Tony DiBucci Talks to Masonry Design Magazine: "How I Work"

Words: Dan KamysMasonry Design, a sister publication of Masonry Magazine, has begun a series of articles in which contributors talk about their typical workday. The goal is to provide some insight into how colleagues (and even some future colleagues) go about their day in the hope that it may inspire others, or alter their routines for the better. In this first blog post, Masonry Design readers meet Tony DiBucci: [caption id="attachment_12401" align="alignnone" width="400"]Tony DiBucci talks about his studies in masonry. Tony DiBucci talks about his studies in masonry.[/caption] I’m a college student. Studying masonry. That’s “how I work.” When I’m asked what I’m majoring in at college, most people do not expect to hear the word “masonry” come out of my mouth. Half the time, I can’t tell if they are surprised that I’m willing to bust my butt doing masonry work, or shocked that I am actually going to a college to learn the trade of becoming a skilled mason. Either way, that’s just “how I work.” In high school, I really did not know what I wanted to do in my life. Did I want to go to school for business? Be an accountant? The Marine Corps was even an option at the time! I just did not know what to do. I chose to go to work for a year and use the opportunity to think about my future. For that year, I had the opportunity to work alongside my father and uncle doing concrete work. That year opened my eyes to the real world. It hit me like a ton of bricks, that’s for sure. The one job I recall quite vividly is a residential garage we built. We built a garage out of architectural split-face CMUs (Concrete Masonry Unit) and I had the opportunity to see exactly what was needed to construct a single-car garage on a plot of land where there had been nothing before. I did not have the opportunity to lay any block on the garage job, due to the fact that I was a laborer, but I know I touched every single block in the garage. That is when I realized that using your own two hands to build something is a skill. It also is an art; an art that is slowly diminishing. I had to learn more; I had to know it all. This trade is slowly dying, but it is not going to die on my watch! Read the rest of Tony's story on the Masonry Design blog.
The New Equation for Masonry Profit: Predictable Hardware and Proven Data
July 2026

The masonry industry is built on tradition, but modern growth requires a shift from guesswork to absolute certainty. When we talk about the philosophy that you cannot improve what you do not measure, we are looking at the literal minutes and manpower lost

Erin Koets Shayne Sanders
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
The Walls We Build
July 2026

As masons, we spend our careers building walls. We build them with brick, block, stone, and mortar, and we take pride in making them straight, strong, and built to last. But over the years, I’ve learned there is another kind of wall we build—the walls we

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Owen Heimbach
July 2026

This month, the MCAA had the pleasure of speaking with SkillsUSA First Place Winner Owen Heimbach, a young mason just starting out whose enthusiasm for bricklaying is truly contagious. His passion for the craft was evident throughout our interview.

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Backfill Your Foundation
July 2026

I’ve been noticing an uptick in a very specific kind of application lately, and once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it. The résumé usually reads like a family photo album. “Started helping my dad when I was 15.” “Worked summers, then full time.” “R

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More