Did they give you any idea what kind of motorcycle you won? They gave me an idea, and I actually helped build it. In the beginning, I put the engine in it. I put the transmission in it, and I picked the paint and the seat — all that. How does it feel to have a one-of-a-kind OCC chopper? Oh my God, it's like a dream come true. It really is. So Joe, now that you’ve seen the bike, what do you think? Now that I’ve seen the bike, I’m really just blown away! I couldn’t be any happier! Everything and everyone just came together for me and absolutely nailed it.
What, really, is your idea of a ‘dream chopper?’ Let’s start with your chopper being built by one of the greatest of all times — Paul Teutul Sr., founder of Orange County Choppers. Pair that with your own creative ideas for a unique gas tank, fender, handlebars, and a really cool paint job, and it doesn’t get better, right? We at Orange County Choppers thought for sure that this bike design was the best idea yet. “I don’t think it could get better,” said Paul Sr. “I get to work with an individual winner of a very cool contest.” My name is Joe. I'm from Poconos, Pennsylvania, and I entered the Dream Chopper competition online thinking that I was just going to be on their mailing list. Little did I know that I would have thousands of people voting for me. Everybody came together, voted for me… and I won! I couldn't believe it. How did you get into riding? I was in the Army in 1990 during Desert Storm and a couple of friends had motorcycles. I was 23. So, I asked one guy to take me for a ride. He took me for a ride on the back of his Honda Magna, and I loved it. It was down in Florida. There were beautiful roads, and I just loved the feeling of the wind in your face and everything. And, from then on, I had motorcycles. How did you feel when you won? I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. I'm on cloud nine.
Is the bike everything you expected? The bike is even more than I expected! I mean, that thing is mine, and I’m gonna show it off to the world. What do you think about the whole unveiling experience? The whole unveiling experience was phenomenal! It’s one I’ll never forget, for sure! When Paul Sr. rode in on the bike and I could hear it, my heart started to purr!
Where’s the first place you’re going to ride your bike to? The first place I’m going to ride the bike to is Washington D.C. to see the monuments with the Mrs. We’ll make several stops along the way too and take lots and lots of pictures, making awesome memories. What was the experience like working with the guys from Orange County Choppers? The whole experience working with OCC was just unbelievable. I mean, these guys wasted no time getting us in there after I won the contest, and then we started building on day one!
Who else gets to do that? This guy! Well, what I’d like to say to Paul Sr. is, “Thank you very much for being involved in this competition, for giving me the bike, and just being an all-around great guy to everybody; this is phenomenal.”
Joe Rasulo is a U.S. Army veteran and former detective who received his custom bike on June 26, 2021, at the new OCC location in Clearwater, FL. The Dream Chopper competition gave Joe the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design his dream ride with Paul Sr. and the OCC crew. The Dream Chopper competition also benefited the Hudson Valley SPCA, a no-kill animal sanctuary in the Newburgh, New York area. It is also the only source of Humane Law Enforcement in Orange County. The dedicated staff and team of volunteers protect and defend animals and actively seek loving homes for every one of them. The nonprofit receives funding solely from donation contributions. OCC has been a long-time supporter of the HVSPCA. “The last donation literally saved the shelter. With COVID, we were unable to do the 5 big fundraisers we do every year, and donations were down by 40%. The Hudson Valley SPCA has been in existence since the late 1800s, and we plan on making sure it is still here 100 years from now.” – Joan Kay, CEO of Orange County Choppers, and president of HVSPCA.
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