William (Bill) Groneman was born in Rockaway Beach, NY in 1952, and grew up in the New York City neighborhood of Howard Beach.  He attended Our Lady of Grace Grammar School, Archbishop Molloy High School, and Manhattan College, where he received a BA in History in 1974.

He achieved his goal of entering the New York City Fire Department in 1977, after working for three years as a Uniformed Court Officer in New York City Criminal Court.  Bill served the FDNY and the City for the next twenty-five years in the ranks of Firefighter, Fire Marshal, Lieutenant, and Captain.  He retired from the fire service in 2002 to continue his writing career.