In a small town in New Jersey, one of the area’s first marble shops opened its doors. It was 1978 and the shop was called Romano and Son, named after its Italian owner, Olivero Romano, and his son, Paolo.
Mr. Romano was a tough old school Italian from Calabria. He spent much of his time in the shop or in the field managing his workers. Those who visited the marble shop were greeted by a young bright-eyed girl in the showroom. She seemed to know the business very well and was the delicate balance between the tough owner and his loyal customers. It came naturally to her, after all the girl was Antonella Romano, the owner’s daughter. Antonella emigrated to the U.S. with her beloved mother, Dora, and father, Olivero, when she was eight years old and started working in the shop when she was just 12, becoming the third generation in her family to enter the stone business.