Marchese of Graciano Corp. dies at age 64

Eugene "Gino" Marchese Jr., 64, a recognized master of historic masonry who spent more than 40 years helping restore numerous Manhattan landmarks, died on February 18th. A project superintendent for Graciano Corp., a New York-based firm that specializes in restoring and preserving architecturally significant buildings, he was managing a project at the Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant at the time of his death. "Gino was the most talented stonemason working in New York; possibly the best in the country," Graciano president Glenn Foglio said last week. "He was an artist, a mentor and a great friend." "It's hard to overstate his dedication to getting things exactly right. One example is the energy he put into researching and reviving the Gustavino terra-cotta tile technique. It's a 100-year-old system for lining high, vaulted spaces like the Bridgemarket under the Queensboro Bridge, the Whispering Gallery and the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station. Gino made himself and our company the Gustavino tile experts." The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers honored Marchese's BridgeMarket efforts with an award for the best restoration project of the year 2000. "The Queensboro Bridge was one of the most interesting jobs," he said then. The two-and-a-half-year project involved resetting seven layers of terra cotta tiles, and required over 3,600 terra cotta tiles, 1,728 trim borders and 3,290 ornate field pieces. According to Graciano vice president and project manager Bill Vollmer, correcting a design flaw in the 1909 bridge overhead turned out to be crucial. "The beams from the outer roadway ramps ran directly into the main arch," he explained, "and vibration from the traffic had caused severe damage to (the tile in) that area. Gino was able to convince those involved to redesign, demolish and rebuild that area one and a half feet lower. This solved the problem." Marchese's talents were evident at an early age. As a small boy, he spent his summers carrying water — and soon cutting, laying and dressing stone — for his grandfather, Americo Gonano, a Pittsburgh stonemason. Young Gino's father, Gino Marchese, Sr., was a craftsman as well, a pattern maker who taught him how to construct wooden templates and layouts for metal castings. "I fell in love with stonework when I was a kid," Marchese once said. "But my parents insisted that I go to college." He earned an Art degree from Ohio University, then embarked on a teaching career that lasted only nine months. "I was always looking out the window," he said. "I wanted to be outside, working with my hands, with stone...The university provided me with a good education, but the best teachers I ever had were my father and grandfather." He made his home and established his career in the Pittsburgh area, settling in Ross Twp., just south of the city, with his wife, Sharon. After joining Graciano Corp., he shuttled back and forth every week to New York, where he worked on and later oversaw dozens of historic restorations. His notable projects include large-scale masonry and stonework restoration at the Apollo Theater, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Cloisters, Main Hall at Staten Island's Wagner College, MetLife Tower, Moynihan Station, Rockefeller Center, the Waldorf=Astoria's Motor Court, and the West 66th St. Armory. "When I hear the phrase 'old-world craftsmanship,' Gino's face will always come to mind," said Foglio.