Joe was born and raised in Cohoes, NY where he currently resides and is a proud Cohoesier. He is a Syracuse University graduate and bleeds orange. He grew up next to a hazardous waste incinerator located in an environmental justice zone. When he was little he experienced numerous injustices from this facility such as black snow in the winter and clouds of toxic silica dust (causes lung cancer and silicosis even at low levels of exposure) while playing in the playground as a kid. These experiences culminated into the formation of Lights Out Norlite where he currently leads as their Chair. Lights Out Norlite has been able to provide real results for local residents who have been victims of this facility for decades. He has also cultivated and maintained environmental justice coalitions throughout the Upper Hudson Valley. In his capacity at Lights Out Norlite Joe was able to help pass a first in the nation ban of incineration of AFFF (a firefighting foam that contains PFAS and has been linked to an increased incidence of cancer) at the state, county and city level after his group learned of illegal incineration of AFFF at the Norlite plant. He also spearheaded the relocation of residents and demolition of the Saratoga Sites public housing development just yards away from the Norlite facility after his group discovered silica dust pollution on the property. Joe has also worked for former Assemblymember Kevin Cahill as his Legislative Aide serving the constituents of this Hudson Valley assembly district during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Joe is not fighting for his communities he can be seen spending time with family, particularly his wife Alexis and his dog Papi and cat Milo. He also loves to go camping in the Adirondacks and fish. One of his passions is cooking, of which he loves to cook authentic Italian dishes for his family to enjoy. Joe can also be seen volunteering and participating in various community events and forums in his city.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‍‌‌​‌​​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​​‍​​‌‍​​‍‌​​​‌‍​‌​​​‌‍‌​​​​​​‌​​‍​​​‍‌‌‍​​‍‌​​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‌‍‌‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​‍‌‍​​‌​​​‌‌‍​‌‍​‍‌‍​​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‍‌‌​‌​​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​​‍​​‌‍​​‍‌​​​‌‍​‌​​​‌‍‌​​​​​​‌​​‍​​​‍‌‌‍​​‍‌​​​​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‍​​​​‌‌‍‌‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌​​​​‌‍​​​‌‍​‍‌‍​​‌​​​‌‌‍​‌‍​‍‌‍​​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌‌