Adolpho and Egeria Minuti papers

Adolpho Minuti was born in Florence, Italy. He married Egeria Gremo of Rome in Rome. Their oldest son Lawrence L. Minuti was born in Rome. Two younger sons, Augusto and Torello, and two daughters, Ida and Cesira (Jessie) were born in the United States.

Adolpho Minuti was an architectural sculptor or ornamental plasterer who created decorative ceilings, ornamentation, friezes and reliefs for prominent public and private buildings. He came to the United States to work on the World’s Fair and stayed. With Charles Carlo Brioschi he founded a business in New York and worked with Cass Gilbert on New York projects including the Morgan Library and the Singer building, and remodeling the White House. They came to St. Paul in about 1909, where Minuti lived out his life. In February 1911 their business was the Brioschi-Minuti Company. In March 1915 the partnership dissolved. April 10, 1915 articles of incorporation were filed as the Brioschi-Minuti Company. In Minnesota, Minuti did sculptural work on the St. Paul Public Library, cathedral, Athletic Club, Minnesota Historical Society building, Basilica of St. Mary, and the State Theater in Minneapolis, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Hibbing High School, Hotel Duluth, Denfeld High School, and municipal buildings and theaters. In a brief December 1922 company history by Laurence Minuti he stated, “this firm has more business signed up for in 1923 than 1915-1917 combined.“ The business began at 246-248 West 4th Street in St. Paul, and moved November 16, 1922 to 908-920 University Avenue. Daughter Jessie married Louis J. Signorelli of Duluth and remained in Duluth. Louis Signorelli’s father was a Duluth stone mason who worked on Enger Tower and the bridges of Seven Bridges Road. Alolpho Minuti died on February 16, 1931 at age 65. In a 1958 Western Mineral Products Company newsletter, the three Minuti brothers, August, Torello (T.J.), and Lawrence were lathing and plastering contractors whose firm was established in 1933. In 1958, they were completing “the new Minnesota Federal Savings and Loan building, the city’s largest plaster fireproof job in recent years. The job totals 9,000 sq. yds. And the 3M company, plastering 1,600 beams in three buildings.”