Eddie’s older brother. During their childhood, Eddie has to fight bullies for him because Joe doesn’t like to fight. As teenagers, Joe resists their father’s pressure to work at Ruby Pier, and instead works at the town swimming pool. Joe is a disappointment to their father, who thinks of him as unmanly. Joe mostly fades from the story after he and Eddie grow up, except for rare visits and calls that leave Eddie feeling jealous. Joe becomes a salesman and makes good money. He buys a condo in Florida and plans to retire, but then dies from a heart attack.