Interview by Sarika Chawla
Photography by John Skalicky
www.skalickyphoto.com

Andrew is a swarthy Sicilian from New York who can whip up a gourmet dinner, work you over with a massage, and shake his booty all in one special night. To learn more about his spa services, e-mail achntouch@aol.com.

How did you get into massage therapy?

I had my first massage lesson when I was 7. My mom signed us onto the Fresh Air project, so I stayed with this family in Vermont. The sons were all turning 15 and older, so they were too cool to massage dad. So he started training me. Now I work at 24-Hour Fitness and privately.

Do you prefer working at the gym or in people's homes?

People relax easier when they're in their own environment. If they come to you, they're already hyped up in their own life. So it takes a little bit extra to break them down.

Sounds naughty. How do you "break down" someone?

First you develop a sense of connection with them. You have to be a caretaker to be in this business. I use candles, music, aromatherapy.

Did you study massage professionally?

Yeah, when I moved here. What I discovered is that it's truly my calling. It's the most amazing thing to take care of people's bodies, and make them feel better. It's like each body is a puzzle that I have to set right, and it's very rewarding.

Have you always wanted to be in this business?

My first dream was to be a chef. I went to culinary school, but the life of a chef is really crazy. It's weekends, nights, and 16-hour days, six days a week. I was also a dancer and a gymnast and since I knew about bodies, I was always taking care of people's injuries.

Where did you go to culinary school?

In Hawaii. I lived in Hawaii for six years.

And you left?!

You know, it's a beautiful lifestyle, but to live there every day, it's limited. There's only so much you can do there.

What brought you to L.A.?

Stir craziness. L.A. is half New York and half Hawaii. It has the craziness when you want it, and the peacefulness when you need it ... It was weird, I moved here to be with somebody I met in Hawaii. We were dating for six months, and he asked me to move here. What I didn't take into consideration was that whenever either one of us saw each other, one of us was on vacation. Once I moved here and lived with him, it was a total 180.

Are you seeing anyone right now?

Yup, four-and-a-half years. I met him two weeks after I moved here. It was kismet. We met the day before Mother's Day, and he told me he couldn't hang out because he had to cook his mother dinner. So I made him a deal that I would cook if he would hang out. I made her shark steak, Hawaiian style. The thing is he didn't tell me that they're very traditional Mexican, so the dish was kind of lost in translation.

How would you sum up yourself for people who don't know you?

My motto is, "Be the change you want to see in the world." I have this thing called Smile Therapy. In L.A., not many people talk to each other. So I smile at everybody I see. You can go around complaining about how awful the world is around you, but if you're not doing something about it to make it better, you can't really complain.