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In 1906, two brothers-in-law decided to open a donkey-drawn Tradesman business out of their family building; Brancale and D’Amico Plumbing, Hardware and Tinsmithing was born. The two brothers-in-law operated out of this same house, servicing the families of Bensonhurst both at home and in the shop. They built their business on two main factors: hard work and craftsmanship. They truly believed that a thriving business could survive any hard time, whether it be times of conflict and war or times of economic turmoil, if you can offer your customer a service, they need an investment that matches the value you deliver. There were many other companies in the neighborhood that offered plumbing, hardware, and tin-smithing services, sometimes at a much lower cost. However, they knew that besides the low cost, these companies brought the customer no other benefits, and more so, no value. It was all the extra work and consideration that both brothers-in-law performed and showed that it enabled them to be a fixture for decades to the families of their community.
John Petri decided to get into his uncle and father-in-law’s business in his early teens. He was fascinated by the bands on work involved, and knew it was something he could be good at fine put in time and effort. They showed him no nepotism, and John entered the family company as an apprentice. John worked diligently and studied the trade in his after hours, determined to become a skilled craftsman.
After years and years of hard work, dedicated learning and the love of his customers, John became the General Manager of the shop. He was the first person to propose the idea of ditching the donkey-drawn cart and opting for a full work truck. John created the ability to extend into several neighborhoods, and the company was soon the “go-to” for most of the residential plumbing and heating work throughout Southern Brooklyn.
Petri looked on as his father helped raise the company to new heights, and the joy it brought his fellow Brooklyn families. Peter loved helping his community and the families with it, so much so that it led him to a different initial career. In 1947, Peter Petri graduated from the New York City Police Academy at the top of his class and was placed into the 72nd precinct. Peter was a policeman at a time of heavy corruption in the Brooklyn area.
Petri did not follow the lead, and instead kept his head high above the corruption, always putting his community over- anything else. In addition to his rigorous police schedule, Peter was also a Plumber and eventually the General Manager of the family shop as well. Peter was renowned for his work ethic and strength, which developed during his days as one of the best Left Guards Brooklyn sandlot football had ever produced; constantly being compared to a “plumbing bull. “Peter often wished to bring the company to new heights like his father had, however, with two full-time jobs it was difficult. He did continue the tradition long enough into his years to allow for the newest generation of Petri’s to enter the family business. Soon a new pair of brothers walked through the front door, and along with tales as large as Paul Bunyan.
Michael Petri and Gerard Petri were known throughout Brooklyn before they ever put on a pair of boots and lifted a wrench. Michael Petri was a renowned football player for the local powerhouse football program at St. Francis Prep. Michael loved football but was undersized for the sport. He knew the only thing that would get him to the next level would be hard work and dedication, and his tenacious work ethic eventually led to him receiving a full athletic football scholarship from Villanova University, where he mastered the art of business.
Dawn to be as big as “a full-grown silverback,” Michael’s younger brother Gerard, followed in his athletic footsteps and was one of the most feared Defensive Tackles throughout his career in Brooklyn. The brothers eventually joined the family company, often being paired together. Even though the two were significantly younger than most mechanics in the trade, their determined attitude and work ethic proved unmatched. Legend has it, on the night before Christmas Eve, during one of the worst snowstorms of the 1980s, two different clients’ boilers broke down and began leaking. Both homes had elderly tenants and needed heat, but no trucks could make the trip, let alone were any technicians available. The two brothers knew they could not let these homes go without heat on Christmas.
So they said goodbye to their families and chained the tires of two service trucks and loaded each with a steam-heat boiler. Slowly but steadily, they trudged across the neighborhood to the first house. The two brothers brought the first boiler up a hatch and brought in the new boiler down a hatch. Quickly but meticulously, Michael and Gerard installed the first boiler, and just like Santa himself, were out in a flash to the next home. Again, the two brothers had to bring out the broken boiler and hoist the new one down a deep hatch. Just as they had before, Michael and Gerard piped in and wired the boiler to specs. The snow was so severe late into the night that their work truck, strapped in chains, was completely snowed in at the second home. Both customers happily smiled on Christmas Eve morning in their warm, toasty homes while Michael and Gerard trekked on foot through the neighbor’s back to their house, happily smiling all the same. Some say the feat was impossible, some say it would have taken six men. When asked, the brother’s reply is simply consistent: “of course ...six men, or two Petri’s.”
Tall tales are true or false, the height to which the two brothers brought the company is as true as can be. After several years of service and studying, both obtained their Master Plumbers License. It was in 1987 they officially took the reins and renamed the company Petri Mechanical. They entered Local I, 2, and 371 in 1990 and brought along something the union industry never saw: the dedication and painstaking work that comes with residential home service. With Gerard running the negotiations and field labor and Michael running the systems and logistics, the growth was exponential. With up to 50 employees and multiple projects running at one time each over hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece, Petri Mechanical became a major player in the Union. Many plumbing projects built through the Union between the late 1980s and early 1990s have some type of Petri Plumbing fingerprint.
The company was fast moving, but the two brothers soon began to see different future paths. Gerard saw an opportunity in a unique industry: site work underground plumbing. He branched off and opened his own Union company and is still a major player in New York City plumbing today.
Michael Petri decided to take his company back to its roots, and service the people he adores most: the families and businesses of his beloved Brooklyn and Manhattan. In 1995, he officially renamed the company Petri Plumbing & Heating Inc. with the full intention of keeping a small mom-and-pop shop like his family before him.
For over 18 years, Michael Petri provided unparalleled, fast, reliable, and guaranteed service to families and households in Brooklyn and Manhattan with just two to three technicians. In 2014, Michael met his future mentor, Mike Agugliaro. Mike pushed Michael, proving he was doing his beloved city an injustice by offering such high-quality services, yet not offering them to everyone in the city by staying in a small shop. Michael realized he was right and that he needed to make the best service available to everyone and therefore needed to grow. At the same time, Michael’s y01D1ger son Christopher Petri made the decision not to join the white-collar force but instead come into the family business. Together, they committed to growing their marketing and advertising campaigns and quickly became one of the most heavily and highly recommended plumbers on social media, appearing on several different broadcasts on local news stations and outlets, and revamping the entire technician visit, even ditching the term “plumber.”
As they say, plumbers are one-dimensional, but with all that their technicians provided, they were well above that label, and thus the Service Experts were born. Slowly but surely, the company began to grow into a new age. Michael Petri believes every one of his employees and customers is a true member of the Petri Family and treats them with the same respect and adoration that his forefathers displayed for so many years. He believes this is what kept Petri Plumbing running for 111 years and will keep running for 111 more years.
As we say here, it is always great to be a Petri!
Ready for top-notch Brooklyn plumbing, heating, cooling, and drain cleaning? Look no further! Petri Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Drain Cleaning is your trusted New York HVAC contractor and plumber in Brooklyn for all your home service needs. Take the first step towards a comfortable and efficient home – stop your search for “plumber near me”, fill out the form below, and let’s get started on your service request today! Your satisfaction is our priority.
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