Joe begins his days at 4:30 a.m. in the gym — running, boxing and   lifting weights.  He prides himself on staying  in shape.  But his life  wasn’t always driven by his passion for animal  well-being, and he has  six bullet holes to prove it.  "I’ve had a lot of bad situations in my   life.  Over 10 years ago, I got set up and got shot five times.  I   learned a very, very valuable lesson.  You really can’t trust anybody   but, you know, I could trust my dog. He helped me out, so I’m returning   the favor."  Joe grew up in a very Italian neighborhood in Queens,  where crime  and survival were sometimes intermixed.  And his trouble  started early.   But it is the six bullet holes that made Joe who he is   today.  Suffice it to say,  Joe survived, and turned a corner after  that  night.  Ten years later, he has different friends,  different  priorities  and a new lease on life.   While this  experience made Joe  who he is today, his new outlook  on life is best summed up  when you  ask him who his hero is, he answers  easily, his wife.  Being a member  of Rescue Ink allows  Joe to  give a voice to animals, no matter what  the circumstances.  And his past makes  him fearless — and propels  him  into situations even animal control  won’t confront.