Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

to his native place. His stay here was but
short and, in late January, 1900, he set
out for America, landed at New York, and
reached his objective at Middletown, Connecticut,
February 18, of that year. Here
he encountered by far the most severe
cold he had thus far experienced. With
no knowledge of the prevailing language
of the country, with labor plentiful and
little in demand, his case presented dis-
couragements, but with the hope and de-
termination of youth he awaited the open-
ing of the season's activities. About a
month after his arrival he found employment
with a contracting firm which had
need of workers with pick and shovel
he labored under hard taskmasters, who
looked only for results, while a dozen
waited to fill every vacancy in the force.
Though his hands blistered and bled,
young Mazzotta gave competent service
and earned the approval of his employers.
After two months of this employment he
found opportunity to work at his trade,
which gladly he would have accepted,
even at a reduction in pay, though he was
advanced fifty cents per day (to two dol-
lars), and built unaided the towers sus-
taining the gates in the State Hospital
water works. From this time forward he
found rather steady employment, as every
employer found him willing and ambi-
tious to give service. In the autumn of
the same year he went to Hartford, where
he found employment at another advance
of fifty cents per day. His prime object
in going to Hartford was to secure the
benefit of night school, where he might
increase his knowledge of the language
and fit himself for better opportunities
in life. In school he was just as diligent
as at work, and made rapid advancement
in knowledge of English, working each
day and going to Middletown once a
week to visit a sister living there. Re-
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
turning to Middletown, he was several
years in the employ of Denis O'Brien, a
large mason contractor, with whom he
grew in favor, and, after less than two
years with him, was placed in charge of
jobs. He set the stone work of the Haddam
Library, the chapel of St. John's
Church and many other buildings in and
about Middletown. In 1909 a long strike
of building mechanics in Middletown very
much hindered operations, and Mr. Maz-
zotta became impressed with the idea of
becoming his own master, which long
had been a cherished ambition. After
some casting about he secured a job at
the corner of Union and South streets,
where he laid the cellar and first story
176
walls of a building, and he found by the
end of the year that it is more profitable
to handle one's own business. He built
concrete sidewalks, and no job was too
small to receive his faithful and efficient
attention. His reputation for reliable
work grew, and jobs came to him unso-
licited. In 191 1 he erected a two-story
brick block on the south side of Wash-
ington Street, for J. W. Stueck. In
1915 a much more pretentious block
arose under Mr. Mazzotta's management
— "Stueck's Tavern"—on the north side
of Washington Street. Many fine blocks
have been erected under contract by Mr.
Mazzotta, a few of which may be here
mentioned, including the Meech & Stoddard
elevator, homes of the Middletown
Yacht and Highland Country clubs,
Poliner's store on the northerly end of
Main Street. In 192 1 he began the con-
struction of an addition to the group of
buildings constituting the Connecticut
State Hospital, a fire-proof structure, said
to be the finest in New England, and is
now (1924) constructing the Nurses'
Home, another equally fine building of
the same group, each of these contracts