[6] Carroll got his first job in a butcher shop at the age of 8, and would go on to sell Christmas trees and do laundry machine repairs to supplement income for his parents and siblings.
[4] Given the choices by Bishop Leo Thomas Maher of transferring to a parish church in Needles, California, or becoming involved in St. Vincent de Paul, Carroll chose the latter.
[9] Carroll's efforts to assist the homeless, drew criticism from the Wall Street Journal, and praise in the form of a World Habitat Award.
[14] In 2019, Carroll was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from San Diego State University.
[16] He celebrated his 80th birthday on April 12, 2021, with the release of his memoir, "Father Joe Life Stories of a Hustler Priest".
[1] In July 2021, Carroll died due to diabetes while receiving hospice care at his East Village home.