Worldwide Caving Expedition Organizer, Leader & Lecturer; Co-Author of "The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story"; Subject of Documentary "No Place on Earth"

Queens, NY, USA
Live Event: $5,000 - $10,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Chris Nicola Biography

Chris Nicola is a worldwide caving expedition organizer, leader, and lecturer. He is the co-author of "The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story."

He first heard the Holocaust survival story as a rumor while he was in Ukraine decades ago. The story revolved around a group of Jews who survived the Holocaust by living in a cave for over a year. He confirmed the story by locating 14 of the original 38 cave dwellers for first-hand accounts. He co-authored a book that led to the making of a documentary about their experiences. Nicola runs the Priest’s Grotto Heritage Project; a genocide awareness project in which the grandchildren of those who lived in Priest’s Grotto Cave during the Holocaust will be working hand-in-hand with the grandchildren of those who lived above the cave in building an exhibit to honor what those courageous 38 did so long ago, and hopefully, by keeping this story alive for future generations, prevent such genocides as the Holocaust from ever happening again.

Nicola was the subject of a documentary, "No Place on Earth," which catalogues his research into the Holocaust cave story.

Nicola is a retired senior investigator for New York State. His previous positions included union organizer, police officer in Washington D.C., bar manager and bouncer, adjunct lecturer, bodyguard, undercover investigator in the NYC schools, and civilian operative for the FBI.

As a graduate of 3 state police academies and recipient of specialized training from the FBI and NYPD his law enforcement career spanned nearly 40 years. He earned a BS in criminal justice, BA in forensic psychology, BA in physics and an MA in criminology at CUNY. At CUNY Graduate Center he has completed all coursework for a PhD program in criminal justice.

In the Mid 70’s Nicola began his life as an explorer by scuba diving in the caves of central Florida, in conjunction with 10 years of ocean diving, spending many hours on the wrecks off of North Carolina.

He has led caving expeditions in the Americas, Oceana, Africa, Caribbean and Europe. His spends his retired life caving and leading caving expeditions.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 08/20/2025.

Chris Nicola Speaking Topics

  • The Secret of Priest's Grotto; A Holocaust Survival Story

    The story of how 38 Jews survived the Holocaust in Ukraine by taking refuge in a cave for over 500 days, and the story of how a caver spent 20 years researching a rumor, to the point of confirming the story, finding the survivors, and then telling this story to the World by way of a book and a documentary.

Chris Nicola Videos

Life's Tough, but Chris Nicola is TOUGHER!

Life's Tough, but Chris Nicola is TOUGHER!

Life's Tough, but Chris Nicola is TOUGHER… This Rugged Caver Uncovers an Amazing Story of Survival When you're inside a cave, ...

Chris Nicola: Cave Exploration in Ukraine

Chris Nicola: Cave Exploration in Ukraine

Chris Nicola is currently working as a Senior Investigator for New York State. He formerly worked as a union organizer, a police officer, a...

No Place On Earth - Official Trailer (2012) Chris Nicola

No Place On Earth - Official Trailer (2012) Chris Nicola

A cave exploration in Ukraine leads to the unearthing of a story of World War II survivors who once found shelter in the same cave.

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  • What topics does Chris Nicola speak about?

    Chris Nicola is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Adventure, Adventure, Athlete, Author, European Heritage, Extreme Sports, Olympic Athlete, Social Activism, Swimming & Diving, Television & Film
  • Where does Chris Nicola travel from?

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Chris Nicola is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Secret of Priest's Grotto; A Holocaust Survival Story. The estimated speaking fee range to book Chris Nicola for your event is available upon request. Chris Nicola generally travels from Queens, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jordan Romero, Wendy Booker, Andy Torbet, Jimmy Chin and Cathy O'Dowd. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Chris Nicola for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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