Larry was born and brought up in Norwich, Connecticut and attended Southern Connecticut State University where he met Betty, his wife of 37 years. Together, they survived his twenty-six year law enforcement career until his retirement as a Captain from the Hamden Police Department in 1999, and Betty’s various educational odysseys. They raised three children, Sean, Caroline and Leland, and are proud that each has found a happy life and a beloved profession. Nearly twelve years ago, Larry and Betty moved to South Dakota when Betty accepted a professorship in Political Science at the University of South Dakota. After a year of house renovation and baking for friends, Larry started Mr. Smith’s Bakery Café much to the delight of students and townspeople in Vermillion, South Dakota. Despite the increasing effects of Parkinson’s, he and his staff of bakers continue to turn out his famous salted baguettes and invent new breads each week.

"Ride with Larry" is a feature-length documentary currently in production, filming in 2011. The film and awareness campaign seeks to enlighten audiences to the human cost of Parkinson's disease while providing insights into the tangible benefits of an active lifestyle, particularly through recumbent cycling.