RIVER VALE, N.J. — Many 3-year-olds dream about superheroes, dinosaurs, or race cars.
For resident Rocco Misklow, there’s nothing much cooler than a garbage truck.
So when Rocco celebrated his third birthday on May 30, his family arranged a surprise tailored to his interests: a visit from a Buldo Brothers Sanitation truck and the driver he eagerly waits to see every week.
“Every Tuesday and Friday morning, we have to go outside and watch them,” Rocco’s father, Philip Misklow, told Pascack Press on May 30. “No matter how early it is. If we sleep late and miss it, he’s upset.”
According to Misklow, Rocco’s fascination extends beyond collection days. While many children watch cartoons, he prefers videos of garbage trucks on YouTube. He appreciates a nice dump truck as well, and fire engines are starting to make an impression.
The surprise came together after Rocco’s grandfather, Bill Franceschini, contacted Buldo Brothers to explain his grandson’s enthusiasm for sanitation trucks and ask whether the company might be willing to help celebrate the occasion.
The answer: an enthusiastic yes.
Buldo Brothers, a family-owned waste and recycling company that says it has served Bergen County for more than 60 years, notes on its website that its business now spans three generations and that it supports several local organizations, including River Vale youth, fire, police and recreation programs.
On Saturday afternoon, a Buldo Brothers truck rolled up to the family’s Tiffany Avenue home, where relatives and friends had gathered in the backyard for Rocco’s birthday party. Franceschini was performing magic tricks for an adoring young audience. His showstopper: by sleight of hand and misdirection, he turned a toy garbage truck into the real thing.
In front of the house, driver Carlos Gomez, who normally services the neighborhood, had volunteered to come in on his day off to help surprise the young fan. He and his wife, Sarah, also brought a balloon and gift bag.
“I see the excitement,” Gomez said.
Surveying neat, leafy Tiffany Avenue, he said, “This is on my route. Wilson Court is my last street. I normally make this left here, and I give them the honk right before I leave.”
The visit included an up-close look at the rumbling truck, photos with Gomez and the vehicle, and a chance for Rocco, his younger brother, Vito, and his friends to see firsthand how one of his favorite machines works. Rocco even tossed in leaf litter, giving the huge machine something to gulp down.
Gomez explained that the rear-loading truck compacts garbage using hydraulic equipment and can hold 18 to 20 tons before being emptied. He said he typically collects 10 to 12 tons in a day. The truck has a winch used to connect to containers for unloading into the packer.
“Americans produce a lot of garbage,” Gomez said.
He takes his hauls to C & A Carbone Inc. on Western Highway in West Nyack, N.Y.
For Rocco, however, the technical details mattered less than the chance to stand beside the real thing.
As children gathered around the truck and adults snapped photos, the birthday boy appeared delighted by the surprise.
“It blew him away,” Franceschini said afterward.
Franceschini said he was deeply touched by the company’s willingness to participate.
“You don’t find people like that anymore,” he said. “When I got the call that they would do it, it literally restored my faith in people.”
Philip Misklow is in medical sales. His wife, Karina Franceschini Misklow, is about to start teaching second grade in Harrington Park. The family has lived in River Vale for three years. Franceschini, of Cresskill, is postmaster in Alpine.
We stayed for the singing of “Happy Birthday” and the cutting of the cake, which of course featured a sanitation truck up top. (You go, ShopRite artists!)
We declined the kind offer of cake, pasta, and sausage and peppers, but did grab a cookie on our way out — the cookie, of course, looked like Gomez’s truck.
