About us

America’s earliest brick reuse pioneer

Born in 1909, Leonard Capozziello began working at just 16 years old with a horse and wagon alongside his two brothers. They collected cardboard, rags, scrap metal, and junk to resell. Leonard quickly earned the nickname “The Chief”, a natural leader, storyteller, and strategist who knew everyone and always had a plan.

With a $50 loan from his mother, Leonard bought his first truck, running on steam, and entered demolition at a time when few people saw value in salvaged materials. He became one of the earliest pioneers of brick demolition and reuse. Chief’s Used Brick was born, operating out of a yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut, during the Great Depression, a decade that kept the business alive, but constantly struggling.

When bricks fell out of favor

Post-war America shifted toward new construction materials. Environmental regulations and modern building practices reduced demand for reclaimed brick. The business adapted, expanding into gravel and other materials, while reclaimed bricks remained essential for homeowners with limited means, those who valued durability and affordability over trends.

The edge of bankruptcy

The 1970s recession nearly ended the company. Leonard’s gambling, race horses, and real estate losses left the family destitute. At one point, the family was evicted on a Saturday afternoon and spent the weekend in a hotel with just $500 to their name.

A small inheritance, a $750 truck, and an $18 trailer bought for $1 became the foundation for survival. In 1979, the business relocated to the Bronx. Dave Capozziello and his father stacked bricks by hand, 4,000 bricks per truck, buying at just 5.5 cents per brick and reselling back in Connecticut. They worked seven days a week for $20 a week, slowly rebuilding from nothing.

From near-zero to millions

In 1980, the company hit bottom again: two blown engines, months behind on rent, and only $140 left in the bank. That same year, the first forklift arrived, a leaking, 1942 army-issued loader, marking the beginning of scaled operations.

Sales began to rise. In 1981, Dave’s father was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 1983. Dave bought out his brother and continued alone. By the mid-1980s, the business exploded, handling up to 7 million bricks per year, generating up to $1.5M annually, and setting a production record of 125 pallets in a day (63,000 bricks).

Recessions, endurance, and quiet mastery

The 1988 recession devastated the reclaimed brick industry. Competitors disappeared. Yards closed. Demand collapsed again in 2008, wiping out 70% of the business overnight. At times, Dave worked alone, earning less than $40,000 a year, collecting discarded pallets just to survive.

But while others disappeared, Dave remained. When the economy recovered, mountains of bricks sat unused, and Chief’s Used Brick was the only operation left to supply them. By 2016, the business surged once more, enjoying several strong years before Dave chose stability over expansion.

In 2021, the company entered a new chapter when Dave Capozziello sold the business to Alkis Valentin. Renamed Chief Bricks, it honored its roots while redefining its future, transforming reclaimed materials from a second-hand necessity into a premium, design-forward choice for architects, designers, and builders.

Chief Bricks elevated preservation through rigorous sorting and expanded reclamation efforts. The 2024 move from the Bronx to Nanuet, Rockland County, brought the company closer to historic brickmaking centers and enabled larger-scale projects.

By 2025, the expansion into reclaimed cobblestones, granite stones and steps, thin bricks and nationwide shipping reinforced Chief Bricks’ role as a trusted source of sustainable, durable, and timeless building materials.

From forced labor to industry leadership, from horse-drawn wagons to nationwide supply, Chief Bricks carries more than materials, it carries history, resilience, and a belief that what lasts should never be wasted.