The warmth of Joe Maniaci draws you in as soon as you meet him. The strong handshake, the cheerful smile and the twinkling eyes tell the story of a man who has lived a full life and is happy to be able to give back to others. Fortunately for St. Louis Center, Joe Maniaci is a man who has “given back” a great deal.

Joe Maniaci was born on March 21, 1946 in Terrasini, Sicily and came to the United States when he was eight years old. From there, he tells the story of growing up on the east side of Detroit.

“I started grade school at Guyton Elementary, and graduated from St. Martin’s in 1965. That’s where I met my lovely wife, Mary Jane, and we were the campus couple. We graduated together, and then I went into the service. I was a Military Policeman in the Army in Fairbanks, AK, where we had two months of summer, and the rest was pretty cold. Thankfully, she waited for me and I got out when I was 22. Mary Jane and I were married on September 7, 1968, and we’ve been married now for 52 years.”

Together they had three children. Their oldest daughter is Lisa, followed by their son John, and daughter Kari. They now have eight grandchildren.

Joe learned the tube bending trade in high school while working at A&B Tube Benders. After returning from the service, he went to work for Warren Tube where he became the General Manager. In 1978, he decided to open his own business, called Troy Tube and Mfg. Co. “I’ve been doing it now for 42 years and it’s still going strong to this day” said Joe. “I had a medical procedure done in 2018, and then a couple of setbacks, so I finally had to give it up full-time. But I still go in once in a while for a couple of hours and check on the place to make sure things are running properly.” Joe’s three children work there, along with both sons-in-law and his daughter-in-law. His nieces, nephews, and several grandchildren also work there, so it is truly a family business.

Joe Maniaci and Fr EnzoJoe tells how he became involved with SLC and the Dad and Lad Golf Outing. “Jack Tocco, Sr. put me on a bus one day and said, ‘Come with me, I want to show you SLC.’ So of course, I went and I fell in love with the place. After that, we felt we needed to do something. Along with Mike Chirco and Sam Cottone, we started the Dad and Lad Golf Outing and it’s been going great now for 24 years, raising funds to help the residents at the Center.”

 


 

Dad & Lad Golf Outing

The Dad & Lad Golf Outing remains a popular annual fundraiser for St. Louis Center every year, and we couldn’t be more grateful! Click here to learn more about this year’s event.


This story was originally published in the 2020 St. Louis Center Annual Report.