Sonny had extreme hatred for his father because Mike had left his family when Sonny was still young, thinking that his son would be better off without him. Sonny's mother had re-married an abusive cop named Deke, and Mike thought the Deke would be a better father to Sonny. What Mike didn't know was that Deke frequently beat Sonny's mother and Sonny mercilessly. Mike tried to reach his estranged son, but Sonny was openly hostile to him and wanted nothing to do with him.   Sonny and Mike have had a turbulent relationship, as Mike tried to help Sonny through the tough times in his life, and Sonny tries to push Mike away. Although they have talked through many issues and come to an unspoken love and understanding, there is still tension between them and Sonny does little to hide his frequent irritation with Mike.   

Mike opened the Bar/Restaurant, The Recovery Room, with former flame Mary Scanlon, a nurse at GH. Mike now runs the Restaurant where the interns at GH often go to hang out. Mike has recently begun to date Tammy Hansen, an ex-prostitute who runs Kelly's Diner.  Lately, further evidence of a gambling problem on Mike’s part has begun to rear its ugly head.