A true family business

THE exemplary service and unrivalled charm of Pat & Tina’s bp Service Station would not be the same if not for the arduous work of and strong family ties between the Di Conza family.

Joe said he feels incredibly proud to have his family around him and to watch his own grandchildren in the service station where he grew up.

“There were moments in my life that I never thought I’d be married. You know, you go through periods where you think, if I end up alone then I end up alone. Then, in the blink of an eye, in 25 years later Angela and I have been married, we’ve had three boys of our own and now we’ve got three grandchildren of our own,” said Joe.

“For my mother to have great grandchildren is an incredible experience for her. I would love to have dad still around.”

The Di Conza family was left devastated when, in 1991, Joe’s younger sister Alfina passed away after her battle with Hodgkin’s Disease. She was just 20 years old. Then, in 2003, the family was rocked again when Pat passed away following a short battle with Pancreatic cancer at the age of 68.

Joe said, “He never showed that he was sick, he never complained. It was 28 days of suffering and the week dad passed, there was a procession of our customers, family and friends who came through the service station to say goodbye. Nobody knew he was dying until that last week.”

After Pat’s passing, under different circumstances, Joe became the head of the family and the business, supporting his mum and continuing his father’s legacy, a role he was honoured to fill.

Today, Tina can still be found in the kitchen or in the workshop at Pat & Tina’s. Joe said, "Mum's not doing as much as she used to, but she still likes to come and chat to customers. She mainly sits in the kitchen, watching people or she'll be out in the workshop on the trolley that she uses to help her walk around. She doesn't serve like she used to, but she still tries to come in every day."

With his sincere love of family, Joe has enjoyed every moment watching his own three boys grow up around the service station. He takes great pleasure in sharing this special place with his grandchildren.

The eldest of the growing family, Lorenzo, Joe says, “he is my little shadow. He loves being here. Being the eldest of the three, everything I do, he’s got to do.

“It’s dangerous for him in the driveway, and he hates when I’m out there because he wants to be out there too.”

Today, each family member still has a role to play in the ongoing success of the business. Joe continues to lead the business into the future, Angela does bookkeeping and works inside the shop and in the driveway while supporting Tina. Angela and Joe’s three sons Michael, Anthony and Pat are frequently found around the service station helping out the same way Joe and his sister grew up, with Michael working there full time.