The History of Our Family-Owned and Operated Business

My name is Patrick Casper Grammatico, and I'm telling a brief history of Grammatico Masonry. My great-grandfather Giovanni Grammatico and his wife came from Sicily, Italy in the very early 1900s. He was a mason by trade and started here in Ann Arbor, Michigan doing repairs for other homeowners and also joining in with the University of Michigan for consistent work. He had eight kids, five boys and three girls. My grandpa Casper Grammatico was the first boy in the family. At a very early age, he was a boxer and grew his career as a golden glove boxer—along the way learning from his dad's masonry to make money. Casper worked at the University for over 40 years as a mason. My dad was born in 1942 and grew up with boxing and masonry through grandpa and his dad, he later got with a stonemason from Whitmore Lake, Michigan, called Luis Moreland, and he taught my dad how to split and lay rock cobblestone all together.

Later on, in the early 1980s, my dad realized that stonework was expensive to do and other people were doing cultured stone. In the beginning, cultured stone was three colors, not great to look at, and you could stick it on anything, and this developed our new business of Grammatico Masonry for that day. We realized the house was from the early 1900's so in going forth it needed chimney repairs, porch repairs, and foundation repairs. Also in that era of time, paving brick became a new way to lay driveways, sidewalks, patios, etc. We diversified into doing all masonry repairs to residential houses for a homeowner that needs help with these sorts of things. I was taught in a way, I’m sure handed down from generation to word is key what you say you’re held to, be straight with anybody, and follow through.

Again, my name is Patrick Casper Grammatico, my dad‘s name is Patrick Giovanni Grammatico, my grandpa‘s name is Casper Grammatico, and my great-grandfather‘s name is Giovanni Grammatico. Today I have a three-year-old son that I am bringing up close to what I had for today’s environment; his name is Giovanni Casper Grammatico. My son will never be pushed, but he has taken great strides in helping on whatever projects are happening and very, very skillful. I did not fall into this by chance. This was something in my family, and I take pride in what I do because of my great-grandfather, my grandpa, my dad, and also look at it as I’m teaching another generation what I can.