Joey: The Street Fox of Newark

By Arthur G. Sharp and Joey DiBello

If "The Street Fox of Newark" could succeed in life, anyone can.

Joe Wilgus, currently known as Joe DiBello (his mother's maiden name), did not get off to a good start in life. He was born out of wedlock, turned over to foster care at age two, "kidnapped" by a man he hardly knew, adopted reluctantly by his father's mother, and sexually abused by his father and other men. He began living by his wits on the streets of Newark, New Jersey when he was only ten years old. If ever there was a real-life twentieth-century model for Oliver Twist, it was Joey DiBello.
Joey was a master at using the "five finger discount" and "liberating" food and goods to support himself and his family. He patrolled the streets of Newark like a fox on a bicycle between midnight and five a.m., collecting milk, bakery products, and vegetables to supplement his income and the family's larder. When he was at home, he was subjected to sexual abuse at his father's hands. The dysfunctional life he shared at home with his grandmother and sister forced him into a life of thievery, anti-social behavior, obsessive compulsion, and chronic truancy-which helped him turn his life around in the long run.
Deep inside Joey knew there was a better life for him if he worked to improve himself. He found that better life eventually, but only after an intercession by the State of New Jersey, the dubious help of the Archdiocese of Newark, and the gentle guidance from an understanding brother-in-law. The beneficial "mysterious hands" appeared after his grandmother, the only maternal figure he had, gave up on him and referred him to local juvenile authorities. A kindly judge mulled two choices: the state's dreaded youthful offender facility at Jamestown or a Roman Catholic protectory in Kearney named Boystown (not the one in Nebraska). The judge opted for Boystown. Joey wisely accepted the opportunity for redemption.