NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Anthony Filippone isn’t family, but he’s as close as it gets to Joe Cooper.
“He’s my best friend, business partner and soon to be in law,” Filippone said. “We work all day together and then we party all night.”
Usually the party is at Maple Leaf Bar. That’s where, Saturday, Filippone and other loved ones rallied in support of Cooper’s recovery.
Monday, Joe Cooper was shot during an attempted home invasion at his house in Gentilly Terrace.
Since then, just under $100,000 have been raised to help the family. Enough blood has been donated to help Cooper and victims of the deadly Uvalde, Texas shooting.
“He’s always just bee a supportive guy of the musicians,” said Ben Russell, a family friend. “He just gives so much to the community that we owe it to him to return that tenfold today.”
Cooper’s style is as vibrant as his personality.
“He’s a master of tie dye,” Brint Anderson said. “That’s why there’s all this beautiful clothing here.”
“It’s really obvious by the outpouring of support how good of a guy he really is,” Filippone said. “There’s not enough time to go over a hundredth of who the man is, but when you see thousands of people coming out and continuously calling, continuously supporting.. he’s who I want to be when I grow up.”
