Commingled Conversation: John Curotto

Conducted by the Waste Age editors

John Curotto, President and CEO of Sonoma, Calif.-based The Curotto-Can Inc., loves working in the waste industry. But what Curotto really loves is his family, which explains why the last book he read was “The Cat in the Hat,” why his kids are the individuals best qualified to discern his hidden talent, why he’d choose to dine with relatives over anyone else in existence, and why his favorite TV show is “The Sopranos.” Okay, perhaps that last one is a stretch. But it IS about family, right?

Waste Age: What is your pet peeve?

Curotto: Excuses.

Waste Age: What is your idea of the perfect day?

Curotto: Awoken by my kids jumping into bed. Have coffee on the back porch looking out into our yard. Spend the day with my family and, by the way, sell 100 Curotto-Cans. Eat one of wife Bree’s fantastic meals that I enjoy so much! Wind down watching a movie with the family. Tuck in the kids and get the big hugs that they give. Go to bed knowing everyone had a good day and that they are safe.

Waste Age: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Curotto: “Always be a man of your word.” and “The game isn’t over until you have played all nine innings.”

Waste Age: What was the last book you read?

Curotto: “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss.

Waste Age: What is your favorite movie?

Curotto: “Lonesome Dove.”

Waste Age: What is your favorite TV show?

Curotto: “The Sopranos.” I’m a Curotto.

Waste Age: Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Curotto: Rolling Stones.

Waste Age: What is the strangest piece of trash you’ve ever come across?

Curotto: Valuables: cash, wallets, jewelry. Go figure.

Waste Age: Do you prefer the beach or mountains?

Curotto: Mountains. That’s where the deer and elk are.

Waste Age: What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

Curotto: My family.

Waste Age: If you could invite three people — living or dead — to a dinner party, who would they be?

Curotto: I’m going to bend the rules: my brother and my grandparents.

Waste Age: If you weren’t serving in your current role, what would you like to be?

Curotto: An outfitter for hunting and fishing adventures.

Waste Age: What is your favorite sports team?

Curotto: San Francisco 49ers.

Waste Age: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Curotto: To cure the incurable.

Waste Age: What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done?

Curotto: A five-day whitewater wilderness rafting trip down the Rogue River in Oregon.

Waste Age: What’s the one talent you have that not many people know about?

Curotto: I let my kids answer this one. Their answer is I’m good at fixing stuff.

If you have suggestions for future interviewees, send us an e-mail at [email protected].