In 1956, when András was only in his late teens and in high school, he participated in the uprising when the Hungarian people revolted against their communist dictators.

Many years later, after he had defected to California, András would commemorate the anniversary of the ’56 uprising and would reflect back that many of his classmates that went out to protest that day never came home because they lost their lives.

In 1969 András defected communist Hungary, traveling to Germany where he worked with American aid workers until he was given permission to come to the United States.

Upon arriving in America, András quickly integrated into the large Hungarian-American community in Los Angeles, California, joining a youth dance group where he would meet his future wife, Ágnes Zerinvári.

On February 23, 1981, Ágnes and András gave birth to twin boys, and would raise their young family in California.