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A lot happened in 1978.
The movie “Grease” lit up the big screens. The little yellow Lego man made his debut.
And Pelco Fuel Corp. was formed in West Islip.
The company’s president, Jerry Puccio, and the ownership team and loyal staffers at Pelco have been delivering oil across Long Island ever since.
“We started in August of 1978,” explained Puccio, and named the company Pelco after the then-defunct Patchogue Electric Light Company, which had been acquired in 1964 by Long Island Lighting Company, or LILCO.
Puccio, who lives in Brightwaters, was 25 years old and working as a Sears service technician when he jumped ship to work for his in-laws’ fledgling company as a managing partner.
“I took a leave of absence, because I didn’t know if this was going to work,” he recalled.
It worked. Forty years later, Pelco remains one of the few remaining, family-owned independent fuel oil companies left on the island.
And Jerry Puccio is still at the helm. Now his son, Anthony Puccio, 36, of Bay Shore, also helps run the company in all aspects.
The family says they have no intention on selling to larger outfits.
The company prides itself on handling full-service customers and family friendly customer service and responsiveness.
“Consumers today want to have peace of mind knowing when they have no heat or hot water, or any emergency call, a Pelco employee will be at their door with as little delay as possible,” reads the Pelco website.
“Last heating season, we managed to answer our customers no heat/hot water emergency service calls in under three hours. Plus, we do it all. Anything related to discount fuel oil, plumbing repairs, installations or home heating service is our specialty.”
Pelco, located at 1065A Prospect Avenue, also installs boilers, hot water heaters, fuel tanks, digital thermostats, mini-split AC systems and even natural gas systems.
Click here to visit the Pelco Fuel website’s homepage to learn more.
They can also be reached by calling 631-661-5515.
Featured Photo: Anthony Puccio with one of the truck’s in the Pelco fleet.
