Pastor Frankie was born in the Bronx, NYC, and raised in Middletown. His childhood was not easy, yet rich memories of his Puerto Rican heritage including salsa music in the air, and strong scents of Puerto Rican cuisine in the kitchen were a part of his culture. He had two hard-working parents navigating the landmines that come with raising their children in an urban city. Despite his parents doing their best, Frankie dealt with a lot of challenges from his childhood and throughout his youth. At an early age, he was exposed to pornography, gangs, drugs, alcohol, and sexual immorality. He remembers all his life, God performing miracle after miracle, sparing his life from infancy to adolescence. Pastor Frankie's rich heritage, strong independent upbringing, and hard work ethic instilled by his family, along with intense life experiences, forced him to learn to fight, overcome, and be strong. Finally, God's grace penetrated the darkness and he gave his life to Christ at 16 years of age. The New York culture and context developed a no-nonsense demeanor at a young age that would ultimately characterize his call and eventually ministry.