The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) on Dec. 17, 2015 announced that Cosmo Lawrence “Larry Sr.” Laurello of Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. in Ashtabula, Ohio, has been unanimously selected by the Executive Committee as this year’s only entrant into the NRC Hall of Fame. He will be recognized at the 2016 NRC Conference in San Diego, Calif., on Jan. 9.
Laurello was born August 27, 1938 in Ashtabula, Ohio. He was a 1956 graduate of Ashtabula High School. He married his wife, Ida, in 1958 in Italy. Laurello returned to the United States after getting married to finish his degree at the University of Notre Dame. He finished his degree in civil engineering in 1961. Laurello and his wife had three boys, Larry Jr., Michael, and Paul.
After graduating from Notre Dame, Laurello worked for Koppers in Pittsburgh. He joined his father, Cosmo, at Delta Railroad Construction in 1965. He continued to work with his father and mother until his father's passing in 1979, when Larry became President and CEO of Delta. Under Laurello’s leadership with Ida, Delta became one of the country's premier railroad contractors, well known for advancing the latest technology.
Laurello was a driving force at Delta, known for his ability to look at problems and find solutions that were good for the customer, the employees, and the company, NRC said. He taught this to his sons and grandchildren, and today Delta continues to do work that he would be proud of. Although Laurello had FSH muscular dystrophy, he never allowed his disability to stop him. Laurello held professional engineer certifications in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and was a registered contractor with the state of California.
NRC adds that Laurello was respected for his utmost integrity and honesty in all aspects of his life. He was a humble man, unwilling to take credit or receive recognition for the many contributions he made to assist those in need. His greatest joy was his family and the many workers that he also considered his family. He committed his life to helping others, never asking for anything in return. His friends and family say he was "the epitome of kindness."