Mr. "Joey Flash" Occhione's Homecoming Fundraiser

As part of EPIC's Parole Advocacy at NYU Law, we (Julia & Zoe) have had the privilege of getting to know Mr. Occhione over the past 8 months while helping him prepare for his parole board interview. Now, we are helping him prepare for his return home.

Mr. Occhione is a talented and driven 58-year-old man who is returning to his community in Queens after almost sixteen years of incarceration. He is excited to spend time with his family, who has been eagerly anticipating his ability to participate in their family celebrations.

Mr. Occhione spent his younger years as a talented breakdancer, touring the country and appearing as a dancer in the background of films like The Last Dragon and Beat Street, (credited as “Fast Break”). He was also featured prominently in a Saturday Night Live segment and appeared on the hip-hop variety show Grafitti Rock .

During this period of incarceration, Mr. Occhione rekindled his love of the arts, appearing in six theatrical productions with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). He speaks often about how RTA has helped him to “remove the mask” that he used to shield himself from his feelings in the past. Mr. Occhione’s favorite role to perform was in Golden Boy, and he also enjoyed the opportunity to choreograph all the dancing for RTA’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Occhione hopes that upon returning home he will be able to help guide young people onto the right path through art.

Upon his immediate release, Mr. Occhione will be staying with family — any and all support would be appreciated and will go directly to Mr. Occhione to support getting him on his feet, from clothes, to a phone, to maybe even notebooks for him to continue writing his story.

He tells his own story in his poem, "Who Am I":

Who Am I

My name is Joseph Occhione, also known as Joey Flash. I grew up in a poor Italian American family with three sisters and two brothers. I believe I am a good and loving person whose made poor choices in life to survive.

I was gifted with many talents like dancing, acting, fighting, drawing, working, cutting hair, etc., basically everything I’ve done, I did well.

L also became a drug addict, a burglar, a stick-up kid. The problem with that is as I became all these people I forgot who I am.

Who Am I

I am a person who spent most of my life locked up. I have many memories of my life, good and bad, hard and easy.

I really don’t know who I am, what my purpose is in life. I have many gifts to offer, but have been gone so long that I lost my vision.

I don’t even know my family whom I love blindly, what their lives were and are now.

As I look at photos of their lives without me, I wonder, are they thinking of me in that moment. Maybe they know me as a son, brother, uncle, friend, or am I just a memory of a love one who isn’t around.

Who Am I

I'm scared, I’m worried of failing again, insecure about if I will make a difference, will it matter, what will I become.

As I look into my mother’s and father’s eyes, I realize I never took the time to get to know them as people. How was their lives growing up, what were they like as kids, teens, and adults.

They’ve seen me at my best and worst, and they only wanted the best for me. I could only imagine they didn’t want me locked away.

I failed them in life, I chose the fast life paved in glimmer and gold. My life became a movie, a rap song, a gangster all for the love of money.

I became whatever worked at the time. I had so many masks on that I truly didn’t know who I was, what I became.

This is why I was afraid then, because I looked in the mirror, I didn’t know the person looking back.

Who Am I

I've become a loser, a person who lied, stole, cheated, hurt and deceived all for the love of money.

But I know in my heart I can change, I have the goodness, will, and determination for greatness and fame.

I'm sorry my mother and father can’t see what I'll become. I can only hope and pray that I'll make them proud of their son.

Who Am I

I've been a member of R.T.A. for eleven years now. I learned to take off the mask that I once hid behind and let my inner light shine.

I’ve learned to trust others with my inner most feelings, and to live my life just for today, because tomorrow isn’t promised to no one.

So, as I dive into this world without my wings, ’Il learn to fly again, learn what it is to be free. I want to thank R.T.A. for saving my life, a life worth saving.

That’s Who I Am