Best known for carving the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the six Piccirilli Brothers immigrated to New York City in 1867 (just one year after the star sculptor in the group, Attilio, was born). All six were trained as sculptors, and worked remarkably well together in their family studio setting. They considered the achievements of one the achievements of all. The Lincoln Memorial and many other well known public sculptures were actually carved in the Piccirilli Brothers' 142nd street studio in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. They carved numerous other artists' designs as well, including J.Q.A. Ward, A. Saint-Guadens, and R.I. Aitken.

At the pinnacle of their success in the early 20th century, the Piccirillis were commissioned to work on such famous Manhattan landmarks as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the New York Stock Exchange, the United States Custom House, the New York Public Library, and City Hall Park. These opportunities came about largely as a result of the national public recognition Attilio won for his work on the Maine Monument at Columbus Circle (on the southwest side of Central Park). By the 1930's the status of sculpture had changed, and commissions dwindled for the brothers.

Presumably, their studio complex (142nd St. between Willis and Brook Avenues), which had grown to four buildings during the course of their lives and included adjacent row houses, was demolished sometime during the 1960s. What happened to the documents and possessions contained within still remains a mystery.

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