Cliff grew up in a funeral home acting as a pallbearer and helping manage the family business. He excelled in high school and college as a pianist in the dance band and as a soloist in the orchestra. He also played to audition and rehearse actors and performed with the orchestra in musicals such as Oliver, Music Man, and Oklahoma.

After returning from college, Cliff started practicing Transcendental Meditation and eventually taught TM in NYC. After a successful lifetime in the healthcare field as a chiropractor and nutritionist, during which he made extensive use of his foreign language skills, Cliff now works full-time as an actor specializing in Film and TV. 

Cliff had a recent breakthrough by being cast as lead actor, Captain Frankie Romano, on the 1st season of the 10-episode TV series, A Good Cop, shown nationwide on the cable station NTD TV. Presently the show can be viewed On Demand on Epoch TV.