Leonard Suzio, the president and treasurer of the L. Suzio Construction Company, has handled many important contracts and the extent of his business is indicated in the fact that he now employs three hundred and fifty workmen. As his name indicates, he is of Italian birth. He was born in Castelfranco in the province of Benevento, March 14, 1869, a son of Frank and Mary Suzio. He had but limited educational opportunities and in his youth was largely employed at farm work, to which he gave his time and attention until he was nineteen years of age. He then came to the United States and for a year was a resident of Meriden. In 1888 he began working for John Lane, with whom he remained for about a year, and in 1889 he took up mason building on his own account. He built several residences and employed from six to eight men. After a few years devoted to the contracting business he accepted a position with a big New York city contracting firm, acting as foreman or superintendent of their construction work. He retained his position with the company for six or more years and during that period lived in Meriden. In 1899 he again embarked in the contracting business on his own account and has since been engaged in that way. He incorporated his interests in 1915 as the L. Suzio Construction Company and in addition to his interests in this connection he is the general manager of the York Hill Trap Rock Quarry Company. In the construction business he has employed during the summer seasons more than five hundred men. He was the second man to build a macadam road in Connecticut and he has built more roads in the state than any other contractor. He has had some very large contracts of a most important character and his business has long since reached very extensive and gratifying proportions.

     On the 21st of January, 1895, Mr. Suzio was married in Stamford, Connecticut, to Miss Frances Vocola, who is also a native of Castelfranco, Italy. They have become the parents of three children: Marjorie, now the wife of Mario Petruccelli, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he owns a drug store and by whom she has one child, Laura; and Mary and Frank, who are at home. The children were all educated in the public and high schools of Meriden and Frank (III) was for two years a pupil in a military school and is now continuing his education in New Haven, Connecticut.

     Mr. Suzio is an independent voter but in matters of citizenship is actuated by a progressive spirit that seeks the best interests and welfare of the community. He belongs to Mount Carmel Roman Catholic church, is also identified with the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Sons of Italy. He also belongs to the Amaranth Club, to the 1711 Club and to the Colonial Club. He is truly a self-made man, for his advancement is attributable entirely to his own efforts and with notable persistency of purpose and laudable ambition he has worked his way upward. What he has undertaken he has accomplished. He has never allowed obstacles nor difficulties to bar his path if they could be overcome by persistent effort and he has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for he here found the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization he has made for himself a most creditable place in business circles.