Joe Rizzo has been exploring abandoned buildings as a hobby for over twenty years. Joe grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and has been living in San Antonio since 1998. About ten years ago, Joe came up with the idea to produce a book about abandoned structures after coming across the book The New American Ghetto written by Camilo Jose Vergara. This book inspired Joe to document the many vacant buildings around San Antonio before they are renovated or demolished in the name of progress.