About
The Patrick and Carlos Hope Initiative is dedicated to advancing public awareness of addiction and recovery through film and media initiatives that share recovery stories and connect individuals with critical community resources.
The Patrick and Carlos Hope Initiative was founded by Anthony Margotta Jr. to honor the lives and legacies of Patrick Margotta and Carlos Aguiar—two beloved brothers whose lives were lost to substance abuse and addiction.
Patrick, Anthony’s brother, passed away in 2008 after a long struggle with substance abuse. Carlos, the brother of Ramon Moya, lost his life to an accidential overdose in 2019. Both men left behind family, friends, and a daughter who loved her father Carlos deeply. Though their lives ended too soon, their stories continue to inspire a mission rooted in hope, healing, and recovery.
The stories of Patrick and Carlos are woven into the heart of Brother, a documentary that follows Anthony and Ramon as they share their experiences with substance abuse, addiction, recovery, and the profound impact these journeys have on individuals, families, and communities.
Anthony and Ramon’s friendship began in June 2020. At the time, Ramon was living in a sober house and had been in recovery for four months. After reading an article in the Asbury Park Press about Anthony’s recovery journey, Ramon stopped by Anthony’s office at Monmouth Park to introduce himself and share that he, too, was committed to rebuilding his life in sobriety. What began as conversations about recovery and shared experiences evolved into a lasting friendship, brotherhood, and mentorship rooted in mutual respect, accountability, and hope.
In 2023, Anthony met award-winning filmmaker Jason Romolo, who was also a member of the recovery community. Through their shared experiences and passion for helping others, Anthony and Jason developed the vision for Brother—an impact documentary centered on Anthony and Ramon’s recovery journeys and the power of connection, faith, and second chances. Together, Anthony, Ramon, and Jason recognized that their stories had the potential to reach far beyond their own lives and inspire hope in others struggling with addiction. Their meeting, and the creation of Brother is something they believe could only have happened through God’s grace and guidance.
The Initiative raises funds to support the development and production of impactful documentaries and storytelling projects focused on mental health, addiction, recovery, and the power of second chances. Through authentic stories of struggle, resilience, and redemption, the Initiative seeks to reduce stigma, inspire hope, and remind individuals and families affected by addiction that they are not alone.
Every story told through The Patrick and Carlos Hope Initiative serves as a tribute to Patrick and Carlos, ensuring that their legacies live on by helping others find hope, healing, and a path forward.
In Loving Memory
Patrick Margotta (right)
Carlos Aguiar (Left)
The Team Behind The Mission
Anthony R. Margotta Jr.
Anthony Margotta Jr. is a veteran Thoroughbred trainer, recovery advocate, and living testament to the power of second chances. With more than four decades in horse racing, Margotta has experienced both the highest highs and lowest lows the sport—and life—can offer.
After launching his training career in 1986, Margotta quickly rose through the ranks, earning multiple graded stakes victories, including Grade 1 wins with Brunswick in the Whitney Handicap and Run Man Run in the Malibu Stakes. His success established him as one of the sport’s rising stars, but behind the scenes he was battling a growing addiction that began with prescription pain medication and eventually spiraled into opioid dependency, alcoholism, and profound personal loss.
Over the years, addiction cost him his business, his finances, his marriage, and nearly his life. He endured the deaths of family members, struggled through multiple relapses, and faced moments of despair that few survive. In 2014, after years of fighting addiction, Margotta committed fully to recovery. Through treatment, faith, and the support of those who never gave up on him, he rebuilt his life one day at a time.
What followed has been one of horse racing’s most inspiring comeback stories. Returning to the sport he loves, Margotta reestablished himself as a respected trainer, developing stakes winners including Bronx Beauty, Teresa Z, Hopeful Growth, Orbs Baby Girl, and numerous other top performers. His stable once again earned graded stakes victories, proving that redemption is possible both on and off the racetrack.
Today, Margotta is known not only for his horsemanship and success in the barn, but also for his willingness to share his recovery journey in hopes of helping others. He frequently speaks about addiction, recovery, and the importance of perseverance, believing that the greatest victory of his life was not winning a Grade 1 race, but overcoming the disease that nearly took everything from him. His story serves as a reminder that no matter how far someone has fallen, there is always hope, healing, and a path forward.
Ramon F. Moya
Ramon F. Moya is a former Thoroughbred jockey, recovery advocate, and living example of resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of recovery. Born and raised in Harrison and Newark, New Jersey, Moya entered the horse racing industry at just 19 years old. Despite having little prior experience with horses, he quickly found success in the sport, winning his first race in 2009 and building a promising career in the saddle.
Behind that success, however, Moya was battling an addiction that began with prescription pain medication following injuries sustained while racing. What started as legitimate treatment gradually evolved into opioid dependency, eventually leading to heroin use and a devastating downward spiral. Over the years, addiction cost him nearly everything—his career, his home, his finances, and many of his most important relationships. He cycled through numerous detox and rehabilitation programs, experienced homelessness, and endured the heartbreaking loss of his brother to a fatal overdose.
In February 2020, after years of struggle, Moya made the decision to pursue recovery. Following treatment and a move into sober living near Monmouth Park, he began rebuilding his life one day at a time. Inspired by the recovery story of fellow horseman Anthony Margotta Jr., Moya reached out and found not only a mentor and sponsor, but a lifelong friend whose guidance helped shape his path forward. Since then, he has remained committed to his recovery and returned to the sport that first gave him purpose.
Today, Moya is known not only for his accomplishments on the racetrack, but also for his willingness to share his journey in hopes of helping others find their own path to recovery. Alongside Margotta, he advocates for addiction awareness, recovery support, and the belief that no one is beyond redemption. His story serves as a powerful reminder that even after profound loss and adversity, healing is possible and a second chance is always within reach.
Jason Romolo
Jason Romolo is an award-winning filmmaker, director, and storyteller. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Romolo is a first-generation Italian-Canadian and a graduate of Fanshawe College, where he earned honors diplomas in Multimedia Design & Production and Advanced Filmmaking.
With more than 20 years of experience spanning photography, multimedia, the music industry, and film production, Romolo has built a career defined by powerful storytelling and a distinctive visual style, heavily influenced by nostalgia and a reverence for a simpler time.
Romolo began his career at Toronto’s Orange Lounge Recording Studio, producing music videos and directing The Hook, a web series featuring laid back interviews with some of the world's most recognizable artists, including Ozzy Osbourne, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Snoop Dogg. He later transitioned into reality TV, working as a camera operator and then director of photography, before co-founding Heartstrings TV, a documentary series celebrating Canada's music scene. His most recent feature film, EFC, a narrative drama centered on women's Mixed Martial Arts, earned 34 awards and is now streaming on major platforms.
Throughout his career, Romolo has used film as a vehicle for impact, creating meaningful work for non-profit organizations including Music Counts, Trees for Life, March of Dimes, and An Instrument for Every Child.
Today, Romolo's work is focused on stories that illuminate the struggles and triumphs of everyday people, particularly those overcoming adversity. He is passionate about highlighting disenfranchised voices and exploring universal themes around the human condition, the search for belonging, redemption, and purpose.
After the tragic loss of his father in 2020 from a prolonged illness through which he was the primary caregiver, Romolo’s decade-long battle with alcohol became even further unmanageable, nearly taking his life and damaging his relationships with family and friends. He has now been a grateful member of the recovery community for four years and has found hope, support, and a new way of living through a 12-step program. His lived experience informs both his work and his mission, bringing compassion, perspective, and a belief that recovery is possible.
As the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote, “We suffer more in imagination than we do in reality”— a belief that continues to guide both Romolo's life and his storytelling.