Joseph Vazquez, a filmmaker born in the South Bronx, was abandoned by his mother at the tender age of 10 months, leaving him and his two older brothers to be raised by their maternal grandmother. His father, who had died of a drug overdose in 1985, was absent from their lives. Despite the challenges he faced, Vazquez began making his own movies at the age of 12 using his relative's Super-8 camera.
After completing his degree in filmmaking from City College of New York in 1983, Vazquez secured a job in a film post-production company and went on to create his own film, "The Bronx War," in 1989. The film gained recognition at film festivals, and Vazquez was soon approached by New Line Cinema. He showcased a script he had been working on for several years, and the company agreed to finance and distribute the film, "Hangin' with the Homeboys," in 1991.
The film was a critical and commercial success, propelling Vazquez' career as a filmmaker. However, his already erratic behavior on set worsened after he was attacked and slashed in the face by a deranged individual in the subway. The incident led to Vazquez' ambitions to act, which he believed were crushed by the attack.
Vazquez' behavior on set became increasingly erratic, causing tension among the cast and crew. His remarks at the New York premiere, where he thanked the people of New York "because they have the best drugs," further alienated him from the industry. He turned down numerous projects, and eventually, the offers ceased to come.
In 1994, Vazquez was offered a job in Puerto Rico directing "Manhattan Merengue!" (1995). Although he believed the film would be a hit, it was never released, and he became severely depressed. He relocated to Hollywood, where his erratic behavior worsened, culminating in his arrest and hospitalization.
A psychiatrist diagnosed Vazquez as manic-depressive and recommended hospitalization, but he refused treatment and checked himself out of the hospital. Believing himself to be Jesus Christ, Vazquez gathered a group of homeless people and prostitutes and began shooting a film, but the crew deserted the project when he arrived on set screaming and waving a loaded gun.
Vazquez eventually left his makeshift "family" and moved in with his mother, whom he had not seen in decades. His mental state continued to deteriorate, and he was hospitalized several times. It was discovered that he had AIDS during one of his hospital stays, and he died of complications from the disease on December 16, 1995, in a San Diego hospital.
