The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-24
ROCCO MARASCO'S RISE
A LESSON IN THE PossIBTLTrrEs
OF GRIT AND THRIFT

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Eiehteen Years AGO ne Ca.e TO Th,s
City Ignorant OF the Langungs ana
Almost fesniiess. a.d Now He IL q
Man OF wealth ana = Bank Trustee
At time whom there are In this country
q largo number OF mon. mostly unsuccessful,
who spend most OF their days lamenting the
good old times whom man could mako living
with little work aud tnere was chance for
poor boy TO become q rich man. which there
Is not now because Of the Rraspine trusts and
monopolies. II IN a good thing TO point out
some striking examples to show how idle
those lamentations aro. A few concrete ex-
amplos arc worth dozens Of arguments. This
is the story Of poor. ignorant Italian boot
black who. In eighteen years from the time
he landed at Castle Garden with hardly .
cent In his pocket, has become q man Of
wealth. an employer of labor. holder of real
estate. and trustee of savings bank This
Italian is Rocco Marasco Of $50 Mott street.
There has been nothing thrilling III Mr..
Marasco's career, nothing marvellous. He
landed at Castle Garden on May 1, 1878.
Fifty days before that he had left Naples on
n sailing ship. He was not quito 10 years old
and had about So in his pocket. He had .
stcpfathor In this country who would give
him shelter for q time. and more than that no
did not ask. because he was confident THAI
have to do was to 90 out into tho street and
gather up q few gold paving stones In order
TO become rich man. The ship stopped nt
several ports TO take on moro cmirrants. and
tSe young boy. filled with dreams Of wealth.
across the sea. spent his money freely, 90 that
when no landed his funds were 90 low that
when he was told hfs step-fa had died ave
weeks before his arrival no was not quito SURG
what would become Of him overnight. MoreS'
over. he found tho streets were not paved
with gold. but with common. ordinary stones.
Friends OF hi. stepfathsr found him and toos
Fought on credit a bootSlack's kit. He was too
small to WELD q pick and shovel. and boot
By luck h. Ss %
near The ferries. and with no English but
life As he tells his story. be was pretty
bright. very honest, and very polite and a he
must have been good .lookag. for hs Il rood.
toners he found some good friends. who have
The living expenses of an Italian boy are NOT
large. and this boy was frugal and thrifty. 90
balance in the bank and had a stock Of pretty
who had taken lively interes. in him got him
shoe, on SU that boat /, was plain sailing. BGs.
money. and at the same time thought out =
scheme By which he made his fortune.
tenn about putting bootbiacfs on the ferry
bosts. The BOYS got there through favor and
influence and kept all that they made. When
time he decided that there would be good
profit for man in paying . company for tho
hiring boys to do the work, The more he con-
,idered 1t the better the plan seemed TO him.
Sns H ses o e
err than ever and lived on almost nothing in
order ,n. to get money enough to back an Offer
closed his plan only to his friend who had oh
Ialned for him place on the boat. and his
to begin. After he had worked on the boats
for two years he decided he had money enough
pany for the bootblscking privilege. Il was
accepted. and the boy who three years before
had landed IN this So1n and
become u capitalist and an EMPLOYER, Of labor.
At first he worried side by side with his en-
more money. cessef working with his hands
and secured control OF tho privileaes ON other
on nearly all the ferry lines and was in pos
session OF an income that would make Irost
Composition began and with il reduced profits.
and he gradually withdrew from the business
and began to speSnlstS In real ,b ssssts Now
ferry boats. the Erie, tho Pennsylvania, and the
Jersey Central.
iIs rear esthtc tFsHshCtOus Woro ~ eucScs--
tul as his other ventures. and u, is looked upon
the solid man Of the Italian colony. and his
fortune is estimated at quarter of q million,
although when asked about II he merely
,hrqEs his shoulders laughs; and says, says he wishes
Bank was started three years ago with Amer
lean capital. he was one OF the fee Italians
among the incorporators. and from the begin
ming he has bcL a trustee.
Mr.. Marasco Is short and stout. He has
curly brown hnr and brown mustache and
twinkling brown eyes. He Is hearty and Jolly
in his manner. and his whole appearance sup
ports his reputation OF being man 70 whom
getting aid. Among his countrymen nore he
is looked up to rs q friend and leader, and
among hts business associates he IL regarded
as strictly honest and upright and ehrewd.