GIOVANNI ORTIZ

I was born Johnalbert Ortiz. My acting/modeling name is Giovanni Ortiz; friends and colleagues call me Gio. Boots on the Box: Memoirs of a Go-Go Boy, Berkley Angel (2014), is my debut novel. I grew up in the Bronx and moved to Manhattan's Lower East Side in the late 80's where I still reside with my Jack Russell Terrier, Lulu. Today my surviving siblings and extended family are sprinkled throughout the tri-state area, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Florida, and California.

 

I began my career as a model and actor, prior to becoming a go-go boy. For years I was a personal trainer and cardio instructor, launching my business in 1998, and taught fitness seminars throughout New York. I began writing health and fitness articles during the same time frame. After a year at NYU, I went on to obtain a B.A. in Creative Writing from Lehman College. In addition, I am an interfaith minister and perform non-denominational marriages in New York and other states for family, friends, straight, and gay couples.