Scott Pinato (aka author Stan Pinato): The Man on the Water 

Dear Readers,

The year was 1912 and another ship arrived at Ellis Island. Onboard was Salvatore Spampinato who left Catania, Sicily. As he stood on the ship’s deck, watching his new country come into view, did he think about the Italian east coast city he left behind? He was twelve years old. So young. He didn’t know that he would one day become a barber, that his son would follow in his footsteps and become the president of the Maryland Barber Board, and that his grandson would choose a different path in life.

 

Today’s blog introduces you to Scott Spampinato, the grandson of Salvatore. Scott is a man who is now realizing his own dreams. Scott’s career led him down the path of sales, the food industry and entrepreneurship. Each step brought him closer to his most recent major accomplishment. Scott wrote and published a book and is now close to hitting the road for autograph signings and readings for his next two books. I hope you enjoy his story. Are you happy with your career path, Reader? Do you still have a goal you hope to reach?

Scott has Maryland roots. He was born in Baltimore City, then thirteen years later, the family lived in Middle River and eventually Joppatowne. He described his childhood as “solid middle class.” From a young age, teachers recognized Scott’s talents. “I received a lot of accolades for my writing and art work,” he said. However, “I never perceived that as my persona.”

In Middle River and Joppatowne, he lived near rivers, and he loved the water and sports: fishing, hunting, football, soccer, baseball, and ice hockey when the river froze. The family’s move to Joppatowne happened when Scott was 13-years-old. He described himself as a tall, skinny kid, and he wore braces. In that one year, he grew a foot. His parents had to buy Levi jeans several times that year because Scott told his parents, “I was not wearing high-waters.” The growth spurt “made it very awkward for me,” he said. Did you go through an awkward year, Reader? How old were you at that time?

Joppatowne was in Harford County, Maryland. It was one of the first self-contained communities in the United States. This three-mile piece of land had its own grocery store and gas station. The school was located right in the middle of town. He attended a high school that had, equally, black and white students. While the country was going through the 1970s racial unrest with riots and demonstrations, Scott said he still had a lot to learn and understand.

At this age, Scott said he was still trying to fit in with other students. He hung out with the kids he described as the “country boys” because of their common interest in outdoor sports. He said he also “started chasing girls”. When his parents attended the parent-teacher conferences, they were told their son was one of the most creative writers, but he couldn’t sit still for long. Reader, did your teachers identify strengths that you see in yourself today?

Even back then, he knew he enjoyed writing fiction, but he never saw it as a career option. Scott was a baseball player. One of his many claims to fame is that he was acquaintances with Cal Ripken. They played on their school’s competing baseball teams. Scott was a catcher and Cal pitched and played shortstop. Scott, recognized as an honor student, graduated from Joppatowne High School in 1980. Reader, did you go to school with anyone who later became famous?

Baltimore, in those years, had four unions that were still strong: auto workers, plumber and steamfitters, ship builders, and the railroad. If you were a graduate, and you had a relative already in one of these unions, it was common to have the door opened so you could get a union job. Scott explained that was the case for him. His dream was to become an engineer, and he thought his best path would be to start with the railroad. For a year, he worked as a brakeman and then another six months as a fireman. Then he was laid off.

Coming from a traditional Italian household, where cooking was one of the love languages, it was not a surprise that Scott would gravitate to food as his next career choice. Even now, when he travels the country, his friends, who own restaurants, welcome him as their honorary chef for the day. His first chef position started in 1984 at a high-end neighborhood dinner theater in Columbia, Maryland. He enjoyed the cooking, but long hours and low pay had him moving on after 18 months. Reader, did any of your family’s interests influence your career path?

Then Scott entered the world of food sales. This offered a wonderful opportunity for him to marry his sales abilities with his cooking. He would join the cooking team of a restaurant and demonstrate new products. He would show them how to cook the item, and he enjoyed the camaraderie that comes when sharing a meal together. He specialized in center-of-the-plate foods; this means the meat, fish, or other protein of the meal. At that time, new products being introduced to restaurants included tilapia, chicken wings, and jalapeño poppers. For three years, he traveled the hot spots of the Baltimore / Washington, D.C. area inviting folks to enjoy his products. Did you ever have a job that required you to travel, Reader?

