To some it seems like an odd career combination, but Bowe explains, “When a lifelong buddy who was in the bar business asked me to partner with him, I saw it as an interesting opportunity that knowing many of my friends would probably make some money.” And it has. Scallywags was rated the top Irish Pub in Hell’s Kitchen by W42st Magazine last year.
Although Mike knew the venture could fail, he understood the importance of taking risks. He speaks annually to the freshman at Fordham University, telling them, “Life is a learning curve. The steeper the curve you take on, the more you will fail but the higher your achievement can be. You can’t have one without the other. Seek real challenges, expect things to be hard and often unpleasant, and understand failure is just a toll you need to pay.”
Mike’s advice and expertise are sought by numerous companies and wealthy individuals, and he frequently appears on CNBC, FBN, Bloomberg, and the major news networks. Mike’s work against shortsellers and inside traders was widely reported on and credited with restoring billions of dollars to investors and helping spark the largest insider trading prosecutions in history. Most recently, there has been extensive news coverage about Mike’s pro bono work for the family of a murdered Marine and defense of a Marine officer accused of misconduct. Reading these stories or watching Mike’s public appearances reveals a ferocious and passionate fighter for his clients. In fact, those clients will tell you, “He cares as much about winning your case as you do, and sometimes it seems more.”
Caring for others comes naturally to Mike. For the past 11 years he has been raising his son Patrick alone. Happily this situation is changing. This autumn Mike is marrying Stacy Hayes, a lawyer and Marine helicopter pilot with combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, including flying the first Marines into Afghanistan immediately after 9/11 in the longestrange amphibious assault in history.
When he looks back at this time at Bergen Catholic, Mike recalls high expectations and the examples set by people like Brothers Guihen, Beyer, Brosnan, and Zawot and football coach Blaser. “They could be tough but were fair, and the Brother’s dedication to their faith through teaching made a lasting impression. That is why I support a number of Catholic charities that help provide others the opportunities I had.” Organizations closest to his heart include his alma maters Bergen Catholic and Fordham and the New York Archdiocese Inner City Scholarship Fund, where he sponsors student scholarships and serves as board chair of a Bronx parish school. Mike explains, “I am where I am today because other people beginning with my parents and my schools provided opportunities for me to develop the skills to succeed. It’s important to pay that back by doing the same for others who are now where I was then.”
