A native of Brooklyn, NY, Chuck Cascio moved to the Washington, DC, area at an early age, but he remains a New Yorker at heart. An award-winning journalist, short story writer educator, and business leader, Chuck is the author of three nonficiton books and has had hundreds of news articles, feature stories, and opinion pieces published in a wide-range of newspapers, magazines, and journals. The Fire Escape Stories, Volume I, marks Chuck's current focus on developing fiction.

Chuck earned a BS degree in Economics from Wagner College on Staten Island, NY, and a MA in Communications from American University in Washington, DC, where he later became an adjunct faculty member. Chuck also taught high school and served as faculty advisor to student newspaper publications in Fairfax County, VA, receiving extensive recognition for his innovative approaches to teaching. After leaving the classroom, Chuck served as Vice President for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and then as Vice President for Educational Testing Service. Chuck and his wife, Faye (an award-winning science teacher) live in Reston, VA.