www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | OCTOBER 2015 35
program addresses the chronic challenge that trade associations face:
companies that don't join, "yet they benefit when the association
does something."
The members of NYOHA number approximately 150, of
which about 60 are oil dealers and terminal operators. The others,
associate members, include "anybody who wants to do business
with an oil company or a terminal," Maniscalco said, including
insurance companies, attorneys, engineering firms, answering ser-
vices, and manufacturers of boilers, burners and other equipment.
NYOHA represents the five boroughs of New York City, operating
from an office on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.
Maniscalco's successor is Rocco Lacertosa (see accompanying
article for more on Lacertosa). "I've known John since 1991," said
Lacertosa, who started in the heating oil business in 1966, and
has served on the board of NYOHA. "He's done so much for this
industry," Lacertosa said, including lobbying for legislation that
mandated use of B2 heating oil in New York City. "He helped
spearhead that," Lacertosa said. "I think if it wasn't for his initiative
we might not have it today. I don't think anyone has done more
than he has to make things better here in New York City." When an
association member had a question, Lacertosa added, "if he didn't
have the answer he always got the answer for you. He was always
there to help."
Before he went to work for the association, Maniscalco owned
and operated City Utilities in Queens, N.Y., for 20 years. The
company delivered fuel oil and performed service, repairs and
installations. "I still have my New York City oil burner license," he
said. "I don't know for what reason. I just kept renewing it."
After he sold City Utilities in October 1990, "I was working
for the company I had sold it to," Maniscalco said, and serving as
president of NYOHA when the association board asked him to take
the top job, which he did, in April 1991.
Lobbying, public relations and advertising are the main com-
ponents of the job, Maniscalco said, noting that he was a registered
lobbyist dealing with the New York City Council and mayor; assembly-
men and state senators in Albany, N.Y., and with New York's governor.
"And then when federal legislation was thrown at the industry at large I
had to speak to congressmen and U.S. senators either here or in D.C."
The public relations component of the job consists of "the face
that one puts on in relation to the consuming public," Maniscalco
said. "We have to always be out there and try to convince oil heat
consumers—and at times natural gas consumers—that we're clean
and green and family-owned.
"When they have issues or problems with their [fuel oil] company
a lot of times they'll call the association office, look for guidance, look
for help, register complaints, things like that," he noted.
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