Joe Valley was Colorado family associate Joseph John Valentich - Bill Feather's website spells his name as "Valentica" but he wasn't Italian
He was associated to Eugene Smaldone and was his driver like 30+ years (he also assisted Clyde and Clarence as well as Paul C. Villano and other Denver crew members at times)
Valentich was also interviewed for the Smaldone book and talks about his relationship with Checkers. He ended up driving him to the hospital on the day he died in 1992
“I am saying for the record there is no organized crime except in the minds of the U.S. government, Mario Puzo and reporters who seem to capitalize on it." – John Vaccaro
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