BroJoe

theronin23 isn't bullshitting anyone. We spoke for about an hour earlier today. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them here. FYI- the following is written with no malice or ill will toward anyone here.
Many of the tweets used in your email campaign were honestly taken out of context...I've used the term "feral beast" and "need two behind the ear, they need to be put down like animals" to describe Tim McVey and Dylan Roof as well as Mike Brown and Colin Ferguson. Two of the tweets used were commenting on the ISIS animals that burned alive that Jordanian pilot. "They should be sent to the deepest darkest Africa and never be heard from again" where the word "They" was referring to ISIS and/or Al Queda (multiple posts) Animals killing American soldiers...20-30-somethings your age. It pissed me off. One of your examples of "White Supremacy and racism" was actually me talking about my lead singer when he quit a year or so ago. "My little monkey is angry"..."he won't go out and make money for me anymore"...a photoshop of me as the organ grinder and Gene as a monkey accompanied that tweet. That part was omitted. One or 2 were referring to bad people of color. Nigger? Yeah, I've used the word as a descriptive term for some people, myself included...But as far as me going on "frequent racist rants"? and being a "self proclaimed white supremacist"? You guys used the right language to accomplish what you set out to do, but they were engineered dishonestly for maximum effect. I can guarantee that there isn't an O&A fan, or anyone reading this sub, that hasn't used the N word here at one time or another...whether in jest or to fuck with someone. It doesn't make you a racist, self-proclaimed or otherwise. Anonymity is key. So I'm learning...Thanks for the lesson.
My question is simply "why"? I've had some hot headed moments on this sub, and I may have come across as a cunt to those of you who don't care enough to look any deeper than the last post that bashed me. Then when I'd become enraged, I'd come off like a butthurt faggot...but I still don't understand why anyone would care to fuck up the "real life" of a 57 year old father and husband (practically) who has responsibilities and has never done anything to fuck you over personally. It feels like it was done just because you were pretty sure you could do it. The pay off was knowing you indeed affected my life when I'd stated multiple times right here that you couldn't.
Here's the damage that was done:
I lost 5 gigs total. 4 of them were contracted and the agencies had to pay me off. The client didn't like having to do it, but they were legally obligated, and it was their choice to cancel. The cancelation clause in my contracts only make provisions for canceling due to an "act of God" or illness. 100% of my shows are contracted. Many of you think that I do this band thing like a kid having fun on weekends. I don't. It's a business that's been in existence for 20 years. So, the damage done was tangible, but not as substantial as some of you may have thought. The real damage was done when a school show we were playing for cancer research benefit was called off because of a phone call. "JunkieThrowAway88" wrote about calling the School we were playing the free show at, posted the name and number of the school here. Someone called, threatened to post negative reviews of the school on SM, and it was canceled. Detectives were involved, the School went into lockdown, and worst part was the black guy that put the whole thing together was apologetic to me for the head of school canceling in spite of our best intentions to raise money for a charity event by playing for free.
Again, I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, or like I'm looking for any sympathy, I'm simply explaining to those of you who had no clue what actually transpired and what exactly was most impacted by your email campaign.
I've been told that I seem like an entitled tool at times. Meh- let's face it...when I introduced Ant (look no H!) and Opie, I hit fucking lotto. No shit. It took 10 yrs or so to actually start seeing any residuals from that initial introduction, but Ant made good on a promise between family members and brothers. A money grubber, leech, Ant paying me off to stay away from him, an embarrassment...ok, maybe an embarrassment on the air, once or twice...but the agreement and promise we made to each other as kids was no bullshit. If either of us became a millionaire we agreed to do something for the other. That's the long/short if it. If he was a construction or Wall Street mogul rather than in the public eye, how many of you would care with whom he shares his good fortune? I'm not as delusional as many of you would like to believe. I'm not a member of SAMCRO (though that one does genuinely make me laugh in a very good natured kind of way) I'm shitty at podcasting and making public social commentary, and I really suck at sports...I'll never be a comedian, I sometimes open my mouth when I should STFU, and I play mediocre guitar and was lucky enough to figure out a way to get paid doing it. I TAKE NOTHING IN MY LIFE FOR GRANTED. I hit lotto without having to buy a ticket. A charmed life? Hardly. I have an ex that literally wishes death on me constantly, my mom is in a full care facility with Alzheimer's, my dad died when he was in his late 50's (gulp), I help care for and support my GF's kids and grandkids....and as for my brother.. Well, I'm not going there at this time. Maybe if I'm asked back, or specific questions that I can address are asked, I'll touch on that next time. My point being, Im not Ant, I'm not Opie, I'm not any of you..I'm just a guy from Long Island that got lucky. I do know that when I told a few haters about "not having to work" and throwing it into several of your faces, it wasn't the wisest thing to do, and it certainly wasn't showing any class on my part. When in the thick of it, you try to come up with anything that you think will hurt your opponent most. Knowing that you're either former or current O&A fans, and knowing how much disdain you have for me, I knew it would be infuriating to you for me to portray myself in that light. It was said and used as a verbal weapon, and that's why it's still such a big sticking point and mainstay of "Joe Bashing Material" for you guys. But again, it's the furthest thing from the truth. I've never felt entitled to anything in my entire life, and until Ant became Anthony the Millionaire, I worked my balls off for the things I have. In short, I'm just a lucky fuck.
(Side note: if I'd have gotten lucky and been, I dunno...as successful as Dave Grohl...Anthony would have shared in my good fortune as well...That is the plain truth.
Most of you heard the stories of our formative years. My Dad was about a piece of shit as far as a Father goes.. Left the 4 of us when he was around 32 to go play cowboy in CA. That left me to do most of the things that a real Dad does, so I took care of Ant and Dawn while my Mom worked to raise us as normally as possible. You see how well that worked out? We're not perfect, all 3 of us have our issues. Me, I'm the big angry lummox that runs to his younger sibling's defense, sometimes when they don't even need it. I can be so defensive that I come off as being offensive. Dawn is probably the most normal out of the 3 of us. She's got her issues too, but they're not as apparent as Ant's and mine. Anthony is who he is because of.. Well, who he is, and I mean that in the sense of what shaped him growing up. I was old enough to understand and face up to my Dad leaving, the physical fights that our parents had in front of us, the ruined Christmas's , their alcohol Abuse, sometimes neglect, outright racist behavior by our drunk father, and lots of tears from all 3 of us as kids...My sister was too young to really remember, but Ant was right in the middle. He was the one that was traumatized the most...Why am I getting into this? In the hopes of explaining the WHY's of our behavior. Everyone has their issues. I'm sure some of you can piss all over what I've just said with horror stories of your own that make my drivel sound like...drivel.
It was never anyone's intention to make so many enemies here. You can take that for what it's worth. I have no reason for writing all of you like this other than an honest request for, if not an actual truce, simple detente.
Things could continue on as they are. I'm sure that some of you would rather have me here to bash, than to gain better insight to what "makes the Cumia Brothers tick", but it's with an open mind and a genuine desire to mend at least a few fences here that I've written this fucking book tonight.
At the risk of fucking up everything I've said this far, and again, with no malice or ill will, I wouldn't want you rabid fuckers to think I'm "laying down my arms" because you've given me a beating, I'm coming here with my fists unclenched and head held high to show you that I've actually learned a few valuable lessons here, and it's you that are directly responsible for that.
That's all for now...SAMCRO JOE (still cracks me up)