Charles "Charlie" Pastorelli
Charlie started with the City of New York on April 6, 1981, as an Auto Mechanic at NYPD. He immediately became involved in the union and started attending meetings to better understand how Local 246 represented him and his co-workers. This led him to eventually run for Shop Steward and he was elected to the position in 1996.
He was a great advocate for all those he represented, making sure everyone was well protected on the job. He had often been described as one of the most hands-on Shop Stewards of his time, going out of his way to call members at home to make sure they were OK if they didn’t show up for work.
In 2003, Charlie was elected as Local 246 Recording Secretary, a position he held for just a year until October 2004, when he was appointed Vice President. He remained second in command until June 2014 when he announced his retirement on Nov. 8, 2014, after 33 years on the job and several months of intense decision making about starting a new career as a retiree.
“Charlie was not only a Local 246 fixture, but he was also a loyal unionist and a real friend,” said Local 246 President Joe Colangelo. “I had the great pleasure of being able to work side by side with him in running our union and relied on him regularly for the day-to-day business decisions. My heart is broken for his family and for those of us who knew him and had the privilege of working with him. Charlie Pastorelli was a great man.”
Charlie was often credited with enhancing the lives of members by making sure worksite challenges were immediately addressed and that members knew they could call the union for all issues, no matter how big or small. He could often be found straightening out a payroll problem or dealing with safety concerns.
Like most Mechanics, Charlie owned a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle street race car that he took to car shows and hot rod hang outs. He helped out at a friend's repair shop working on Pro Mod Dragsters and traveled with the race team to work the pits.
He also was the drummer and singer in a 50’s band.
"It’s said that what you do for others defines who you really are," Colangelo said. "Charlie gave his all to this union and its members. You will be missed by all who knew you,” Colangelo said.
Charlie grew up in Flushing, Queens, where he still lived with his wife Mary Ann. Together, they had a daughter Dana, who recently married Daniel Albin. Charlie also had a daughter Nicole, son Charles, and granddaughter Jewel.