The History of Santarossa Mosaic & Tile Co., Inc.

The story of WWI Vet, Domenic M. Santarossa, who founded Santarossa Mosaic & Tile, is not unlike the stories of many European immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island in the early 20th century. He had left his native Italy at the age of 13 to study the terrazzo and mosaic trade in Bremen Germany, and in 1913, he arrived in the United States at the age of 20 to build his future. In 1920, he settled in Indianapolis and, a year later, moved his business into the building the firm still occupies on the city's east side. Joining with Louis Toffolo, his partner and lifelong friend, they incorporated in 1924. Constance "Connie" Toffolo, Louis' nephew and Carlo Toffolo, Louis' son later joined the organization. Domenic's son Mario joined the business in 1948 after completing training as an architech at Notre Dame, and today, a third generation of the Santarossa family are following in the tradition of excellence set forth by Domenic Santarossa over 85 years ago.

Mario's son David serves as president, while his brothers John and Robert also serve as company officers. They are joined by Domenic's nephew, Louis Carraro as vice president. Additional partners are Rich Collis, Todd Ketchum and David Saylor.

Expanding the Product Line...

The original product line of Santarossa was that of terrazzo flooring and natural stone mosiacs. In the 50s, the demand for terrazzo flooring declined, so Santarossa added ceramic work to their current offerings. By the early 70s marble, granite and other natural stone materials were added with vinyl, carpet and wood flooring being offered in the mid-80s. By the 90s, terrazzo experienced a rebirth as architects, designers and builders rediscovered the floorings beauty, durability and versatility for both commercial and residential applications.

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