In the late 1800’s brothers Nicola and Emidio Scioli emigrated to and settled in the town of Cliffside Park, NJ. It is there where the family’s granite quarry was operated on the cliffs of the Palisades overlooking the Hudson River and New York City. Michael and Matthew were truly blessed to have a grandfather, Emil Scioli who worked at the quarry as a young boy and who took the time to pass the family’s heritage and traditions on to them. Many hours were spent listening to all the old stories of the hundreds of old world Italian craftsman. “I remember as a boy my grandfather taught me how to cut granite with a hammer and chisel” recalls Michael. “I was fascinated at how he made his tools look like an extension of his hands. I can still hear him telling me, “treat the stone like a block of ice. Be patient and listen. The stone will tell you when it’s ready to go”.