"Mechanic to the Stars" Harold Pickens Recalls Teterboro Airport Days

When Harold Pickens worked at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport as an A&P mechanic, one of the perks of the job was the interactions he had with the celebrities who landed there. To avoid attention, Pickens says stars like Frank Sinatra chose to fly into Teterboro, rather than a larger airport, when they had to be in the area. During his time there, such famous faces as Frank Sinatra, John Travolta and President John F. Kennedy had their aircraft inspected, and in some cases worked on, by Harold and his team.

"We had a job to do, regardless of who it was," said Pickens. "It was certainly interesting to get to know some of those famous faces, however."

Today, Pickens lives at Harrogate, an Ocean County retirement community, and his fellow residents love hearing him recall the stories of his meetings with the rich and famous.

"Harold always has a story to tell," said Harrogate executive director Charles Benjamin. "All of us love a good story about celebrities and Harold definitely has more than his share."

Pickens is a bit of a celebrity himself around the community, volunteering for various activities and even having his face on the community bus. He sometimes jokes that he calls Harrogate "Harold-gate."