One of ten children in his family, one brother (Joseph) was Kenosha County's longest-serving district attorneys and another (George) was a longtime state representative in the Wisconsin assembly. Al had a longtime dream of being an actor and as of 2004 is preparing an autobiographical book about his Kenosha childhood and his acting experiences, which to date (2004) includes 42 commercials.


In 1987, he and fellow "Happy Days" (1974) cast member Anson Williams opened a chain of dinners, in the Midwest called Big Al's. His boyhood home is 2417 53rd Street in Kenosha's "Old West Side" neighborhood.