Joe Connolly

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Joe Connolly was featured in the 2005 documentary, Infamy, about graffiti in the United States. "Joe Connolly paints over graffiti in the Los Angeles cityscape." His name is famously known by Angelinos when they look at his sign at Pico and fairfax. It reads: "GRAFFITI NO LONGER ACCEPTED HERE. PLEASE FIND A DAY JOB, THANK YOU." He was deemed the "Graffiti Guerilla" by Cal-Trans, because he is the hardest working volunteer of removing and painting over graffiti. He has 30,000 hours of community service under his belt and he continues to show respectability by working with gang members, homeless, and graffiti writers to help them become productive citizens. From Chicago originally, he moved to San Jose with his family as a teen and graduated with a degree in Psychology and Business Administration from San jose State University in 1978. He met his wife in 1984 and in 1986 they moved with their baby daughter to the Fairfax area of Los Angeles. Joe has been involved with the wholesale carpet industry for over 21 years and is accomplished in 50,000,000 dollars worth in sales. His volunteer services have included fundraising for the Jewish Community Centers Association and LAUSD, pubilc speaking at Los Angeles Unified School District schools about community issues, directing a volunteer citizen safety patrol which he spearheaded himself, serving as president of the Carthay Square Neighborhood Association, running and biking the LA Marathon, and coaching youth baseball and soccer. Joe was also in a documentary called Off The Wall, aired by PBS nationally in 1996, which showcased Joe's well educated approach to curbing graffiti as well as other community issues. Among the public figures/companies to endorse and honor Joe Connolly for his community accomplishments are Mayor Richard Riordan, Councilman Michael Fever, Councilman Laura Chick, the Los Angeles Times, the LAPS, Cal-Trans, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and KNBC 4. He has been the focus of hundreds of stories portrayed on the media. City Hall admirers as well as community leaders refer to Joe as one of Los Angeles' "biggest assets."