Mike Mucci: “You had to be protective of the integrity of the landfill.”

INTERVIEW DETAILS-

Narrator: Mike Mucci

Interviewer: Demetra Maragos

Date: April 20, 2021

Place: Remote Interview

Duration: 1:16:21

Michael Mucci served a 30-year career in the Department of Sanitation. After his appointment as a sanitation worker in 1981, he was steadily promoted up through the ranks; when he retired in 2011, he was the four-star chief in charge of the Bureau of Waste Disposal. Following the 9/11 attacks, Mr. Mucci oversaw the transformation of Fresh Kills landfill into the site of the city’s investigation and recovery operations.

Mr. Mucci recounts his career with DSNY, his experiences at Fresh Kills, and the challenges faced by the Department of Sanitation and its workers in the wake of 9/11.

Transcript – Mike Mucci

Full Interview Audio: