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History
They secured a storefront at the end of 116th Street, which was ideal due to its proximity to the East River, facilitating easy shipments of tile by boat. The original company, Acme Tile & Marble, was managed by William and Vincent. In June 1910, Joe and Erminio founded Vedovato Bros. Acme sold materials, while Vedovato Bros provided labor and crafted flooring mosaics.
The business faced challenges with the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, which placed significant strain on operations and led to Vincent's death. Following the war, the Roaring Twenties brought economic prosperity. With rapid development in the Bronx, Vedovato Brothers experienced high demand, with tiles selling quickly.
In the mid-1920s, William, the eldest brother, decided to retire and return to Italy to care for their aging parents and manage the family farm. Joe and Erminio also parted ways; Erminio bought out Joe, who started his own contracting business. In 1930, Erminio incorporated Vedovato Brothers, and his eldest son, Leon, joined the company. The following years were challenging due to the stock market crash, the Great Depression, and World War II. During the war, Vedovato Brothers temporarily closed and repurposed its operations to support the war effort by producing nuts and bolts.
After the war, Vedovato Brothers reopened. The U.S. government's reconstruction efforts in Occupied Japan included a focus on tile production, leading Vedovato Brothers to begin importing tile from Japan. As a result, the company needed a larger warehouse to store the imported tiles and rented a space in the Bronx. However, when the building was sold, the company had to relocate its inventory within a year. With Erminio's guidance, Leon and his son Dick, who had joined the business, decided to construct a warehouse on property they owned in Scarsdale. The building was completed quickly, and midway through construction, they expanded the plans to include a store.
On March 1, 1960, the store officially opened. Erminio, now in his 80s, was proud to witness his son and grandson expand the family business, though he passed away later that year. A few years later, the business thrived with new tiles in various sizes and colors being imported. However, tragedy struck again with the sudden passing of Leon at the age of 50, a significant setback for the family. Lena, Leon's wife, who had always been involved in the business, took on a more prominent role. She brought in her brother, Tony Vaccaro, to manage Westchester Tile while Dick assumed leadership at Vedovato Brothers.
Recognizing the difficulty customers had in visualizing the imported tiles installed, Lena, Tony, and Dick collaborated to create a space that showcased full-sized bathrooms with installed tiles. In 1968, they opened one of New York's first tile showroom, revolutionizing how tiles were presented to customers.
Now the stage was set, and Westchester Tile was slowly becoming a force in the industry. In the 1970s, Dick's cousin Bobby Vaccaro and younger brother Larry joined the company. Larry and Bobby took turns managing Vedovato Brothers, while Dick, Tony, and Lena operated Westchester Tile. Both companies thrived, allowing Lena to retire in the early 1980s, leaving her sons Dick and Larry in charge. Over the next twenty years, the two brothers, with the help of Uncle Tony and cousin Bobby, pushed the business to heights they had never imagined possible.
In the mid-1980s, Tony's daughter Suzanne and Dick's son Leon entered the business, building on the legacy established by previous generations. The next 30 years saw Larry, Tony, Bobby, and finally Dick retire, turning the reins over to the fourth generation.
