I met Joey Marrone at a summer event; his infectious enthusiasm for skating and travel was instantly captivating. He’s a true character – authentically Italian-American, and refreshingly open. As an Am with Jacuzzi and backed by Asics, he’s in a unique position where his potential feels limitless, yet he’s also navigating the typical self-doubt that comes with the territory.
Despite the City of Philadelphia’s demolition of their iconic spot, Muni, Joey and his crew are still filming there, determined to keep the spot alive. While the loss of Muni is a massive blow to the local skateboarding community, Joey’s maintaining a positive outlook. His attitude is a reminder that new beginnings don’t necessarily have to be daunting.
Joey Marrone at a skate event, smiling with a beer in hand
Before going all-in on skating, you drove for Uber. What was that experience like?
I don’t do it much anymore, but there was a period where I was a full-time Uber driver, and the rides were wild, especially on Friday nights in Philly. I remember one couple was in the back fighting, the dude saying he wanted to break up, and the girl lifting her shirt, asking, “You’re gonna break up with this?!” The guy just bailed, and she was crying. I was trying to lighten the mood, telling her not to worry about a tip. [laughs]
I’ve had other rides with people talking about seriously messed up stuff, like stabbing people. They’re in my backseat, and I’m just like, “Have a good day!” [laughs] You get those kinds of rides all the time.
Now, if I do Uber, it’s because I feel like talking to people. If I’m sad or in a mood to chat, I’ll turn it on and whoever gets in becomes my impromptu therapy session. They hear all about my problems. [laughs]
It sounds like a good distraction from life, getting to meet different people.
Oh, dude, absolutely. I remember once going through a breakup and I was just Ubering non-stop. One dude felt so bad for me that he gave me like an $80 tip!
Any luck with dates from Uber?
Not really, though girls have given me their numbers. But I never followed up. When I was doing it a lot, I was in a relationship. Now, I’m really focusing on skating. I’m getting some income from Jacuzzi, so I don’t have to Uber as much.
Did you carry any kind of defense while driving, like mace?
Yeah, I have mace, but if someone pulls out a knife or gun, I’m not gonna be like, “Hold up, lemme get my mace.” [Laughs]
Joey Marrone skating with a focused expression
Did you finish college?
No, I didn’t. I went to Temple University. During COVID, I started to take skating more seriously. I was so depressed at the time, wondering if the world was ending. Sitting in my room, I was thinking, “If the world stopped running, what would I want to do?” And it was to skate and hang out with my friends.
I was studying media studies and production, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just there because my parents wanted me to go. So I just stopped going to classes, and we never really discussed it.
How did your parents react when you stopped going to school?
They were cool about it. They were like, “Oh yeah, he’s just doing his thing. He’ll figure it out.” They knew I wasn’t just sitting around doing nothing. My dad is old school, but my mom’s more about chasing your dreams. My dad actually produced music for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. He understood the passion of chasing something, and I think that’s why he lets me chase skating.
My dad was very money-oriented; he chased the bag wherever he went. But I care more about being happy than being rich.
Your dad has production credits with those famous rappers?
Yeah, we found some stuff online, like “produced by Joseph Marrone,” which is my dad. He’s a lawyer now. He told me he wants to sell his company in 10 years and become a DJ. He wants to travel the world with my mom and DJ private parties. [laughs]
I think he’s having a midlife crisis. I was like, “You’re losing it!” He wants to be called “S’more” and be like DJ Marshmallow.
That’s amazing. Does he have a Jersey accent?
He’s got that Italian accent like, “Hey, how you doin’? Ayyy, I’m Joe Marrone. Nice to meet ya, babe. Fuggedaboutit!” All his friends are small Italian people. My family’s super American-Italian. We’re getting so Americanized, I don’t even speak Italian. [laughs]
When you were in school, were you diagnosed with depression or put on any medication?
I wasn’t taking anything. It wasn’t like I was fully depressed, but I just felt like I didn’t know what to do. It felt like everyone had to be sad for a year or two. You couldn’t even go to the store without it being a problem. You couldn’t do anything. People were drinking on Zoom and stuff. One time, I drank a 12-pack of Twisted Teas and was just like, “Fuck dude. This is ass!”
