Being born and raised in the Adriatic seaport town of Molfetta, Italy had a profound impact on my art. Growing up among stone carvers, I was eight or nine years old when I first tried carving. However, I didn’t think I had any real talent because I would compare my work with that of the master carvers.

In 1958 I immigrated to Hoboken, N.J. and, although I continued to paint and sculpt for my own enjoyment, I didn’t consider carving again until 1980. It was that year I learned that Bruno Lucchesi was teaching classes at the New School in New York City. For four years I studied with Mr. Lucchesi, whom I consider to be one of the most talented sculptors of today.

In 1984 I saw the award-winning documentary The Stone Carvers and I realized I could do it. At that time carvers were needed in Washington, D.C. to work on the ornamental stone figures of the National Cathedral. I applied, interviewed and was hired for the job.

Working alongside Maryland’s Vincent Palumbo, the master carver of today, I and six others carved rosettes, gargoyles, and ornamental figures at the bottom of the Cathedral to scare the demons away and angels at the top of the Cathedral to let the heavens in. This repetitive, demanding work took three years. At the completion of the Cathedral I was hired by Mr. Palumbo to do restoration work on the White House, another great experience.