Jun. 18, 2014: "I love public works," said Rocco Circosta, Bronxville’s superintendent of public works. "I have a real passion for public works."

Now on his way to a position in the private sector, Circosta reflected on the passion and experience that led to his 36-year career in public works, his nine years in Bronxville, and the upcoming new chapter in his working life.

"I have always liked equipment," Circosta noted, "whether it be cars, trucks, or construction equipment. I didn't stray much."

A Yonkers native who grew up "just outside" the Bronxville zip code, Circosta gained his first work experience in pizza restaurants. "I did anything that had to be done--deliveries, cooking, making pies. I had a lot of relatives who owned pizza restaurants and somebody always needed help."

Beyond the value of the work ethic he gained, Circosta began to build the network of friends and contacts that still thrives today. "I worked at a shop in Scarsdale, right on the Eastchester border, and made many friends from Eastchester who are in politics now."

Circosta's interest in engineering was sparked by cousins and an older brother who were engineers. After earning a degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College, Circosta worked as a designer at American Electric Power in New York City, a company that designed power plants and power generation facilities. A company move to Ohio and his desire to stay in Westchester led to a junior civil engineer position with the East Hudson Parkway Authority. "In my early years I did a lot of surveying for the Hutchinson River Parkway when it was under design," Circosta recalled. "I really enjoyed that."

When the New York State Department of Transportation took over the East Hudson Parkway Authority, Circosta decided that he wanted to stay in Westchester rather than take a position upstate or at the World Trade Center in the city.

"I like Westchester. It's my home," he said. "With 43 different municipalities in the county, I knew that at any given point in time one of them would need somebody." Scarsdale did. Circosta took the job as assistant civil engineer of the village. After three years, he moved to the Village of Briarcliff Manor, where he served as assistant village manager and assistant village engineer. When, after four years in Briarcliff Manor, a friend and former co-worker from Scarsdale offered Circosta a position overseeing the building department and department of public works in Rye Brook, he made the move.

Circosta worked in Rye Brook for nine years. Then, "A longtime friend, also the village manager of Ossining, offered me the opportunity to work in my new hometown of Ossining." As director of operations for the Village of Ossining, Circosta supervised over 50 employees in the building department, water department, and sanitation department.

"Bronxville was always 'the light,'" Circosta said, "but there was always someone in the superintendent of public works position." After nine years in Ossining, the position in Bronxville became available, and Circosta was chosen for the job to succeed Peter Woodcock, a good friend and contact from years earlier in Scarsdale.

"Every single job was a great experience and I met so many people," Circosta said. "The friends and contacts are amazing. It's quite a network."

Circosta will leave Bronxville at the end of July to take a position with a road materials company. "My new job is essentially working with the people I already know," he said. "This firm chose me because I have the municipal contacts."

One of the biggest things Circosta will miss is working with his crews in Bronxville. "I enjoy sharing some of the manual labor with them. I've always done that, from the day I started in public works," he said. "I'll do whatever needs to be done. You need me to jump in a truck, I'll do it."

To his successor, Circosta advises to maintain an open mind. Evaluate the work being done in the village. "We've made some good strides in public works that are working well," he said. Listen to the issues, he suggests. Infrastructure is critical and he sees the village at a critical point in dealing with its maintenance. "What we don't see," he said, the belowground infrastructure that helps support what can be seen, "is probably 70 percent of what we have. Many times problems with the unseen infrastructure cause the problems people can see."

"My new job will take me everywhere," Circosta said, and Bronxville will be a favorite stop in his travels. "I have met so many people who have become like a family to me."

Pictured here:  Rocco Circosta, Bronxville's superintendent of public works for nine years.

Photo by A. Warner