Congratulations and Thank You for the inspiration, just by sharing you affect others.

That is awesome, congrats!

Congratulations, all of your stories here on OSO are great but this is the best story of all with a great outcome. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Masi

Congrats Gino! Good for you! I've seen it go both ways (good and bad) and I find it refreshing knowing your story

That's a nuts story. It definitely makes me reflect I what I have. Be proud man

My thoughts as well.

Thanks for sharing, Gino. Congratulations on your sobriety. That kind of success is a testimonial to the strength of your character.

Gino rocks. He could be the " Most interesting man in the world"

But Drinks O'Dool's

Thanks everyone!!

When they say you have to hit rock bottom, there is not a truer statement.

I was in such bad shape. Down to about 100 lbs, hair long and greasy, holes in my pants that you could see my butt cheek, old white shoes that were falling apart. They smelled so bad because they were wet and gross.
If I saw someone I knew, I would hide from embarrassment.
I can remember it was pouring rain and I was soaked. I got on the subway that from Coney Island to the Bronx and I road it back and forth. every time the door opened I froze my ass off.
I was so tired but couldn't sleep due to being afraid.
To eat I would stuff paper in the pay phone coin returns so if someone made a call that didn't answer, it looked like the phone ate their quarter and I would check the phones all day.
I would by cheese doodles because the 25 cent bag was pretty big.

Once your in this position, you hit rock bottom.
When my family found me and sent me to treatment, I was so happy to go. I remember the first night sleeping in a bed. Best feeling ever.

How I did it you ask?

I guess you could call me a coward because I was scared to death to end up back on that train!!
Over the years there have been situations of temptation. When ever my mind would start to wonder if I could do it and control it, I would just think about the smell of my shoes!
That kept me straight all these years!

Thank you Gino for sharing this and being such an inspiration to all to succeed. You are definitely not a coward. After all you went through, you were still not afraid to put everything on the line to start your business. Everyone falls down (some more than others). It is not how far down you fall that defines you, it is how far you get up that does.

My best friend is also 25+ years clean and sober. He actually never had a legal drink in his life. I met him about 6 years into his sobriety. His stories have motivated me through the years to help become who I am and in turn I have been his rock through many a hard time.

Keep up the good work!