Biographie

Joe tried to draw up a trust fund for his ex-wife, Cathy Downs, after learning she was suffering from terminal cancer and living in abject poverty. Downs died before he could set it up.

Joe later owned and piloted a series of airplanes. 25-year-old actor Robert Francis, whose star was rising fast in Hollywood, was piloting one of Joe's aircraft when he was killed in a fiery crash on July 31, 1955, along with Joe's golf course business partner, Irving George Meyer, 38, and aspiring actress Ann Russell, 24. The three perished shortly after take-off from the Burbank airport when the plane quickly lost power, stalled, crashed and burst into flames onto Vanowen Street. What remains a mystery is that Meyer was the veteran pilot of the three and Francis lacked formal training or experience but was at the controls. The co-pilot's seat was empty at the time of the crash.

Born in Australia, he became an American citizen on January 25, 1950.

According to Laura Wagner in a full length article on Joe, he neglected to report for an Army physical in Philadelphia and was found guilty of failing to obey a draft board order. He received a 60 day suspended sentence.

He and second wife Joyce were married in 1980 but had lived together since 1958.