Scott’s success brought him the responsibility of being promoted to district manager. For the next two years, he had the role of overseeing six chefs/salespeople who replicated Scott’s work of visiting kitchens, cooking and promoting new products. Reader, was there a time that you were recognized for your work ethic?

In 1988 he married, and that same year, his daughter was born. A year later, he bought an existing company from one of his customers. It had been in financial distress, so Scott took a chance in purchasing it. Now he was his own sales company J&J Supply. Within three years, he was able to create a profit. He was recognized in the June 1991 Baltimore’s Business Journal for his success.

In 1993, he worked for DePalo & Sons, Corp. He stayed for three years and learned the skill of designing restaurants. During his time with the company, he created eight restaurants. Reader, what is a way that you saw your creative talents used in business?

A year later, Scott and his wife divorced. Because he wanted to stay close to his daughter, for many years, Scott drove four hours each way to spend time with her on the weekends. “It was a very tough time,” he said. Then in 1995, Scott’s father passed away. Scott was close to his parents, and this left a pain in his heart. Reader, are both of your parents still living? Or like Scott, have you experienced the death of one or both of your parents?

Then in 1997, and for the next two decades, Scott owned Ajax Industrial Millwrights. His company was creating, designing, and opening restaurants and breweries. Working with investors, they were contracted to find properties or work with existing buildings to create brew and pubs and other dining establishments.

Throughout his business career, Scott realized that he had a deeper creativity he wanted to express. “Whether it’s in design, drawing or writing, the common thread is that ‘flow’ in your creativity. You find that,” he said, “then, you maximize the flow to bring the product to a satisfactory conclusion.” When designing businesses, it took about eight months for each project. In those decades, Scott used his creativity to establish an estimated thirty new pubs, breweries and restaurants. Reader, was there a deeper part of you that needed to be expressed throughout your career?

In 2012, Scott met Shannon on a personal dating site. He said it was love at first sight. In the looks department, “she had everything he liked in a girl – large breasts, good posture – I liked the way she carried herself.” As he got to know her, he found that he really liked her personality. “She was very definitive about who she was,” he said. 

When he first met her, Shannon had already had a surgery related to a medical diagnosis of blood sarcoma. It was a rare form of cancer in the blood vessels; only one in one million people were diagnosed with this. It was a disease that continued to progress.

Scott and Shannon were together for five years. Scott said that throughout all her health challenges, Shannon was able to keep her laughter and joy. He loved her smiles and positive attitude. As the years progressed, her cancer was slow and persistent. Reader, how do you handle heath challenges?

For the next several years, Scott suffered grief. His beloved dog, a Labrador, died in 2013 after being Scott’s companion for thirteen years. In 2014, Scott’s mom also passed away. “We were very close,” he said. “This was a difficult time.” Then, after years of battling her cancer, his girlfriend, Shannon, at age 47, passed away on Sept. 16, 2017. 

Throughout those years, Scott found that the process of imagining characters and a storyline helped him in his grief. For more than a decade, Scott had chosen not to own a television. He found it relaxing to not have the noise in his home. In 2014, this quiet allowed him to begin forming the seed for a book in his mind. At the beginning of this process, he wasn’t putting it down on paper, but he was beginning to know the direction and story he wanted to write. He would come home from work, sit quietly in his living room and allow this contemplative time to feed his imagination. Even while on the road for his work, he would lay out the story ideas in his mind. Reader, what is your process for the germination of a new idea?

Finally, in 2017, Scott semi-retired and decided to execute the idea of writing a novel. He moved to Florida “for inspiration,” he said. He loves palm trees, coconuts, manatees and all things related to the ocean. For the next two years, sitting on the end of the pier, he wrote his first book, “ACES High (The Alliance Archives)”. Reader, do you have a special place where you like to create?

