06/14/2021
ACM Exotics began in 2017 when I took a deep dive back into the herpetoculture hobby rabbit hole by making a commitment to take on the species of lizard that has been the top of the mountain for me since I was about 8 years old when I discovered them in an action movie on HBO starring Brian Bosworth titled "Stone Cold".
In the beginning, Bosworth is making breakfast in his kitchen and he put out a dog food dish for his pet "komodo dragon" that made it's way over to his food where the "Boz" gave his giant loveable lizard a big hug and told him good morning.
My jaw had dropped. My mind. Being a chronic day dreamer to a fault. Spending quarterly visits to my schools hallway for teachers conferences with my parents to discuss my habit of laxidazical wandering off in my my mind, not paying attention to subject matter (unless it was biology or art) causing the effect of sub par grade scores forever targeting the issues of me not reaching my potential.
I was always asked what I wanted to do with my life by these grown ups. I always answered quickly. Honestly. I wanted to be a marine biologist. A professional fisherman and own a reptile zoo with big snakes, gators and my sidekick would not at all be a dog or cat. Rather a Komodo Dragon. I even still have a handwritten report about our career goals from the 4th grade my mother kept tucked away in a forever box stating this.
At age 9, my father who was the first person to encourage these interests bought me a rather large Savannah monitor at a local pet shop. I then began gradually building a collection of snakes and lizards.
My first job was at age 16 at a local pet shop that carried a selection of exotics and saltwater fish. And for my birthday that year my father got me the pet I had been hounding him for years about. Since age 4 actually. After a trip to Florida. A baby American alligator.
The next 2 years groomed my future and professional career although at time, dont think I understood yet the importance this path was to my course stated since early childhood.
Still working at now 2 different shops, I was helping with a couple snake breeders I had met and my collection in my fathers basement now consisted of a mating pair of Adult green iguanas, 2 3ft American aligators,5 Burmese pythons with a variety of genetics 3 boa constrictors pair of bearded dragons, 3 saltwater fish tanks, a 90gallon freshwater cichlid tank, a pair of Solomon island mo key tail skinks and a Parsons chameleon. Oh, and a reef tank plus large tray next to it where I had began fragging coral.
Then my babies. I had success in producing the monkey tails, boas, burmese, green iguanas, bearded dragons along with significant growth in my coral garden.
That's when I met Joe. He was an aquaculturist that took a part time evening shift at the pet shop maintaining the saltwater portion of our tropical fish. Nobody liked him. He was older and his encyclopedia of know how came off as very arrogant and out putting to his fellow employees. Myself, after a short time began having some in depth conversations with him that led to me asking him a thousand questions day. This seemed to soften the old man and made him smile and chuckle. I accepted an invite one evening after work with Joe to go fishing. We went to the river, drank a bottle of southern comfort, half bottle jagermeister, caught a bunch of catfish, talked shop. I asked a million questions, we had a blast. That morning went back to my house to show him my collection. He was silent. I think a little impressed. This got me going as I could tell he was. I went on and in about what I was doing, what I had done and so forth. He listened. Asked questions about the reptiles. Complimented my aquariums and only spoke otherwise to give ideas on the fish tanks.
The last question Joe asked me that morning is what set the tone. After a moment of silence, he looked at me and asked.
" So, you got all this. What your doing is rather impressive. And I'm sure you know you cant just work at Critter Corner your whole life. So, what is it you want to do."
I answered with ease. I wanna open my own shop. To that Joe replied Ok. Then do it.
Within 2years and many fishing adventures later, and long car rides to great lakes tributaries listening to theory, stories, studies, dynamics, so on and so on, Joe and I had built and opened our own shop in New Castle, PA and named it "All About Pets".
Our livestock was ordered directly from importers in Hawaii, south America, the Caribbean and Indonesia. Prior to shop, Joe had run "Salty Starts" in.his basement and wholesaled saltwater fish, corals, and invertebrate in the tristate area and I helped out and tagged along. I began talking to alot of shop owners and eventually selling animals I had produced myself to them.
I had my own reptile room setup for display at our shop, and our fresh and saltwater fish selection was vast.
As hard as we worked, and no matter what we did to go above and beyond, on the dollar end hardly ever seemed to get ahead. We almost became more of am attraction due to our longterm rare exotics that grew large a d impressive. Victims of our own success in producing USCBB that through time dwindled in demand locally over a few years. Advertising was expensive and our angles in marketing were our weakness. Everyday. We would hear it. "Never heard of this place before."
After 4 years, we closed shop. This decision was made after the 3re time our windows were smashed and we were robbed overnight.
I had no clue what I would do. What everyone else did I guess. I was a delivery driver, worked at rental stores, managed retail, ran crane at steel mill. I never lasted. Sold all my big breeders to other breeders along with donating some to private zoo and AZA accredited.
Every time I lost a job. Be out fishin with Joe. He would say. " Gotta figure out what you can do young man. Gotta figure it out."
Then on a vacation with my first wife to the Florida keys, I was anxious to explore the fishing down there. Joe, who use to mate on a few boats down there when he was young. told me epic stories over the years about the salt game. He grew up spending Summers with his grandparents on the islands and stayed to work the fishing industry as a young adult.
