Few are left who remember Joe, but those that are still around who knew him will never forget him. He was a giant of a man, both physically and intellectually. He was a willing and most capable teacher of math, Latin, Greek, history, religion, opera and current events and everything else, it seemed. He had a considerable personal library. Joe was an iconic figure in the North End particularly in his area, respected for his knowledge and loved for his heart and generosity.

He had a great sense of humor and could teach and correct you in the most amiable way. I benefited tremendously from him. I turned to Joe dozens of times for help with several of those subjects and became a much better student and listener.