Scott’s writing style is to “write a story the way I like to hear it read,” he said. He enjoys long epics with lots of characters as in Titanic and The Ten Commandments. He likes the people in his book to travel all over the world.

When talking with creative people, I’ve often asked this question: When did you start calling yourself an artist, or in Scott’s case, an author? “The minute the books hit the shelves,” he answered. He remembers that first experience of a woman running up to him with his book in her hand. She called out with excitement, “Will you sign my book?” “I almost wanted to cry,” Scott said. Another great moment as a new author was when his daughter told him, “I am proud of you.” Reader, what is a moment in your life that you remember with pride and excitement?

 

Scott is a personal friend with NASCAR racer, Geoff Bodine. Geoff is known for several reasons. He was one of the drivers involved in what is recognized at one of the worst crashes in NASCAR history.

On February 18, 2000, nine fans were injured from debris that flew into the stands. Geoff was hospitalized with numerous injuries. However, Geoff is also a Daytona 500 winner and he holds an Olympic gold medal. He is one of the creators of the bobsled that took the United States team to victory in Vancouver in 2010. Scott said that his friend’s determination inspires him to want to have numerous accomplishments. Scott wants to win a Grammy, an Academy Award and a Pulitzer Prize. “Debbie, that’s my dream,” he said. Reader, who is someone that inspires you?

To reach those goals, Scott spent more than a year promoting his first book. He traveled to sixteen states. He visited numerous book stores, book clubs and book parties to sign his books and meet his fans. While some might want to say that he is “lucky” to get that first book published, Scott disagrees. He doesn’t think it’s luck that allowed him to become a published author. “Luck is merely preparation meeting opportunity. I don’t believe in luck he said.” He attributed it to a lot of work that he put into the research, character and story development and writing. Reader, what is your preparation for the skills that you do?

In the midst of promoting the first book, he started writing his second book. Scott’s process is to block off weeks of time. He turns off his phone and focuses his attention on writing. This is what makes the book go from “good to great.” Scott said, “I need to sit on the pier and eat and breathe this novel.” He said that he also reminds himself of the Bible verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” Reader, what helps settle you when you need to be quiet and think?

It took fourteen months from the signing of a publishing contract until his first book went online and in bookstores. So, what are some of the tips that Scott learned in the process? He learned that publishers like a novel to have around 90,000 words. Scott said, “I have 90,000 words to the letter.” He also wanted pictures to go with his novel. He especially enjoyed his connection to the fine arts work of John S. Technocelt. The online company works out of Fork, Maryland and contributed all of the art work in “ACES High (The Alliance Archives)”. 

Scott described the fortitude he needed to get his book published. “You put it out there for everyone to see your innards,” he said. He gave another example. “It’s like standing naked at a stop sign on a very busy street and everyone sees you. It’s not for the weak of heart.” Reader, what is something that makes you feel vulnerable?

In Scott’s attempts to find a publisher, he wrote query letters to all the big publishers. However, he quickly found out how difficult it is to enter the publishing industry. The percentage of books that get published compared to those submitted to the larger companies is  small. “They don’t welcome new players,” Scott said. “They also don’t take outside submissions unless you have an agent.”

Scott found the editing stage to be a grueling process. He said that what he experienced working with different editors and going through many iterations of suggestions was, at times, frustrating. Each editor had a different opinion.

He gave the example of the party game, Whisper Down the Lane. One person starts the game by whispering in the second person’s ear “Johnny was fishing in a pond and caught a ten-pound bass.” Then each person whispers the statement the way they heard it to the person beside them. By the time the last person says what they thought they heard, it sounds like, “Johnny caught a 300-pound shark in the Pacific Ocean.” Using that example, editing frustrated Scott because he felt his words and storyline was getting lost in the process. Reader, did you ever have an experience where you felt you were not being heard or someone was trying to change you?

