The man who lost everything in the fire is in desperate need of a home

OUTHAMPTON, NY – A Southampton man who lost everything in a fire days before Christmas – including his beloved cat – is still desperately trying to find a home to call his own.

Joseph Casony – his friends call him Joejo – lived in a small rented cottage on the property of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for many years, until he was faced with the unthinkable, with literally only the clothes on his back and his truck.

Firefighters raced to the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club property in St. Andrew's Road and County Road 39 in Southampton to put out the fire that destroyed the home, leaving it a “total loss” on Dec. 20, officials said.

Luckily, Casony wasn't home and was at work and was unharmed – although he did lose his cat, Abigail.

Casony has persevered in the months that have passed, trying to stay positive, but the hope of finding an affordable East End rental has become an elusive dream for many displaced from their homes during a pandemic real estate boom that has seen property values ​​plummet. they soar.

However, Casony is hopeful that he will be able to find a new home – hopefully, a custodial situation similar to the one he had for so many productive and happy years.

“I've lived in the Hamptons for 23 years,” he said. “My kids live around here, my work is out here. God willing, I'll be able to stay out here, but it's not easy,” he said.

She has been looking since January 1 to find a rental in the area, but so far, there are no viable options.

After the fire, a GoFundMe was created and a fundraiser was organized by Casony's friends, who he plays with every year at the Bradstock music festival — an annual two-day event on Labor Day, raising funds for a good cause. Even basketball player Kyrie Irving donated $15,000 to Casony's GoFundMe page.

Casony said these funds helped him find hope in the darkest of times. “This money was a gift to me, to build a future,” he said, adding that his hope is to buy a house one day. “But that day is not today.”

He added that he would like to stay in the Hamptons, where his children are. Casony, like so many who have escaped their hometowns, works tirelessly and is diligent with his responsibilities, including supporting the children. But he doesn't envision a future where home ownership in the Hamptons is something he can realistically afford.

So finding a rental, and ideally a custodial situation, is his deepest hope.

Despite what he has endured, Casony's faith and inner strength remain steadfast.

After the fire, he has focused on making smart decisions, he said. And also, he is most and above all grateful.

“It's amazing the experience God has given me and what I'm learning about it all. Don't get me wrong – it stinks,” he said. “But I'm so grateful. I have been, ever since this happened, because I know there's a bigger plan here. I know not to take anything for granted — I feel like I've always known that.”

This positivity has been infused into Casony's very character since the beginning. “I've always tried to live my life staying extremely positive and embracing every moment, good and bad,” she said. “I've been teaching this to my children since they were born.”

From the ashes of the fire emerged one of the biggest positives of all, he said — the fact that his children can see how, despite all the obstacles, he kept going and how he didn't let anything get him down.

“I can only thank God for that. He is my constant rock and gets me through every day with a smile. True story,” she said.

But he's also honest about the sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenges.

“Obviously, the hardest part of all of this is trying to find a place to live. That's the part I'm most uncomfortable with and it smells, but I know it's going to be okay. I'll be camping and couch-surfing for the next few six weeks as I continue to work in East Hampton before moving to work,” Casony said.

Small things can become scary, like not having ID with a physical address. “All I have is a PO box, so now I can't even get a Suffolk County green key to get the discounted rates when I'm camping in the county parks,” he said.

Asked about his ideal living environment, Casony compared himself to the character “Radar” on the 1970s television sitcom M*A*S*H.

“I've always thought of myself as a radar, that guy who's perfect for one person or a certain company—to be that right-hand man for another. That's part of the reason I was a bouncer at the cottage on the golf course. And yeah , that's my goal — to find another position where I can be a craftsman.”

All he wants is to find a place where he can live and keep the property, pay a decent rent and offer labor as part of an exchange.

“I truly believe it's in my nature and I would be a wonderful asset to the right family,” she said. “That's what I'm trying to do. The problem is that you have to be in the right place at the right time. But the truth is that everything is in God's hands. Everything is in His timing and my faith is strong. I'm learning to be patient in all this”.

Looking ahead, despite the nightmare he has survived, Casony allowed himself to hold on to a dream.

“My future dream would be to find that perfect piece of land or a little cottage one day, buy it with the fundraising money – and live a quiet, simple life, still enjoying music and work,” he said.

Regardless of where his path leads, losing his home, a pain beyond measure, also showed how those who love him wrapped their arms and hearts around him in his time of great need.

“I can't even begin to thank and shout out the beautiful community that has rallied behind me. People keep coming up to me and saying, 'You did this,'” Casony said. “”This is because of who you are, this is why this is happening.” And I have to throw it all on God, I'm doing better than I deserve I give this love and it continues to please every person, including those I don't know, who was there for me.

Casony, who had no renter's insurance, lost everything he had. “It's all gone,” he said. Over the years, he had collected vintage vinyl records and thousands of concert posters, a testament to his love of music. “The cottage had an atmosphere that was just incredible,” he said. “And I will create it again.”

There were glimmers of hope: Casony said at least one box of photos under his bed was saved. His birth certificate and Social Security card, tucked into a cookbook, were also intact.

There were moments of compassion: “On the day of the fire, the fire marshal was there and I asked him if he would like to look in a corner, where there was a blue box with my father's ring. I lost my father four years ago,” Casony said. “He found it. I got my father's ring back.”

Casony has been staying at a friend's house for three months, but the clock is now ticking. “I'm hoping God opens up something I can afford,” he said.

Casony also realizes how lucky he is to be alive. If the fire had happened in the middle of the night, it probably wouldn't have been put out in time, he said.

Casony said his faith pushes him forward in hopes that a position will open up and his path will be clear. “I'm just a man looking for a caretaker position,” he said.

If you have an open supervisor position, you can contact Casony by email at solivvie@yahoo.com.