Mario is what they call a “car guy”. Every since junior high he’s been bent at the waist with his head under the hood of a car. Mario’s father always thought that he should be an electrical engineer so he started studying drafting and architecture in college (he would’ve rather been at the junk yard picking up old auto parts).

A compromise made Mario a journeyman electrician and then an electrical contractor. He has worked for Pabst Blue Ribbon and Budweiser in Southern California, developing electrical controls for computerized processing.

While he still spends a good portion of his time under the hood of a car, he has become increasingly intrigued with keeping his head under the hood of a still, working on exquisite whiskeys, gins, vodkas and future rums. Just like with his hot-rods, motorcycles and antique cars, he has become fascinated with the process and problem solving in developing a world class distillery that can produce world class spirits. Bottoms up!