Born in Chicago, Illinois, Tony Schweikle’s mother was a First Generation Italian, and his father was of German descent. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1903. After his parents divorced, he grew up with his mother, her four brothers, four sisters, and 31 first cousins in a Chicago Italian neighborhood.
Tony learned to play drums at the age of 15 and then played for various Jazz groups in the Chicago area. At age 24, he opened his first Italian restaurant. His cooking talents were passed down to him from his mother and her mother. When he was 27, he began studying photography. He worked as a photojournalist working for several newspapers, magazines, and periodicals, including Compton Encyclopedia and Natural History. Kodak and Powder Magazine hired him as a freelance photographer. He worked as a dedicated Nikon Professional. At 30, he moved to Durango, Colorado, where he continued his freelance photography business. At 32, he was hired by the Purgatory Ski Resort marketing department to provide photography and video material for marketing and training use. He worked there for ten years. In 2004, he and his wife bought a home in southern Italy where they spend most of the year, returning to the US for the winter Holiday Seasons.
His Filmmaking Career
At age 43, he began his filmmaking career as a Location Scout for film and commercial producers. He worked on many feature films, including “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Scouring the Four Corners areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. He drove many thousands of miles photographing that part of the country. He has written, produced, and directed two feature films and eight documentary and short films. For those who would like to see more of his film career, visit www.imdb.com