. >> reporter: joe has been brighteni brightening christmas in rockaway for 23 years and raising money>>eporter:all this n pole and lit startedh this? >> it's about 23 years ago. i'm a criminal attorney. a client of mine got needed to p and leave and i missed christmas with my daughter and decided never to miss christmas again. >> reporter: his favorite decoration, those giant soldiers. when it comes to christmas, joe knows some guys. >> this is actually johnny lights. we're going to finish doing some lights over here. then the ice man. >> reporter: neighborhood elf armed with a power drill. >> i don't do anything with lights. i'm not the light guy, no. they say it pays three times as much. >> reporter: tony has his hands full tuning up the carousel, keeping the old-fashioned skating rink spinning away and the victorian dancers, too. >> computers, i have a lot of technical background. the merry go round is my biggest challenge. there's a transmission under there that is constantly turning and doing a couple different things and i have to constantly get in there and adjust it, right, jo