Over the years, as Patsy's business grew he needed more and more workers to build the fireworks and to set them off at shows. Family members were always involved. But Patsy also began hiring fireworks experts from outside of Cortland, and hired locals who became integral to the work.
Joe Barnaba The types of fireworks Patsy manufactured and the techniques he used were "typical of the Old World Italian Masters" according to Philip Martinez, writing in a publication of the Pyrotechnics Guild International Inc. In the 1940s and 50s, Patsy began hiring "Italian immigrants who brought with them to America so many of the jealously guarded secrets of Italian pyrotechnics."
One of those old world masters was Joe Barnaba, in the photo at right with Patsy (stogie in hand). Originally from Italy, he had owned the Barnaba Fireworks Display Company in North Bergen, New Jersey since 1916. In the winter and spring of the late 40s and early 50s he came to Cortland to work with Patsy while living in the Buttino home at 40 Pomeroy Street.
Frank Catalano Patsy's most valuable hire was Frank Catalano of Auburn, New York. Catalano was a long-time fireworks virtuoso in his own right. For many years he owned a fireworks factory in Auburn. He brought with him a huge book filled with recipes for different chemical mixtures for the powders in the tubes, written in both English and Italian. It was a source of pride for both Patsy and Frank that they did not buy the colorful mixtures of gunpowder and chemicals. Like the tubes and the wooden frames for the set pieces, they made everything by hand.
This photo by Ithaca photographer Marion Wesp presents the crew on hand at a Fourth of July Fireworks show in the early 1950s at Cornell's Schoellkopf Field. Patsy is in the center with son Bob on his right and son John on his left. Next to John is his teenage son Jack, Patsy's grandson, and then Jack's high school friend Durwood Goodale.
When Jack got older, he drove his grandfather to fireworks shows in a truck filled with explosives. He had vivid memories of the smoke filled cab with Patsy puffing away on his ever-present stogie.
At extreme left is Albert Rosato of Cortland, nicknamed Billy Bones since he was a kid after he and friends went to see the movie of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. Billy Bones is a character in the novel and movie.
Next to Albert is Frank Catalano of Auburn, New York. He spent most of each summer living and working with the Buttino family.
At extreme right is Joe Rosato of Cortland, Albert's brother, nicknamed Hooker since he was a kid. He worked at Champion Sheet Metal for his regular job. Joe became integral to Patsy’s business, working long hours at the Pendleton Hill worksite building fireworks and set pieces. He also worked with the Buttino family at major fireworks shows. Joe and Patsy became close friends, and Patsy taught him everything he knew about fireworks.
The Perils of the Job In the history of the Cortland Fireworks Company, there were two dramatic accidents at the Pendleton Hill worksite. In 1954, Patsy’s son Bob was working outside of one of the buildings making the Niagara Falls set piece, filling tubes with black powder. That type of work was only done outdoors. But something set the powder off in an explosion that sent flames over Bob’s upper body. Joe Rosato was working in another building and ran when he heard the explosion. There was a fence and a creek nearby and he saw that the explosion had blown Bob into the fence. Joe rolled Bob in the grass to put the flames out, burning his own hands quite badly. Joe was out of work for quite a while until they healed. Bob spent months in the hospital recuperating and then over the next year had skin grafts over his chest, arms, and face. Eventually he went back to his father's fireworks business, working on crews at fireworks shows and especially helping his father set off the bombs that announced St. Anthony's Day Festivities..
Unfortunately, not many years later, in 1960, Joe Rosato had his own accident He was working alone at the Pendleton Hill worksite mixing black powder when it exploded. He was totally in flames, but rolled on the ground to put them out and somehow managed to jump in a truck and drive down the hill to where farmers were working. They took him to the hospital. He was burned on his chest, both arms, and face and he lost his right ear. The doctors at Cortland hospital rebuilt his ear right there in the hospital. Joe was badly scarred and out of work for months.
Below is a map drawn by Joe's son Ron Rosato of the Pendleton Hill worksite, noting the locations of Joe's accident and Bob Buttino's accident.