catholic League.

Current Position: President and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights; publisher of the Catholic League's journal, Catalyst; serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Scholars and the New York State chapter of NAS.