Scott researched more information, considered many different options, and finally decided to work with a publishing house out of Canada. He felt this expanded his options of getting his book into the hands of readers. He chose Friesen Publishers, the largest publishing house in Canada. This way his book would be marketed internationally in all English-speaking countries. For example, readers from the United States, New Zealand, South Africa. Canada, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom and twenty-five other countries would be able to buy his book. Going forward, Scott said Friesen also allows him to have a say in choosing his own editor. “I have the ability to work with a specific editor and put the book on the market the way I want it,” he said. Reader, how do you make decisions about your life?

When the book started selling well, the publishers created a large print addition in 2021. Scott is also pleased that libraries around the country are starting to carry his book on their shelves. Scott said that market is “very difficult to get in.” Scott is excited when he sees those purchases. “To get in the libraries, is quite an accomplishment,” he said.

In September 2021, Scott finished the second book of his planned trilogy. That book, as well as a horror novel, will be published by the end of this year.

Scott is a dear friend of mine. I know him as Scott but his pseudonym (or pen name) is Stan Pinato. As the author, Scott/Stan inserts his own comedic narrative in his dialogue, allowing you to get to personally know Scott while enjoying an entertaining story. Because of Scott’s background in the food industry, I was delighted to see all the delicious dishes he included in his story. I asked him to please share his recipes. My mouth watered; I wanted to sit at the table with his characters and enjoy their meals. The book reads easily because, while it does include historical information, it does not bog down the reading process. His descriptions of rooms and buildings allows my imagination to be in those destinations. It has been over a year since I read “ACES High (The Alliance Archives)” and I can still tell you what the room looked like at the climatic confrontation near the end of the book.

I won’t spoil it. Instead, I will choose one of the majestic horses that his characters rode; I will ride off in the sunset and wait for you to read the book. Readers, I hope you enjoyed hearing about Scott. I look forward to your comments.

I am also offering an opportunity for you to get to know Scott. I have been hosting a five-part series called Celebrity Sit-In. On July 14, 2022, 9 am to 10:30 am MT you will have the opportunity to meet him. Scott will travel to Longmont Colorado for a Q & A. The session is open for 40 participants.  We will meet at the Stone Shelter on the Longmont Senior Center grounds. If pandemic restrictions or weather impede our ability to meet outside, we also have the option of making this a Zoom session. I would then provide a Zoom link to you the day before. The cost is $5 and all proceeds go to the Friends of the Longmont Senior Center. Below the blog, you will see options for purchasing Scott’s book and some places that offer a discount. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Last month, you were introduced to author Fred Colby. I’m excited to see the emails coming in of those who have signed up to join Fred and I at the Celebrity Sit-In on July 14. Grief is something that each of us experiences individually. There is no “right” way to go through the stages. Several have emailed me privately, and out of respect for each person’s path, I have decided not to print those comments. I am pleased to hear from the local bookstore, that folks have been buying Fred’s book. Thank you, Readers, for all your comments and your engagement with the blog and with those people that I interview.

Until next month, may peace be at your side,

Debbie Noel

We have several ways to interact with Debbie!

• Instagram: Find me with the handle @dropinwithdebbie or visit Debbie’s Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dropinwithdebbie/

• Facebook: Tag me with @DropinwithDebbie or visit Debbie’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DropInWithDebbie/  to like and follow!

• Email her at DroppingInWithDebbie@gmail.com

• Register with the site (very bottom of the page) to have your comments viewed online

• Send your letters to:

Debbie Noel
C/o Longmont Senior Center
910 Longs Peak Avenue
Longmont, Colorado 80501

Here are two options for purchasing the book if you want to read it before you hear our guest speaker:

Locally, in Longmont, Barbed Wire Books will be able to order the book for you and may already have it in the store. They are offering a 20% discount. They are located at 504 Main St, Longmont, CO 80501. Phone number: (303) 827-3620. You can also go to their website barbedwirebooks.org. Go to Products and Services and then in the dropdown go to online options. The owner said, “All is explained there.

”Scott’s books can be purchased in book stores or on Amazon; Aces High; (The Alliance Archives) by Stan Pinato (Author), Technocelt (Illustrator)

• Visit the website at StanPinato.com.
• Like and follow Stan Pinato on Facebook.