Joseph was born in 1942 in Hudson, NY. He has lived his whole life in Hudson except for a period of about 10 years. During the interview he discusses his childhood growing up in Hudson. He details his progress from elementary at Saint Mary’s School to Marist College, as well as the years and various places of employment in Columbia County and Albany, NY. He worked at V & O Press, the Nash Commercial Bank in Albany, taught at the Saint James Institute in Albany for 9 years, Columbia Auto Parts owned by Irving and Harry Diamond, The Columbia County CourtHouse, The Fireman’s Home and retired from Columbia Memorial Hospital after almost 20 years. Since 1998 in retirement he has been engaged in researching family history beginning in 1897.

Joseph is the grandson of immigrants and discusses the origin of his maternal and paternal family from both Italy and Lithuania. He describes their move to Hudson, their work and skills, and the building of property and family. Paternal Grandfather Genarino came to the US in 1898 from Italy, initially settling in NYC as a shoemaker. After about one year he came to Hudson. In 1905 he purchased 225 Warren St. Genarino courted his bride, Marianna De Robertos, [who was] in Italy, from New York. She emigrated from Italy in July 1905 to the US. He met her ship at Ellis Island and married her right there in a chapel by an Italian priest. He and his wife lived upstairs at 225 Warren St. and his shop was located downstairs. 

After Prohibition ended about 1933 or 1935 Genarino closed two of the three shoe maker shops and instead opened a saloon called Gen’s Restaurant. After their parents’ deaths, their children ran the business, including Joseph’s father.