Setting the Foundation

On June 3, 1911, Frank and Marie Amoroso welcomed their son Salvatore John Amoroso into the world. He was the sixth of eight children born and was raised in a passionate Italian family with a strong sense of entrepreneurial drive.

Growing up in San Francisco, Sal was always in and around his father's construction company. He and his brothers worked hard for their father, not in exchange for a paycheck, but for room, board and clothing. Working for relatives for free was a typical practice at the time and Sal never really thought twice about it.

By the age of 25, he was all but running the business when he met the daughter of a couple whose house he was remodeling. It was love at first sight and despite initial objections from his father; Sal and Inez were married in 1938.

By 1939, Sal had nearly $100,000 saved to branch out on his own and start his own construction company. This was a significant amount of money at a time when in San Francisco you could get a nice flat for $2,500 and a Ford automobile for $650. With enough capital to start a business, Sal chose to enter the "Public Works" market. From the 1800's to that time, all public works projects required a bond from a reputable bonding company, and to secure such a bond a large amount of working capital was necessary. Sal was able to break into this market and help to set the stage for Amoroso being an accomplished public works contractor. Going into this sector put Sal in direct competition with his father's fading company. As Frank's company went out of business, Sal hired his brothers to come work for him, marking the first time they received an actual paycheck for a hard day's work.

In the early days of S.J. Amoroso Construction, Sal's mother, Marie, would pack her three sons a lunch every day. This was no ordinary lunch, but rather an Italian feast that became the envy of most subcontractors. Family was a critical element of the business in the early years. Sal possessed great integrity and ran his company the same way. Business was done on a handshake and Sal was a man of his word.

Sal's perseverance and dedication to the industry has made Amoroso what it is and his spirit and inspiration lives on today in every project we complete.