Committee of Greater N.Y., Inc.
728 Wilcox Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. 10465
Joe is a Bronx native who grew up on Arthur Avenue. At 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps.
After completing his training at Parris Island and Camp Lejuene NC, he was assigned to the 2nd
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division stationed at Marble Mountain south of DaNang, South
Viet Nam. Joe was a Lance Corporal assigned first as a point man and then as fire team leader and he
also served as a “tunnel rat”. He was awarded the Purple Heart for combat inflicted injuries to the head.
He was treated and returned to his unit in the field. He also received the Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam
Service Medal w/4 bronze stars, the Presidential Unit Citation w/bronze star, the Marine Corps Good
Conduct Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Cross for Gallantry w/palm and frame, the
Vietnam Military Unit Citation Civil Actions w/palm and frame and the Vietnam Service Medal with Date.
Joe earned two shooting badges, Pistol Marksman and Rifle Sharpshooter. Upon completion of his Viet
Nam duty he was stationed at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on Puerto Rico “comprende umporco”. He
finished his service on the USS Nashville, a helicopter carrier that took him to Europe on a Mediterranean
Cruise.
As a youth, Joe’s dad Frank enrolled him and his brother Mike in Sensei Peirra’s Judo Jujitsu School on
Tremont and Third Avenues, where they both went on to become black belts and national Olympic
contenders. Joe holds a fourth degree black belt in both Judo and Jujitsu among others. Upon his return
to the United States, after being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, Joe joined the Elks Club,
which housed the Harold B. Dagner American Legion Post #871 on the Grand Concourse, where his
father was a member. He also joined the Loweree Post #3083 of the VFW on McLean Avenue in Yonkers
where he is still a member today. He often remembers his mom Joanie making “hundreds and hundreds”
of meatballs for the parties they threw! In 1983, he married his lovely wife Jackie; they have two great
children, Danielle and Joe Jr. and one granddaughter Giana Marie, the “sparkle” in Joe’s eye!
In 1974, he met a fellow Marine, Dan Nelson, who lived in Throggs Neck. Joe told him about the
American Legion and having spent many summers at our local beaches, Joe was familiar with Throggs
Neck. He decided to bring Dan to the Theodore Korony American Legion Post #253. That night Dan was
sworn in and Joe transferred to the Korony Post as well. As with all Marines, he was “gung ho” and
jumped right into service at the Legion and within a few short years he was elected Post Commander in
1978. In 1975 Joe became a member of the Board of Directors of the Bicentennial Veteran’s Memorial
Park Committee Inc. He oversaw the CETA workers that began to clean up the park site. He has
coordinated with the committee on the many musical and social events the park has hosted for over 30
years. In 1978 he formed the American Legion Arthritis Telethon Committee and appeared with Tom
Kennedy on numerous shows. He was named to the National Arthritis Telethon Executive Committee. His
knowledge of Judo brought him to form the Korony/Throggs Neck Memorial Judo Club in 1982. The two
local legion posts helped sponsor and provide dojo-training space for over 15 years for hundreds of local
judokas students. He now serves on the Board of Directors of the YMCA Judo Camp in the capacity of
instructor and referee.
Joe went on to become involved in the American Legion Bronx County Organization, heading up the Boys
State Summer Camps, the POW/MIA Program, and the Membership Program and in 1993 was elected the
Bronx County Commander. All the while he was running the judo club and raising a family. Joe joined
with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program in 1990 and, in 1995, formed a spin off group the Bronx
County Christmas Toy program, specifically aimed at Bronx residents. Each year Joe and his committee
deliver over $5,000 worth of gifts to more than 20 local Bronx organizations "so all may have a Merry
Christmas!”
In 2003, Joe was elected the First District Commander of the American Legion, which covers the Bronx
and Manhattan counties with over 14,000 total members. He is also a member of the Department of New
York American Legion Executive Committee with over 180,000 members statewide. He now serves as the
President of the Theodore Korony American Legion Post Realty Corporation. He recently, along with the
Post Commander, helped to form the Korony Iraq/Afghanistan Soldier Gift Program, sending hundreds of
packages off to our men and women in arms.
Joe is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Disabled Veteran’s of America, the Marine
Corps League, the Catholic War Veterans, the Sons of the American Legion, the 2/1/1 Marine Corps
Combat Veterans Association and the USMC National Association. He is our Sgt-at-Arms on the Park at
the end of the Veteran’s Day Parade, directing the marchers and Color Guards into formation. He is
always present at any Veteran function at the park and is a member of the BVMP 911 Memorial
Committee; lest we forget!
Fought For It,
Freedom Has A
Flavor The
Protected Will
Never Know
us because they are not one of us. The
Corps - we love it, live it, and shall die for
it. If you have never been in it, you shall
never understand it."
SEMPER FIDELIS
an entire lifetime
wondering if they made
a difference.
The MARINES don't
have that problem."
President Ronald
Reagan - 1985
Wherever You Are
Joe's Page
Click here to return to the main page