But I feel like if COVID didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have taken skating so seriously. I probably would have just had a normal, boring job.
So COVID made you think, “I’m gonna go for it because it could end tomorrow?”
Kind of, yeah. Getting on a company wasn’t a real goal for me for a while. But when Kris Brown randomly got on Adidas, it was a shock. If one of your close friends gets on something that’s out of anyone’s reach, especially in Philly, it’s like, “Holy shit, we can do something.” It made us realize it’s about connections, getting in there, being cool, and doing your thing.
A close up shot of Joey Marrone's face while skateboarding
Did you always feel like a “regular 9 to 5” life wasn’t for you?
I got away from it, especially coming from an Italian family where they expect you to finish school, get a job, find a wife, have kids, all that. Most of my family is living that life right now.
It’s crazy how many people live for the weekend. They work all week, drink all weekend, and are depressed from Monday to Wednesday, then feel good for two days. Then they wonder why they are depressed all the time.
I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Monday comes, and we skate. I’m just skating and enjoying life. After this conversation, I’m going to get a haircut and go skate. Maybe grab a beer with Brian. Maybe me and Mike will run around the city just because we can. Life’s too short to just be “okay.” You might as well go full-fledged.
Where did you get the “I Love MILFS” hat? What reactions do you get when you wear it?
I got it at a shop from the Jersey Shore MTV show. People love it, but I think I get more reactions out of my other hat that says, “I shaved my pussy for this?” It’s definitely a good party hat.
What’s your dream non-skate sponsor?
Twisted Tea for sure.
What do you think is the secret to a long, successful skate career?
You gotta stay active. You have to start strong when you’re young, film as much as possible, be involved, and be around. The more people see you, the more they think, “Okay, that dude’s sick.”
It’s about the people you associate with and what you’re involved in. Look at Kevin Bilyeu, Jahmir Brown, and those guys revitalizing DC Shoes. If you told me eight years ago that DC would make a comeback, I’d think you were out of your mind!
The Philly DC scene is so strong because of Brian Panebianco, Kevin, Jahmir, Chris Falo, and the rest of them. That’s why it’s so sad to see Muni go.
Joey Marrone mid-air during a skate session
Philly has a history of ruining great skate spots. You guys always get the short end of the stick.
We’ve been dealt bad hands for so long. I remember as a kid, they put up the fence at City Hall. I didn’t care then, but then Love Park got fenced off, and now Muni. We put this place on the map, and we’re not going down without a fight. We want to keep it relevant for as long as possible.
What’s the current status with Muni? Is it being torn down?
They were going to remodel it, but we thought we had five or six more years. Then, Brian sent an article in the group chat about “Phase One” as a joke. He started sending videos of him showering with “Phase One” on his arm. Then, the next day, they actually put up fences, and we were like, “What the fuck?!”
For the past month, while it’s been under construction, we’ve been building stuff. After the construction workers left each day, we’d build something new, knowing it would be gone by the end of the weekend.
But then the construction workers got a new job, and they left Muni as it is. It’s a mess with rubble everywhere, but we’ve been building our own DIY stuff, including new ledges.
So it’s a weird gray area, but something will happen again, right?
Yeah. They’ll make it skate-proof, but right now, the footage we’re getting is in the middle of rubble. We built a mega bump, and we’re making ledges out of granite tiles. These last days at Muni have been some of the most fun I’ve ever had, because we came together to do something exciting and put this place on the map.
But there’s more to Philly than just Muni. We got so wrapped up in it because the scene became so strong. Philly has a lot to offer and it still does. This is our generation and what we can do. Let’s keep going until we can’t anymore.
If it gets too hard to skate in Philly, would you move to California?
No one’s going anywhere.
A wide shot of Joey Marrone and other skaters at Muni, navigating the construction rubble and new skate obstacles
Interview by: Ian Michna
Photos by: Dakota Mullins and Dan Eshleman
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