Joseph Frank Adragna

Joe came into the world during the toughest years of the Great Depression, and that experience shaped everything about the man he would become. From the start, Joe was determined to be different, to carve his own path. As a teenager, he started a lawnmower route, and that entrepreneurial fire never went out. He built a shop for his own bike and small engine business right next to his parents' produce market at Firestone and Myrtle, and from there, he just kept going. Joe worked at the movie studios doing side construction work, resold goods from dented water heaters to blemished tires from the old UniRoyal tire company, now known as the Citadel, and eventually became a small builder of apartment units. Over time, he grew a portfolio of over 150 units that he owned and managed himself. But Joe was never greedy. His rents were always close to 50% below market because he believed that freeing up his tenants' income would create real opportunities for them and their families.

Joe’s family was Italian. Growing up the typical Sundays were festive. The extended family would gather and feast are true Italian cooking. Cousins would run around, uncles and aunts would laugh and drink. Joe was always guaranteed to be the most mischievous character who always added his fun personality.

Joe had an excellent mind for business and was remarkably skilled at analyzing financial figures and predicting economic booms and busts. But what people remember most is his warmth. He was outgoing, talkative, and genuinely funny, the kind of person who could turn a stranger into a friend in minutes. He loved talking to people on the street, encouraging young kids to go to school, become a nurse or doctor, and aim high. He was a mentor to many. And if you spent any time with him at all, chances are he was holding your hand and reading your palm, telling you about your past, present, and future. He was a hit at every party.

Joe loved his cars, from Cadillacs to Corvettes, and he built his dream home in North Downey with pride and joy. He enjoyed traveling locally and in Mexico in his motorhome, and he had a deep love for history and economics. He loved to work all day and have fun all night.

He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Sam and Bessie Adragna. Joe adored his mother, who lived to 99 and always took care of her boy.

Joe lived a long, wonderful life filled with many memories of friends and family. He will be missed tremendously