Joe Valley was Colorado family associate Joseph John Valentich - Bill Feather's website spells his name as "Valentica" but he wasn't Italian

He was associated to Eugene Smaldone and was his driver like 30+ years (he also assisted Clyde and Clarence as well as Paul C. Villano and other Denver crew members at times)

Valentich was also interviewed for the Smaldone book and talks about his relationship with Checkers. He ended up driving him to the hospital on the day he died in 1992