Dominic Rizzuti
Italian ironworker
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Dominic
Rizzuti was born and reared in Terravecchia, in southern Italy. As a teenager
in Italy, Rizzuti learned his craft by hanging around the blacksmith's shop, where
they shoed horses and donkeys and sharpened tools for farmers. In 1937, Dominic
came to Des Moines, where his father had immigrated some years before. At first
he worked for ornamental iron businesses, learning how to do the architectural
work featured in churches, public buildings, and in homes.
By
1950, Dominic and his brother, Sam, opened their own business, Artistic Ornamental
Ironworks, which now includes his sons Rocco, Dominic Jr., and Louis, as well
as workers from Laos. “Dad brought me down to run errands and whatever else
I could do,” recalls Lou Rizzuti. “But over the years I picked up
the craft, as did my brothers Dom Jr. and Rocco.”
Dominic Rizzuti has also passed his skills and knowledge on to new employees. Describing the five Laotian American who now work for the family business, Rizzuti explains, “They are immigrants like me.”
Artistic
Ornamental Ironworks uses both computers and a traditional forge to develop their
own designs and also follows architectural patterns to fashion a variety of custom
hand-wrought ironwork. The southeast Des Moines shop produces a variety of custom,
hand-forged wrought iron work, from doors, gates, circular staircases, fences,
and railings to the historic restoration of the State Fair turn-of-the-century
gates.
Contact: Dominic Rizzuti, Artistic Ornamental Iron Works, 519 S.E. 4th St., Des Moines, IA 50315, 515.282.1866, artiron@radiks.net.