I had booked a guide for tarpon. Got my ass kicked, nearly broke my wrist, rented a boat, caught some sharks, cudas, and continued taking a heavy beating from larger gamefish for a 2 week period. With 2 days left before we went home, Joe and his wife made their way down for their own stay. Talked to him on the phone when they were about an hour away from our bungalow at the Hungry Pelican on Key Largo. I was so excited to tell him about my discoveries and exploration. I layed out a map. Soon as he arrived, I took him over to the table, map layed out, and pointed to a mark I had scribbled. Looking at him dead in the eyes I said, "Joe. I figured it out. I figured out what I wanted to do!! This here is what I want to do. And I know I can do this! I want to be a flats guide."
Arms crossed his eyes lit up. His chest swelled and he smiled. "Well then. Looks like you finally figured it out. So. Let's do it."
By the following year, Joe and Teresa had moved to lower keys. Months later my wife, our young son, and I followed. She worked in hotel management and I got hired day 1 at the Key West aquarium. I quickly worked my way up from tour guide to senior staff aquaculturist/aquarist in charge of lab, quarantine, and reef exhibits. I did collecting under a SAL permit and would go fishing with Joe twice weekly on his boat to log hours and learn the flats game.
Worked any chance I could on commercial fishing vessels along with volunteering at the Key West Sailimg Association.
Within a year, I had moved up to a house in Big Pine Key. My wife became guest services manager at Hawks Cay resort and I got my very own flats boat. When it became time to charter and my OUPV was completed I left the aquarium to take on part time job for a paycheck at Cufjoe Sales Fisherman Warehouse. This allowed me to network my new vocation with other captains. Lead to many adventures and success. I was thriving in my element.
In life, all things do come to end Upon Sophia and I celebratingthe news of our second child. My only daughter was on the way, She was let go from her job at Hawks Cay. My mother gave us terri8news she was terminally ill. And financially it became difficult to keep up. Had no clue how we would keep pace with another baby. So, we moved back home. It was devastating. I felt a new source of heartbreak and pain. There was a hole in my soul. My identity. I felt I knew who I was, but found out I was wrong. Time healed pain. I was greatful for my family and our home. I took on pest control for years. Figured it was relative to my skills and seemed to suffice. However, the universe I have learned over time will not just toss out curveballs. But will open the doors and paths to your course in constant. You just gotta keep an open mind. I was offered a job as curator for a small public aquarium where I dropped my resume 2 years prior when we first moved back north. We negotiated, came to terms, and I held title of curator next 6 years at the Equarium in Niles OH. Still did the pest control. And would guide steelhead on Erie tribs here and there during fall and winter. I let go of the curator title in 2016 to take a job offer with a healthy salary, company vehicle, benefits and all for Pest ControlCompany full time. And it was good. My current wife Amy and I had our baby boy Hunter on the way. And we were solid on ground ready to start seeking a home to purchase to raise our family.
Once we bought the home, we had talked about getting a dog. A German Shepherd. And that's what we did. I bought her a puppy with a name tag on it saying "Marry Me". She has heard all my fishing and reptile/aquarium stories. And I had talked about the one animal I always wanted to raise was an Asian Water Monitor. Just never had the time or space. She suggested now with our new home I do that. So I did. Built an intermediate enclosure. Ended up finding a hatchling and brought her home in a little deli cup. Mo clue yet what I was in for.
Then here comes the universe! Thst awesome job? The one I made my ",responsible adult decision". Ya. 2 years great. Then. S**t right on me. The owner played me as golden boy 2 years. His use for me was up. He tossed me out like a rag doll. It actually hurt too. Because I appreciated him. Did nothing wrong. And was 100% loyal due to him making me feel appreciated. To make matters worse, and out of fear I would use my certifications to open my own.business in pest control, he filed a mon compete motion that halted me being able to operate until a full hearing or settlement was made. He would have never won in court. But, I could have never survived the paper shuffling game his attorney would play to stall the results over a year.
I didnt know what to do. Sitting outside our new home at night. I could hear Joe's voice in my head. "Figure it out young man. Best figure out what you can do."
So I did. I furthered and promoted my business guiding rivers and great lakes tributaries. Got a coupke driftboats and another water monitor. I was 38. I was no linger afraid of what I know. Not afraid of risks involving my element. I believed in myself. What I was now afraid of was Steve and people like him. Steve was my boss that hired me with the irresistable salary at the job I had just lost not because of myself doing wrong. But because I did it well working for someone else. I was afraid of that happening again at 42? 43??
I now am a fulltime river fishing guide in NE Ohio. I run drift boat trips October through April targeting migratory steelhead on Erie tributaries. The warmer months are spent chasing river pike and muskellunge. ACM exotics is the rebirth of my vocation in herpetoculture and aquaculture. I build custom enclosures and garden ponds for other hobbyists. I also have begin taking on and growing a few species of lizards and snakes to reproduce and again offer other hobbyists quality USCBB babies.
I will never forget those last words Steve said to me when I walked out the door of his company. Just after he fired me. Then poured salt in it by threatening lawsuits if I open my own pest control or worked for another exterminating company. I was halfway out the door. He called my name and I paused. He said, "Good luck with your fishing and your lizards."
Could see him chuckle. I walked out not saying another word until I had my day in court.
I won the case he threw against me to cover his ass. I represented myself. And just told the truth.
As of last week, here at ACM, I am proud to announce the beginning of the next chapter. On June9, 2021after a couple pairings one of our female water monitors laid a clutch of 11 eggs. 8 of which are incubating and fertile this far sired by our large make, Mira.
This was supposed to be what ACM means to me. And it is. It's background. it's a story. It's my passiom and my course. It's my crayon I pulled out of the box. It's my commitment and what I can offer, I wish to share with you and others. It's just me. I, P. Damion DeRobbio. I am ACM Exotics. And the AlleyCat.😉
