About Doug & Joe

Doug Carson and Joe Carcione Jr. met at Santa Clara University in the Fall of 1965. Doug’s first question to Joe, when they were seated next to each other in the Italian Club Orientation, was “Are you the Green Grocer’s son?” (The Green Grocer was a popular syndicated TV show showing Joe’s produce market with Joe giving many ideas for picking and preparing food the “green” way.) “Yes,” was Joe’s answer. Doug said that his whole family had watched him, and he felt like they were already friends. Joe and Doug were housed in the same dorm and only three doors down from each other, and that started a close friendship lasting for 49+ years.

Our Story

But how did Doug and Joe’s Tees become part of the story? Joe is a retired Injury Attorney and was vacationing in the Tahoe area. Meandering through the area, he and his wife, Bobbie, visited the little town of Markleeville, not far from Tahoe. They went into a gift shop and struck up a conversation with the store owner. That’s never a problem for Joe! The 2021 Tamarack Fire, that threatened Lake Tahoe and burned hundreds of thousands of acres of forest all around and encircling Markleeville, never touched the town. Joe was amazed that Markleeville was completely intact and not burned at all! Joe said, “WOW, that’s amazing. How did that happen?” The lady looked at Joe with a determined look on her face and said, “WE ARE THE LITTLE TOWN THAT COULD.”

So, Joe had an idea. He knew his friend Doug was in the Promotional Marketing Industry and was the perfect partner he needed to create that idea. Joe wanted an aerial photo of Markleeville printed on T-Shirts to show the town, completely surrounded by the burned land. People needed to see the amazing results of the people of “The Little Town That Could.” And so, DOUG and JOE’S TEES was born.