Following in dad's footsteps

by LESLIE CHURCH

Frank Pansini has done stone setting work all over New York City, but restoring the marble path in front of Caspary has a special meaning for him — it’s the same path his father put in place 50 years ago. Mr. Pansini, owner of U.S. Stone Setting, Inc., was hired by Turner Construction to restore the marble after it was damaged by construction vehicles used in building the CRC.

His father Enzo was the foreman on the installation in 1962. “He did a darn good job,” says Mr. Pansini. “But I’ll admit, this is a better job.” Mr. Pansini comes from a long line of stone workers — his grandfather was an Italian sculptor and Enzo has owned his own stone setting business for 35 years — but he had to earn his keep in the business. He worked for his dad every summer since he was old enough to lift a marble slab and set off on his own when he was 24. “I love the hands-on work, but what I really love is all the people I get to interact with,” Mr. Pansini says. The new marble is built on a concrete foundation, which should keep it in place for at least another half century, if not longer. The elder Pansini, now mostly retired, came by to check up on his son’s work. “He approved,” Mr. Pansini says.