JOEY BENNET

Joey Bennet's father had been an immigrant from Eastern Europe who became the head of a family crime syndicate involved in drug trafficking. When his father died, Joey became the head of the family and inherited the business which grossed one hundred million dollars a year. Joey's younger brother Frank had chosen to distance himself from the family business and had become a promising young architect. When a young associate from Frank's office died of a drug overdose, Frank tried to persuade Joey to shut down the business, but Joey insisted that he could not be held accountable since he simply provided a service to addicts who would acquire the drugs anyway.

When Federal Marshal Andrew Wiley approached Frank to ask him to testify before the Crime Commission about his brother's drug operation, Frank considered the option. However, Joey learned of their conversation and sent his henchmen, Max and Tommy, to abduct his brother and bring him to a lumber warehouse where Joey and his attorney Vincent Ivory confronted him. Frank's knowledge of the family business made him a liability, and when Joey could not convince him to remain loyal to the family, he was prepared to kill him to prevent his testimony. However, MacGyver had been hired by Wiley as an expert on personal security, and he arranged a rescue by creating an elaborate cloud of sawdust and woodchips as a diversion. The confrontation with his brother convinced Frank to go ahead with the testimony, and he gave his deposition before the Crime Commission.

Katerina Bennet, the mother of Joey and Frank, had been hospitalized in failing health. Knowing that she was dying, she wanted to see Frank one more time, but Joey used the opportunity to set a trap for his brother by arranging for his mother to be discharged and brought back to the family home. Knowing that it was a trap, but counting on protection from the federal marshals outside the house, Frank went to the Bennet home and was able to be with his mother one last time before she peacefully passed away. However, Joey had used the similarity of the brothers' voices to lure Wiley and the marshals away from the house with a phone call, and he prepared once again to kill his brother.

By breaking into the Bennet home, MacGyver was able to orchestrate another rescue by constructing a rocket-powered harpoon that allowed MacGyver and Frank to zipline to safety outside the Bennet compound. With the arrival of Wiley and the federal marshals, Joey would face prison and his family business would be shut down, due to Frank's testimony as well as the attempted murder charges.

Portrayed by: Richard Romanus

Cross Reference: Frank Bennet, Katerina Bennet, Vincent Ivory, Max, Tommy, Andrew Wiley

Episode Reference: The Prodigal