Three community members turned friends have taken the initiative to clean up their neighborhood one paintbrush at a time.

Joe Marano, Ed Sanchez and John Pravetto have been combatting graffiti in their Throgs Neck neighborhood.

"We cover the 45th and 49th precinct but as the graffiti issue got bigger it was hard for us to do both areas,” they said.

News 12 was told that getting rid of graffiti was not an easy task in the 45th Precinct. Thanks to their efforts and the city agencies, the Throgs Neck community is almost 100% free of graffiti.

"I grew up in Spanish Harlem with graffiti and I want to stay in New York but graffiti is not necessary,” Sanchez says.

Sanchez says he works hard to keep the community he lives in clean and free of graffiti and volunteers at least three hours a Sunday to paint over graffiti.

Marano, Sanchez and Pravetto say they will continue to do so until graffiti is nonexistent in their community. They are also looking for more volunteers, in their neighborhood. Marano says he will provide paint and paintbrushes just reach out to them on their Facebook page.