When a young catch-driver starts having success in our business, some people probably feel envious. Top drivers make good money, and there are only so many of those jobs available, right? Sometimes there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes however, such as in the case of Joe Bongiorno -- a young man carrying the pressure of having a surname that wasn’t always good to him.

Bongiorno has been through a lot over the past decade or more -- admittedly some of it self-inflicted -- but since it all came to a head, less than two years ago, and he sought out the help he needed, things are looking up.

To read the full story featured in the April 2026 issue of TROT Magazine, click the following links:

• Bongiorno: The name everyone knows; the man very few understand
• Bongiorno: un nom que tous connaissent ; un homme que peu comprennent

(Standardbred Canada)