Born in San Francisco and touring the country as a child, Zephyr Goza grew up as a true nomad, spending his childhood onstage as part of his parent’s theater troupe (he was the youngest ever Tiny Tim in a production of A Christmas Carol, taking the role at age four.) Currently he resides in Providence, Rhode Island.
Originally visiting Tomb during its run in Boston, Zephyr fell in love with 5 Wits immediately and applied to work there. He started with 5 Wits in 2010, first serving as one of the original Guides in Foxboro before becoming a shift supervisor. In 2014, he took over as the manager of the store. In 2016, he briefly relocated to Albany, NY to serve as the manager of the brand new 5 Wits Albany before returning to Foxboro as the Group Sales Manager in the following year. He now serves as the Director of Guest Experience for the entire company.
When not hard at work for 5 Wits, Zephyr can be found at home with his lizard and cat (often still working), at Disneyland where he holds a Magic Key, or performing onstage with his band.
Michalene Taramasco
Michalene is the Operations Manager of 5 Wits Buffalo and Erie. She has spent 16 years in the hospitality industry, working through a few different restaurants, Dave & Buster's, and most notably, Disney World. Born and raised in Buffalo, she recently rejoined Bills country after spending a few years in Pittsburgh. When Michalene isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, traveling, going to the theater, and reading the mountain of books collected in her house.
John Taylor
John Taylor is the operations manager for 5 Wits Syracuse. He joined the team in March 2014, bringing 20 years of retail background, and 10 years of store management experience (13 of those years with Blockbuster Video). Hailing from the small town of New Hartford, New York, John is incapable of telling a short story and has an insatiable musical appetite. Growing up, he enjoyed his teenage years spent energetically behind a drum kit. Nowadays he obsesses over creating annual “top 10” album lists (or top 30!) and when trying to summarize what he looks for in a band, it comes down to the alchemy of: 4 guys on instruments, catchy chord progressions, earnestness, cymbals, and groovy bass lines.
Matt DuPlessie
After beginning his career managing theme park projects in Florida, Matt founded 5 Wits in 2003 to bring a new type of live-action entertainment to life. 5 Wits has grown to 23 adventures operating in 6 states and includes a full-service design & fabrication company that creates amazing projects for the museum and theme park industries. Matt holds a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, where he is on the faculty as a part-time instructor, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School. Matt’s favorite thing to do is spend time with his wife and three kids, at home in Foxboro, MA.
Frank Cerio
Born and raised in the frozen wasteland of upstate New York, Frank Cerio graduated from Clarkson University before embarking on a lengthy career in retail management. Previous to his time at 5 Wits, he worked for several electronics chains including Circuit City and Best Buy. Frank started with 5 Wits in 2014 as the General Manager for 5 Wits Syracuse. Currently, he serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the 5 Wits Venues, overseeing finance, marketing, and operations. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and spending time at home with his wife and dog.
