Aunt Rosa and family,

Uncle Joe was a very special person. You could just feel his love for you. When I was little, he had a way of making me feel just as special and loved as his own children. You could see how much he adored his family. His marriage was something to admire and hope for. It was a beautiful thing to witness. His love for my Aunt Rosa was written all over his face.

I too remember our trips to New Jersey and sitting around the large dinner table listening to stories. I can just hear his voice and see his smile.

What I remember most is Uncle Joe showing me the fish tanks in the wall in the basement. I thought that was the neatest thing in the world. When we bought our first fish tank I told my family about those tanks in the wall. I will think of Uncle Joe whenever I feed my little fish.

Another memory I have is spending Christmas in New Jersey. Oh the magic! I remember all of our presents magically being delivered to the house. I think Uncle Joe was as excited as us kids were.

I hope your memories of Uncle Joe will bring smiles to your face and that you continue to feel his love for you.

Dear Aunt Rosa and Family,

Uncle Joe was such a wonderful, caring, and devoted man and beloved by us all. Growing up I always admired Uncle Joe because he had passion, worked hard, and he dreamed and followed through with his dreams. When we were just children, I cherished the many times our family would drive up from Ohio to New Jersey to visit all of you. Some of the fondest memories I have are spending time with all of you sitting around the dinner table laughing, Uncle Joe taking us downstairs to show us his signs and play ping pong (occasionally teaching along the way), and just spending time with our cousins Michael, Theresa, and Patti (Patti was always doing her nails). One fond memory of Uncle Joe has stayed with me to this day. During one of our visits all of us went out for pizza. I remember Uncle Joe looked at me with that stern Bronx look and unmistakable accent and said, “Now when you eat this pizza you fold this pizza in your hand (like this)! Don’t eat it like you do back in Ohio or you will cause a ruckus and get us kicked out!”. I can’t tell you why that memory sticks with me to this day, but anytime I eat New York style pizza I think of him. A few years ago, when my wife Robyn and I took our two daughters on vacation to New York the very first thing we did was find the best pizza place in Manhattan. Instinctively, when we sat down, I looked at my girls and said, “Now when you eat your pizza you need to fold it (like this) or all these New Yorkers will be livid and we will get kicked out! That’s how they eat pizza here!”. I then told them the story about Uncle Joe and we laughed. The happy and fun memories of Uncle Joe stay with me. I love sharing that joy with others, just like he did for all of us. I will miss you Uncle Joe. We all love you so very much!

With love from all of us,

Erik, Robyn, Abbie, and Alexandra