The 50's saw the arrival of many immigrants with hopes to find
work and build a better life than what they had in their hometowns.
Gaetano Marini was among them arriving in Halifax and making his way to
Hamilton where wages were often much less than a dollar per hour.
Despite limited education back home, he proceeded to learn many crafts
and established his first business in the art of plastering, known to many as
Marini Bros. Plastering. You didn’t have to drive far with him before he
started pointing out buildings and homes that bore his work. Many ceilings
were decorated with the charming “Mezza Luna” pattern. over the course of many years.
This hard-fought business paved the way for what was to become another
passion, home construction. In 1970 he established Mar-Tod Homes with
his brother-in-law Gualberto Toderi and naturally recruited his sons to help.
Eventually his sons became more involved in different capacities; Robert
beginning to assist in creating custom designs and Marco managing the
site. For years, they powered through many changes and
challenges in the industry. Today his son Marco runs Marini and Sons
Construction.
Gaetano Marini never really retired, he died with his boots on. His career long years was punctuated by numerous respectful business
parterships, many of which resulted in life-long friendships. Clients felt
heard and well taken care of while his team built their custom forever
homes.
One colleague (Jerry Ingrassia by the way) recalls his working relationship
with Gaetano Marini