Joe and my husband Wayne played basketball for HPHS and I always thought of them as Mutt and Jeff of cartoon fame as Wayne was a foot shorter than Joe. They made a great team !

Joe was kind enough to speak at Wayne's memorial and I'll always be grateful for the kind and funny memory.  

Rest in peace, Joe....

Cousin Joe we remember your visits to Mt. Clare to visit your Aunt Helen and Uncle Virgil, our Noni and Nono. Your stories about growing up with all the Italian aunts and uncles, Frank, Virgil, Emma, Mary, Olivia, Adele are priceless and made us laugh. No matter how many times we heard the stories we laughed like it was the first! The aunts and uncles will welcome you above! Our thoughts are with Heidi. May you be at peace Joe. 

My condolences to Heidi and the rest of the family for your loss. I feel beyond lucky to have known Joe. There was never a moment that he didn’t make me feel as if I was the most important person in the room. His fun loving attitude and kind heart were always on display when we’d meet. Weather it was for a moment that he’d stop by the house to visit Phillip and the family or at the restaurant to check in with Alex, he always made it a point to make me feel special and appreciated. Intentional or not, it made a lasting imprint on my heart. Thank you Joe. I’ll miss you. 

Jamey

Big Joe was the funniest and warm hearted relative in the Highwood- Gurnee area. Cousin Joe as we called him would have us laughing all the time on our phone calls or whenever we had a chance to visit. I had the opportunity to talk with him several times before he passed. Our deepest condolences to Heidi and all the family. We will miss him and our conversations with him. 

Love cousin Phillip and Marilyn Mangina, Hoover , AL