In 1926 Nino Buffa was born in the small town of Castellamare Del Golfo on Italy's island of Sicily. He began working after school for his grandfather at the age of 10 in the family construction business. By age 15 he began his apprenticeship in the business and quickly learned the finer points of masonry and all aspects of design and construction. After World War II, much of Italy was in ruins and he decided, as millions did, to embark on a journey to America. After several failed attempts, he was finally able to call America his home. In the 1950s, Nino began building homes on Staten Island, New York. The business continued to grow when in 1980 he moved his business to the MetroAtlanta/ North Fulton area to be closer to his eldest daughter. By 1984 the rest of the family had relocated to Alpharetta and the Blue Star Stucco company began in earnest. Over the years, the business has been at the fore-front of modern masonry techniques and advancements. One of the most important break-throughs was achieved when Blue Star began using fiberglass fibers in the mixing of its hard coat stucco applications. It was discovered that adding this important ingredient to the mix would result in a stronger finished product and would help prevent cracks and moisture intrusion in the stucco system. Today, this technique is widely used in North Fulton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Marietta and throughout the U.S. and abroad.