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HOW WE BEGAN ….
When we tell the story on how our grandfather started
manufacturing concrete building blocks by hand in 1922 people
are truly amazed.
Our Grandfather Salvatore Zappala at the age of 29, left his
home town of Roccella, Italy to come to the land of opportunity.
Leaving his wife and two children, he arrived in NYC on February
17th 1921 aboard the Gugliemo Pierce Ship.
Being a man of dedication, hard work ethics and family values,
his first goal was to build a home so he could have his wife and
two children reunited with him. Salvatore worked during the day
in a shoe repair shop and a boilermakers apprentice in the West
Albany Train Co. at night. His hard work paid off, soon he was
able to purchase a parcel of land in Clinton Heights, NY where
he started his
own home. During the construction, a local farmer saw the
concrete blocks being used and asked him if he would sell him
some concrete block for his barn.
This was how our grandfather, Salvatore Zappala began
manufacturing and selling concrete building blocks. Once his
home was completed, his wife Giovanna and their children Nancy
and Vincent joined him here in America. Salvatore & Giovanna had
two more children Sadie and Phyllis.
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He set up a plant alongside his home, and
continued to manufacture concrete blocks by hand. As new block
manufacturing equipment evolved, so did Salvatore. From a
one-at-a-time hand machine to a three-at-a–time automatic
machine, he was always at the forefront of new technology and
equipment. In 1940, Salvatore purchased a parcel of land and
built a new block plant alongside the Hudson River in
Rensselear, NY.
After his son Vincent returned from the Air Force he became
President of the family business working along with his
brother-in laws Frank (Nancy) Casatelli and Ralph (Sadie) Viola.
The business flourished to where it is today, still boasting to
be one of the oldest concrete block facilities in the Northeast.
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WHERE WE ARE....
Currently under the direction of third generation owners, Ralph
Viola Jr. and Tom Viola, they are leading the family business
into the 21st century. |
In 1990, an Ace Hardware Store was constructed to complement our
building material products
and provide
an added benefit for our
Contractors. |
Fleet of Delivery Trucks with Moffett
unloading forklifts to deliver product wherever the customer
needs it placed.
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In 2000, a new state of the art
manufacturing facility was erected. This new facility allows us to
provide to our customers endless new concrete block
shapes, sizes and colors. |
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WHERE
ARE WE GOING …. AS WE CELEBRATE 90 YEARS
SERVING THE MASONRY INDUSTRY
We have just completed installing a grinding and polishing
operation. We can now offer another finish to our Architectural
Product Line.
Ralph Viola III is following the leadership succession and be
assured Salvatore Zappala’s great –great grandchildren will continue
to grow and prosper the fourth generation family business.
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