Joe began his career working as an attorney with the NYC Law Department, conducting complex litigation and presenting oral arguments before the United States Supreme Court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the NYS Court of Appeals. He was later elected as a judge for the Civil Court of the City of New York and then Justice of the Supreme Court.  His public safety career expanded when he was appointed as the 26th Commissioner of the Fire Department of New York by Mayor Koch. In 2004, he was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg as the Commissioner of the NYC Office of Emergency Management, where he served an unsurpassed 10-year term and revolutionized emergency management for the city of New York. Joe also co-founded the Big Cities Emergency Management (BCEM) organization.