Some days steeplejack Michael Mastrototaro
gets tied up at work. Some days he
just hangs around. But no matter what
he's up to, there is no rigging job he can't
tackle.
Mastrototaro is the proprietor of North
Star Rigging of Greenfield, Mass., and he
says he can handle anything that has to
do with steeples and towers: carpentry,
specialty mill work, painting, roofing,
lightning protection, and his specialty,
gold leafing.
Steeplejacking is an ancient trade.
Some of the techniques were originally
developed to service ship masts of old. In
fact, the chair that steeplejacks use is
called a "bosun's chair." Bosun is short for
"Boatswain," the sailor who takes care of
the rigging, ropes, and anchors on a