Acting out in front of friends & family
Joe’s brother had to admonish him and tell him to “Be nice to your wife!” on one family trip to Michigan. They knew about “ You make me want to slit my throat”. I contacted them after he chased me around my house screaming “Fuck you and die”. His sister had an altercation with him that she even wrote about. In the hospital with his dying mother, his family saw Joe show extreme behavior directed toward the nursing staff.
On one particular visit to see us, his brother and family traveled to Maryland. We were deciding what we wanted to do that day as a group. Joe wanted to go to the Smithsonian which no one seemed keen on doing, me included. Joe pulled me aside afterward and reamed me out for all to hear. He couldn’t believe that I would not support him and his idea.
Joe’s Friends
On one trip to his friend’s beach house, we were in the kitchen with his friend’s wife, prepping food for dinner. I was trying to figure out how to cut the steak and I was unsure the best way forward. In front of his friend’s wife he said “What are you an idiot? Just cut it!”. I left the room in tears. No one said anything. There was no apology.
This same friend had called him out before and told him to “Ease up” on me when Joe was complaining to him that I was lazy and laying in bed in the middle of the day ( I was sick and throwing up).
Another friend and his wife traveled to Maryland to visit us. Joe refused to attend and let our two young children watch my older child’s basketball game. He took them outside to play because it wasn’t fair for them to have to sit there. The friends confronted him. I remember his friend saying to him “If you’re looking around for the asshole, maybe it’s you.” I also talked to this friend’s wife about Joe not letting me have any financial control, no access to bank accounts, no say.
Business Associates
Our business partners looked past the abuse, manipulations and allowed for it. Joe was using the leverage of calling in our $100,000 loan to manipulate them. They later testified in court that this loan “did not exist”. Joe told me his greatest accomplishment was getting them to turn on me… it only cost him $100k. The business partners won’t speak about it to this day. They lied in court and I have the proof. Luckily, the Judge determined that they were “not credible”. I have so much documentation about this and keeping a hold of it is my insurance. Joe’s lies and slander can be repeated, but shot down with documentation and facts.
