Joseph "Joey" LaRocca (born 19 February 1974) was a soldier in the DiMeo crime family in New Jersey.
Biography[]
Joseph "Joey" LaRocca was born in Newark, New Jersey on February 19, 1974. He is the illegitimate son of Salvatore Bonpensiero and his mistress. LaRocca was raised by his mother and had no contact with his father. He was childhood friends with Reggie DeSantis, and the two later became close criminal partners.
in his late twenties, LaRocca was involved in petty theft. After attempting to rob a purse from a car, LaRocca was taken in by DiMeo crime family boss Anthony Soprano and soon became an associate of Paulie Gualtieri's crew. One night at the Bada Bing nightclub, Philadelphia Mob associate Mario Buscetta asked to see Tony, but was rebuffed by Paulie. Later on, Joey and Paulie both fight Mario in the restroom but Joey critically wounded him. Upon noticing Mario's lifeless body and assuming that he was killed, Paulie angrily instructed Joey to clean up and dispose of the body at the docks.
A few days later, Christopher Moltisanti ordered LaRocca to accompany him at Saul's Gym to collect protection money.
LaRocca is soon informed that the man he murdered at the docks was Mario Buscetta, nephew of Philadelphia Mob boss Angelo Buscetta, who had been recently released from East Jersey State Prison. Knowing that the watch would inadvertently lead to the Soprano crew, Paulie entrusts LaRocca to reclaim the watch from Reggie and kill him.