Joey

I didn't know this person called Joey, a homeless man often seen about these parts who died this week. Citymouse left these comments, and now I am intrigued and want to know much more about this man. What made him so lovable?

Joey (who was one of the more beloved homeless, as opposed to infamous), died this week. I went to the wake at Smith's and it was jammed with neighborhood people.


Joey's full name was (I believe) Joseph Carrone. He was the guy that sat on the newspaper boxes sometimes in front of the shoe store on Prospect Park West & Windsor Place. He grew up in this neighborhood, and went to Bishop Ford High School and Holy Name.

I've seen some neat newspaper clippings about him from when he was young along the lines of making sure kids were out of a building that was on fire. He went to war (Vietnam, I believe), and came back a little messed up. When he got back, he moved in with his mother in the neighborhood. As she became ill and died, he hit the streets.

Over the years, there were a few opportunities for him to move into group homes, YMCAs or the like, but he refused to leave his Windsor Terrace neighborhood and preferred to stay here on the street and in the park. For the last several years, he went to services at the Church of Gethsemane on 8th Ave, and the church office held his medications for him and helped him out with a lot of things. (He stopped by each morning to take his pills.)

Of course, there are (often funny) numerous stories about Joey on the rampage, but my experience was that if you treated him respectfully, he was a nice guy. Usually, LOL.

He hit his head on a hydrant when he fell a few weeks ago, and I believe that was determined to be the ultimate cause. His wake at Smith's had a room full, and the funeral at Holy Name was nice. All his siblings were there, and some neighborhood too.

Rest in peace, Joey. Wish I had met you.