When millions tune in on Dec. 3 to watch the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, one Bellmore family will be watching with a special sense of pride.
That’s because the 900-pound Swarovski star crowning the iconic tree was lifted into place by one of their own — crane operator Mike Gherlone, a longtime Bay Crane employee who has lived in Bellmore since 2011.
“I got the call to go to Rockefeller Center, and I took it,” Mike said. “I’ve put the Christmas tree up a couple years ago, but this was the first time I ever did the star.”
For Mike’s wife, Gina Gherlone, the moment brought an unexpected thrill. When she learned her husband would be the one installing the star — and saw the scene playing out on TV — she could barely contain her excitement.
“I was freaking out,” she said with a laugh. “He was like a celebrity. It was on the news — it was so cool to watch!”
The Gherlones have raised their four children in the Bellmore community since moving there after their marriage, and Mike has spent more than two decades operating cranes across the city. His work has taken him to many of New York’s most recognizable landmarks, but helping bring the Rockefeller Center Christmas tradition to life, he said, felt a little different.
“It’s a regular day at work for me,” he said. “It’s just a little different than doing steel erection or concrete. You don’t have cameras and the news there every day.”
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition began in 1931, when construction workers building the complex placed their own small tree on the site during the Great Depression. The first formal tree lighting followed in 1933, and the event has since grown into one of New York City’s most beloved holiday traditions, drawing millions of visitors each season and a global television audience. Each year’s tree is sourced from different parts of the Northeast, transported to Manhattan, and topped with the massive Swarovski star that has become a modern hallmark of the display.
This year’s tree arrived on Nov. 8 from upstate East Greenbush, and Mike and his crew arrived at Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 12 around 6 a.m. to begin building the crane on the plaza compound. Workers brought out the Swarovski star — weighing about 900 pounds, well within the capacity of the crane Mike was operating, which was rated for roughly 17,000 pounds.
He said the installation process requires precision and patience.
“You just have to go nice and slow, so nothing shifts,” he said. “You have signalmen on top of the platform guiding it down for you. Everything’s in the blind, so you rely on radio signals and take your time.”
The crew remained on site until around lunchtime. At times, Mike had to keep the star suspended in position while workers secured everything.
“When he came home, he said he had to hold it up in the air for a while because they had to get everything ready,” Gina said. “But he didn’t complain — he just thought it was cool.”
Despite onlookers and news cameras surrounding the plaza, Mike said he didn’t feel any nerves.
“I’m used to it,” he chuckled. “It’s just a little different having cameras there.”
For the Gherlones, watching the coverage felt surreal — especially knowing how important the Christmas tree is to so many New Yorkers and visitors.
“To be able to say, ‘My husband did that,’ it’s amazing,” Gina said. “Our kids are so proud of him.”
The family says the experience has added a new layer to their own holiday tradition.
