Joe began learning and playing the accordion at Lo Duca Brothers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he took weekly lessons from age 9 through 18. Lo Duca was a very large studio which taught up to 1,000 accordion students per week and also designed and manufactured accordions. The School encouraged students to participate in the annual Wisconsin State Accordion Festival in both individual and band competitions. Joe was successful in the contests, often practicing one song intensely for an entire summer. In his teenage years, Joe was an accordion teacher and played in a musical combo which performed at weddings and parties.
Joe then took a 53 year break from the accordion. He graduated from Boston College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, moved to Needham, Massachusetts in 1972 and completed a long career in finance. In 2017, he restarted the accordion and joined the Massachusetts Accordion Association and the RUK Classical Orchestra. Joe enjoys playing all types of music including the great American songbook, classical, light jazz and classic rock. Joe plays a Lo Duca “Duke” professional model, a 120 bass piano accordion manufactured under contract in Castelfidardo, Italy and featuring specialized jazz reeds.