Joe Fresta, Jr. was born and raised in St. Louis and still resides in St. Louis County with his wife Caroli and works as a commercial insurance broker. His passion for hockey began on a frozen pond next to his childhood home in South St. Louis at the age of four, when soon after he would begin attending St. Louis Blues games with his father. He began playing youth hockey at the Steinberg Ice Rink in 1970. He went on to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-at River Falls and still skates with his friends in the early mornings during the week. He created The Steinberg Winter Classic to celebrate the game of hockey’s early history and to raise funding for local families whose loved ones are stricken with this deadly disease through the Cancer Care Foundation.