www. silive.com-STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- NEW DORP -- One of Mike DeFillippo's greatest pleasures is working with his hands -- to build and to create for others. As the owner of home-based Handyman For You home-improvement company in New Dorp, "I do just about everything," he said.
And everything it is -- from small projects to large, from pavers and decks, to siding and interior renovations.
Mike loves what he does, and it shows in his enthusiasm, as well as the quality of his work.
"I'm on every job," said the licensed and bonded contractor. "I make sure everything is done right."
But it wasn't until after the destruction of the Twin Towers and the tragic loss of life in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, that he decided to follow his passion.
An expert in hazardous-waste removal, Mike was assigned by his former employer, the Project Development Group, to help coordinate the removal of toxic materials from Ground Zero. Until then, the thought of opening his own business hadn't even entered his mind.
"I was comfortable working where I was. I started out as a laborer and worked my way up to lead supervisor," he said. But the prestige and responsibility of his position soured following the destruction of the World Trade Center and his work at the site.
It was horribly depressing work that diminished any satisfaction he could receive from his job, he explained.
"It was very sad. I lost interest in my job. I saw too much and it changed my way of looking at life. And then, the plane went down in the Rockaways [section of Queens]," Mike said.
Just two months after Sept. 11, American Airlines Flight 587 crashed after taking off from John F. Kennedy International airport. All 260 people on board were killed.
"I was called to evaluate the site, but we weren't needed; the jet fuel burned up whatever toxic materials might have existed," Mike said.
The back-to-back devastation overwhelmed Mike. "I didn't want to be part of it," he said.
Operating a home-improvement enterprise was a natural transition for him.
"I was always handy," he said. "My father was a butcher, but when he said, 'get the hammer,' we would go."
In addition to his general handyman skills, Mike has the advantage of being highly experienced in debris containment and mold removal.
When he started the business in 2002, he lived in Brooklyn, and had but a few Staten Island customers. That quickly changed, however, as word of his versatility and reliability began to spread.
As a result, "I packed my kids up in Brooklyn, moved them out here and started a whole new life on Staten Island," Mike said. "Now, I'm becoming a household name and I'm happy about it."
Handyman For You many be reached at 347-683-0792.
Barton Horowitz is the Advance senior business writer/columnist. He may be reached by e-mail at horowitz@siadvance.com.