The thrill of the hunt: How a Staten Island man built his antique empire

"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Mike Pacello describes himself as "a forever 10-year-old boy." Step into his collection space - which he refers to as his "lair" - and the nickname makes a little more sense. The 59-year-old Great Kills resident has spent over two decades amassing an eclectic collection of cast iron toys, vintage advertising, Americana, pop culture memorabilia and curious oddities - items that might make the average person scratch their head, but for Pacello, each piece tells a story."

"His enthusiasm for collecting began to take shape alongside his career as the owner of Mike's Landscaping of Staten Island, a business he's run for 34 years. About 20 years ago, after binging episodes of "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers" - reality shows centered on antique hunting and the business of buying and selling historically significant or unique items - Pacello found a new passion taking root."

"That passion also led to an unexpected friendship through a routine eBay transaction, as an exchange of emails between strangers blossomed into a 13-year friendship with Frank Fritz of "American Pickers," who passed away in 2024 at the age of 60. "Frank and I were cut from the same cloth," Pacello recalled fondly. "He was like the everyman collector. He collected what he liked, and it wasn't always about valuable stuff.""

Mike Pacello is a 59-year-old Great Kills resident who owns Mike's Landscaping and has run the business for 34 years. He has spent over two decades assembling an eclectic collection of cast-iron toys, vintage advertising, Americana, pop culture memorabilia and curious oddities. The collecting interest deepened about 20 years ago after watching shows such as Pawn Stars and American Pickers. A routine eBay exchange evolved into a 13-year friendship with Frank Fritz of American Pickers. Pacello travels across the country hunting treasures and describes himself as a frugal buyer who values items for personal enjoyment rather than monetary worth. He believes the collection will never be complete.

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