Keeping childhood memories alive through Hess-tory

When Lake Buena Vista Rotarian Michael D. Roberto was 5 years old in 1977 in New York, his father came home from work around 5:30 p.m. and told him to get in the car. 

“I got to sit in the front seat, which was a big deal,” he said. “My dad took me to the Hess station on Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.” 

When they arrived, Roberto was fascinated. 

The gas station was so clean, white. 

“I walk up and … I’m looking at heaven,” he said. 

He asked his father how the station could be so clean and white and was told Hess stations don’t repair cars; they only sell gas. 

Roberto felt like a big kid for understanding that — a moment that stayed with him forever. 

His dad bought him a Hess truck for the first time. 

On the drive home, Roberto couldn’t wait to get home and play with it. 

When it was time for bed, he’d stay awake under the covers to play with the truck. 

It was one of the greatest gifts a 5-year-old could receive. 

But shortly after, Roberto’s father was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy — a genetic, multi-system disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and the inability to relax muscles.

“It’s literally a torture sentence,” Roberto said. 

After his father died, all Roberto had were memories to hold on to, and his Hess trucks. 

From then on, every time Roberto drove by a Hess station, he thought of his dad. 

A positive neural association, he calls it. 

During the 2008 Great Recession, Roberto lost his financial banker job. He was unemployed for two years. 

With time on his hands, he began browsing the web, he thought about topics in which he wanted to become more knowledgeable.

Hess trucks, he thought. 

He spent time researching about Hess toy trucks — purely out of curiosity. 

“Immediately, I started noticing discrepancies in the information,” he said. 

He began keeping notes of the inconsistencies he found. Soon, he filled hundreds of pages.

“I started realizing that the only people out there putting out any information were dealers, and every dealer was manipulating the data to sell what they wanted,” he said. “At that point, I said, ‘Well, I’m going to have the most honest (and) complete data.’” 

More than a decade later, he now is recognized as the leading expert on Hess Toy Truck LLC. 

From curiosity to expertise 

After months of compiling information, Roberto published his first book. 

It was a Hess Toy Truck master list, including all Hess Toy Truck toys, their differences and variations, special editions, authentication details and even prototypes. It became popular among collectors on Facebook, who told Roberto they had never seen anything like it before. 

Roberto was invited to participate in a book-signing event at a toy show, and what began with a few dozen people in attendance, turned into six years attending the toy show and growing an audience of up to almost 1,000 attendees. 

His first time attending the event was special — meeting readers who admired and thanked him for his master list. 

He met a man whose inner child came out when meeting him, he said. 

“You have no idea how I thought I had it all,” he told Roberto. “You showed me trucks I didn’t have. You brought the thrill back to collecting.” 

That interaction was when he knew he was doing the right thing. 

Not only was he honoring his father by keeping this tradition alive, but he also was helping collectors and families become more educated on the toys, avoid scams and stay away from fake products. 

He kept researching, communicating with collectors and learning new information. 

Today, he has 10 self-published books, including encyclopedias, ID guides and photo books.  

And he did all of it for no financial gain.

He makes about $3 per book he sells, and he does not receive any money from his YouTube channel, which has more than 2,000 followers. 

“I don’t do it for the money because otherwise, I would lose my credibility, and I would lose my neutrality,” he said. 

It is important to Roberto to uphold his credibility. 

Many collectors and families trust him, but most important, Hess Toy Truck also trusts him — “so much so that Hess comes to me when they need information, sometimes,” he said. 

This feels incredible to him.

“Depending on where I go, I’m a god,” Roberto said. “I do get enjoyment out of this. I think it’s kind of cool to be able to say, ‘Hey, I wrote the book on the subject.’” 

Photo by Leticia Silva

A family tradition

Roberto said this year is the most important year yet for collectors, Hesstorians and all Hess enthusiasts. 

Chevron completed its acquisition of Hess Corp. in 2025, leaving families unsure of what was to be of their family traditions — collecting the new Hess truck every year for Christmas, passing it down generations. 

The good news is the Hess Truck division is being sold back to the John Hess family. 

To celebrate, this year’s release will include a collector’s edition, representative of the Hess family. 

“They got to knock it out of the park because this year is a pivotal moment,” he said. “People are wondering, ‘Hey, there’s no more Hess, what’s going on?’” 

To Roberto, this means a continuation of his work, family traditions and his father’s legacy. 

While people cannot get the physical experience of searching for trucks at different Hess stations during the holidays, they can continue their beloved family tradition. 

“They used to be released at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving mornings, and people would line up because those trucks would always sell out,” Roberto said. “In the beginning, it was a hunt tactic.” 

Now, it’s passion involving memories and traditions. 

He keeps going because it’s more than just a toy to him and to families across the nation.

It’s a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. And for Roberto, the hobby is how he keeps his father’s memories and legacy alive. 

Roberto’s bedroom is filled entirely with Hess toys and memorabilia. Walking in there is like walking into a Hess museum. 

Even though his wife is not fond of the excessive decorations, she compromises with him, letting him enjoy his passion. 

He takes pride in his collection and hopes to pass it down on his daughters’ families when they have children of their own. 

But for now, he is going to continue to collect, and he is going to continue to write, educate and help other collectors and families who need it.