Family
Joseph Petito
Gabby's father, founder of Gabby Petito Foundation
1 case·50 media appearances
Profile
RoleFamily
Role detailGabby's father, founder of Gabby Petito Foundation
About
Joseph "Joe" Petito is the father of Gabby Petito. He lives on Long Island, New York, where he raised Gabby in the Blue Point community.[1] After Gabby failed to return from her cross-country van trip with Brian Laundrie in the summer of 2021, Joseph became one of the most visible voices in the search for his daughter, making appeals on national television and social media for the public's help.[1][2]
Following Gabby's death, Joseph channeled his grief into advocacy. He and Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, established the Gabby Petito Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting searches for missing persons, raising awareness about domestic violence, and providing resources for survivors.[3] The foundation offers scholarships to students at Gabby's former schools.
Joseph also created the television series "Faces of the Missing," which highlights missing persons cases that have not received widespread media attention, with a focus on cases involving marginalized and underrepresented individuals.
