R. J. De Cristoforo

Besides being a prolific and acclaimed writer of how-to books, Romeo J. "Cris" De Cristoforo, was a teacher all his life. Considered to be the foremost authority as a do-it-yourself craftsman, the Manhattan native published 42 books on handicraft. His three best-known books are, "The Popular Science Complete Book of Power Tools," "The Complete Book of Wood Joinery," and "House Building: A Do It Yourself Guide."

Well acquainted with a mortise and tenon, Mr. De Cristoforo (he often published under "Richard" instead of Romeo) provided numerous articles on building houses to American Home and Better Homes and Garden magazines. Bert Murphy, at Mechanics Illustrated, dubbed De Cristoforo, the "dean of home workshop writers."

Mr. De Cristoforo also published numerous fictional articles and selected poetry. His poem, "Dreams," was published in a 1939 Anthology of Verse. He encouraged numerous aspiring writers and taught several in his home, but always advised them to "never quit your day job, if you're going to free-lance."