SOMA Living December 2025

MEET THE LA FALCE-FACCHINEI FAMILY

Photography by Jamie Meier

When Joe Facchinei and Joe LaFalce first met, it was through a social platform that now feels like a relic of the early internet. “We met on Friendster,” Joe L laughs. “Pre-Myspace, pre-Facebook, it was like the dawn of social media.” They had a mutual friend, creating the connection that sparked their first date. Timing wasn’t right then, but fate intervened years later when they bumped into each other outside Mary’s Fish Camp in the West Village. “He had just picked up frozen yogurt,” Joe F recalls, “and I was on the phone with a friend.” “We went on another date and we’ve been together ever since.” Joe L adds with a grin: “It was meant to be. Rainbows and lollipops from there on out.” As their careers flourished in New York City, they began to dream about what life could look like beyond Manhattan. Joe L spent years in media, including at Time Inc., shaping digital strategies for brands like People, Entertainment Weekly and InStyle before pivoting to fintech with Afterpay. “I miss media, but tech is thrilling, fast paced and big ideas,” he says. Joe F’s path was equally impressive, with nearly two decades at Gucci leading partner marketing for the brand. “It was intense, exciting and very rewarding,” he shares. But as their family grew, Joe F felt drawn to a career that offered balance and a community connection, leading him to real estate with Sotheby’s. He now sees this as the perfect fit. “I wanted balance but also a new challenge,” he explains. “And now I work right in the center of South Orange. It feels so small town in the best way.” This has also allowed Joe F to become more involved locally, serving as co-chair of events for the Marshall PTA and as a Vice President of the Montrose Park Historic District Association.

Their move from Manhattan to SOMA was a thoughtful decision. “We

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